Mrs Hinch....perfect prep :-(

[caroline161]

I feel so angry with Tommee Tippee that they've "gifted" her a perfect prep machine. Completely undermines her wish if she wants to breast feed. Plus she's such an influencer how much will this reduce our national breast feeding rates? Pregnant women will go and buy one just because she has one and not give themselves a chance to breastfeed

The thread is about advertising with morally questionable companies

Absolutely it is. And all the formula companies are morally questionable with their "closest to breastmilk" nonsense, or their mums clubs giving away free soft toys, or their branded pregnancy emails conveniently reminding you of their products each week, or sponsoring education events for midwives/GPs, or making follow on and advertising that with babies who are as close to the 6 months limit as they can get away with... and that's just in the UK.

I think we can safely assume that Mrs HInchcliffe is blissfully unaware of all of this as her knowledge begins and ends with cleaning. However, her management won't be. They know perfectly well what she is doing with her polls on which formula is "best" - newsflash, they're all the same - and posting pictures on formula feeding accessories to all her followers. It's calculated, and designed to further normalise formula feeding through one of the UK's best known Instagramers.

and that's just in the UK.

Even if you have no issue with formula (and equipment) ads in the U.K. globally what these companies get up to cause infants to die, still in 2019. People think it’s a problem that we left in the 80s after the nestle scandal. UNICEF estimates around 1 million deaths per year directly caused by unsafe formula feeding (as in no sanitation/dirty water) yet they still hit those places hard with their promotions, try to make formula and bottle feeding some kind of status symbol. Maybe Mrs H’s management would like to educate themselves about the sort of companies she’s now promoting.

www.babymilkaction.org

Why shouldn't formula be normal it is an alternative to breastmilk it shouldn't be deamonised but women on the internet or anybody else

It is normal, but aggressive marketing of it is damaging to infant health globally and damaging to parents wallets here in the U.K. Mrs Hinch hardly needs to ask 1million random people on the internet which formula to use does she? It’s underhand advertising and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if she starts mentioning brand names.

I am massively pro bf (but I did ff one child through choice). If people are already set on bf, I can't see them being swayed by this. If they were set on FF, they might be swayed to buy this machine. Our society is just not set up to support bf mothers. I am pregnant and will be bf but I am lucky enough to work for myself so I can feed baby until she self weans, whenever that may be. However with one of my children (the ff one), I had to go back to work at six months. Although legally provisions are meant to be made to allow pumping in the workplace - it's difficult to do when you are a primary school teacher, and not even taking into consideration the fact I've never been able to pump. With many mums having no choice but to go to work when their babies are young, it's difficult. We don't even start on all the twats who think bf is disgusting and shouldn't be done in public. Many of my friends chose not to breastfeed because they were scared to do it in public because of other people's reactions.

Formula isn't abnormal.

But with breastfeeding rates in the UK being so terribly low, the aim is to reposition breastfeeding as normal and formula as the alternative.

At present, most people formula feed so that is the normal.

Really people honestly don’t think she’ll have that much impact? She’s caused many cleaning items to sell out with just her showing their use on Instagram......and that’s without considering the environmental impact

She’s put a message up to say it’s medication related

The things that people get hung up on..

The Perfect Prep machine is one of the best things ever invented for parents who FF, the whether they chose that route or not - my own mother and MIL also agree and wish they'd had them in their time.

It is different to sterilising the milk with a small amount of boiling water and topping with cold water from the tap because the water is filtered in the tank. Filters are changed every couple of months.

Obviously, you can't take the prep machine out and about with you so you simply take a flask of boiling water out with you and the powder in a tub - just like the 'old days'.

Mrs Hinch has said she wants to BF but maybe can't because of her meds (or which I imagine she's on a lot with the issues she has of which she's just spent a whole week in hospital for).

Once again, if you don't like it just unfollow and let's just stop the whole BF vs FF debate once and for all. It's unnecessary.

Do you really think it’s the same emmaluggs? A cleaning product is something everyone can use, a low value, low engagement purchase that’s only considered briefly. A PP is only suitable for expectant or new parents- ones that haven’t had children before otherwise let’s face it they’d already be well aware of its existence. It’s pretty different to a £1.30 bottle of disinfectant

I live in a very hard water area as perhaps does she because it’s not that far from me
When I was making bottles the bloody kettle lime scale was so annoying. The PP machine would have helped with this perhaps?

Agree @Passthecherrycoke people aren't going to be running out to buy a £130 PP machine when they plan to BF for free. Also, not all of her 2 million followers are going to be pregnant either.

No one is going to run out and buy a perfect prep machine if they don’t need one or aren’t going to formula feed / need bottles (and I realise those two things aren’t the same).

Everyone needs cleaning products. The instant sell out of the Minky cloth (and other such cleaning stuff) she uses isn’t the same thing at all! It’s something everyone can use, it’s low cost, it’s not affecting your own body, it’s not to do with using your boobs or not.

How can people be so incredibly daft they think the two things are comparable? You know people who follow Mrs Hinch do have a brain....!

People actually DO get PP machines and bottles even though they “intend to BF”. They think they will have it as a just in case back up. My dd was offered a PP machine by several well-meaning relatives as she was young and skint so they thought they were being helpful. Of course people are influenced by those such as Mrs Hinch why is there so much money in advertising if people just make their own minds up and aren’t influenced? So naive.
I can’t remember who said anyway, it's not her responsibility to promote BFing simply because she's having a baby, has a public profile and a pair of boobs. in response to me earlier, but she equally shouldn’t be promoting a formula feeding device ether as this is against the WHO code which is there to protect babies and mothers health. If she is going to struggle to BF she is of course going to have support available and it’s bloody brilliant that formula exists to give babies a fabulous option for milk. However just as ivf is a fabulous thing for those people who cannot conceive- no one would ever think it is an option that people just try if they don’t really fancy TTC the conventional way would they? So why is artificial feeding considered such a go-to?

Isadora maybe if making babies the old-fashioned way was painful, inconvenient, time-consuming, and depriving of sleep, IVF would be more of a go-to for many?

However just as ivf is a fabulous thing for those people who cannot conceive- no one would ever think it is an option that people just try if they don’t really fancy TTC the conventional way would they? So why is artificial feeding considered such a go-to?

To extend your analogy - my best friend is a lesbian. She could technically conceive without ivf - she’s physically capable of doing so the ‘natural’ way - but it would be highly damaging to her mental health and sense of bodily integrity. I have another friend who suffers from vaginismus following sexual assault and cannot have penetrative sex with her partner, so would need ivf to conceive. Following your argument to its logical extent, both these women should try the ‘natural’ way first, even if they know it will be damaging to their mental health and personal comfort.

Breastfeeding is great. But the attitude of ‘knowing what’s best’ for women to do with their bodies, without knowing their lives and reasons and personal histories, doesn’t sit well with me.

I like the fact I live in the UK where, thankfully, I have the right to choose what I do with my own body as a woman. Other cultures and countries do not allow women that choice, or many choices in general. I think putting pressure on women to use their bodies in ways they do not want to - including pressure to breastfeed- is disgusting actually, and no different to the many misogynistic cultures around the world who tell women everyday what they can and cannot do.

Rates of breastfeeding in other parts of the world may be much higher than in the UK but the UK and other western cultures are not comparable to many of the other places used to cite high breastfeeding rates in terms of women’s mental health, and women’s rights over their own bodies and their own choices. I don’t know why anyone keeps bringing out this holy 99% rest of the world breastfeeding rate as if it in any way relates to the lives we lead as women here in the UK.

The perfect prep machine isn't fine, it's a known danger for babies and NHS does not recommend it for formula parent

Its not a danger and its certainly less dangerous than leaving made up bottles in the fridge or making them with cool boiled water. Not only that but people talking about doing it manually havent thought about the fact you need to pre measure your cooled boiled water and not just top up the bottle. That would be dangerous again.

The nhs will never say its ok because its for FF which they dont and will never promote.

This may be a stupid question but, what meds are you allowed to take when pregnant that you can’t when breastfeeding??

I don’t think OP is being controversial in suggesting that advertising and product placement cause people to buy stuff

This - they wouldn’t gift things to her if it didn’t make a difference to sales...

Oh ffs, so if she was able to breastfeed, then you'd be happy for her to be open about it and advertise breast pads, nipple cream, bras etc? But because she's formula feeding, she has to keep quiet incase it upsets people? She's got just as much right to discuss her choices as anyone else. Formula feeding is not a dirty little secret.

I FORMULA FED AND IT WAS FUCKING MARVELLOUS! NO REGRETS AND IM EXTREMELY PROUD OF MYSELF FOR MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR MY BABY AND MYSELF. FORMULA FEEDING IS FANTASTIC AND I'D STRONGLY RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE!

ethelfleda certain blood cot medications.

My best friend had to stop her oral medication when pregnant, and switch to injections because they’re considered safe during pregnancy. They were less effective (for her), she was very poorly, she could have died. She spent the last 3 months of her pregnancy in hospital. Once her baby was here the doctors advised her to go back to her oral medication. Not proven safe for breastfeeding.

It was either that or continue the injections, remain in hospital for monitoring the whole time, all the while risking her own life just to breastfeed her baby.

I’m not saying that this is the medicine Mrs Hinch is talking about, but it is one that I know of.

whoha

Good for you. My turn:

I BREASTFED (AND STILL AM) AND IT IT FUCKING MARVELLOUS. IT IS INE OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS ABOUT BEING A MOTHER AND I LOVE HOW EASY IT MAKES BEING A PARENT. I AM EXTREMELY PROUD OF MYSELF FOR MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR MY BABY AND MY FAMILY

This thread

Why are you shouting at each other?

I LOVE HOW EASY IT MAKES BEING A PARENT

Good for you but for millions of women that is so far from the truth.