Parents penalised for formula feeding

[thechristmaspudding]

I just wanted to open up a discussion to find out the perspectives of other parents on this subject. I would also be interested to hear the opinions of midwives, health visitors and other health care professionals involved with families.
To give a bit of background information, I am a member of the Boots parenting club, which has many parents are likely to be aware gives you access to discounts and offers on baby related items in store. I went into my local boots today to buy my son's formula, hoping to get a good deal as I had been notified of an offer in store. Now, in my sleep deprived state I did not read the offer properly and it did clearly state that it was an offer for follow on formula and not infant first. The cashier was very polite and explained that due to government regulations shops are not legally allowed to offer discounts on infant first formula due to the government expectation that breastfeeding should be encouraged for the first six months. To be clear, I am not taking issue with Boots or any other shop, but it got me questioning whether this is fair? No, I do not believe that formula companies should be able to dissuade women from breastfeeding through aggressive marketing campaigns that encourage parents to buy their product. But surely parents have the right to weigh up the pros and cons of bottle feeding and make an informed choice that reflects the needs and circumstances of their own family? I tried really, really hard to breastfeed but found it extremely difficult and due to a lack of postnatal support gave up (the inadequate breastfeeding support in this country is another issue in itself). This is something I still regret and struggle with. However, my personal experience aside, formula feeding is a valid choice to make whether parents decide to feed this way from birth or at a later stage.
I also remember watching an episode of dispatches a few years ago on how due to the cost of formula many families resort to watering down their baby's feed or even to stealing. This is a situation that is likely to have worsened as a result of the cost of living crisis.
So my question is, AIBU in thinking that it is wrong to penalise bottle-feeding parents when it comes to the cost of formula?

The vast majority of mothers can, with the right support. I had A LOT of support. Three different lactation consultants, two tongue tie snips. A partridge in a fucking pear tree. It was hard, until it clicked at about 5 months. That's five months of being in pain and wanting to give up every single day.

Your situation is not the same, you're in a same sex couple if I recall correctly? Therefore I'm not sure any of this argument applies to you (or those on bf unfriendly meds etc) as you obviously need to rely on formula.

Not to mention actual laws had to be brought in to protect the rights of breastfeeding women because discrimination was so rife

Why a facepalm? Do you believe this isn’t true?

This

It's also to stop parents chopping and change formula to whatever is on offer that week. Which is bad for babies stomach.

Also offers don't always make things cheaper. Most of the time they hike the price up just so they can reduce it. So overall you probably wouldn't even save anything

Yes it absolutely should be.

The first sentence is the entire reason for the product in the second sentence.

The only reason follow on milk was developed was so formula companies could market it, and do so cleverly to influence infant feeding.

Years ago there was an advert (I don’t watch adverts now so can’t comment on current ones) showing first a breastfeeding mother, sitting uncomfortably, hair up, frumpy, dirgey coloured clothes, looking cold and uptight, cut to a formula feeding mum and baby (because it’s a free choice, right?) looking blissed out, relaxed, warm and cosy, lovely coloured clothes, then switches to a 6 month old in summer, all flowery and beautiful - because however you choose to feed your infant, there’s always follow on milk to carry on where you left off.

It’s insidious, and people don’t notice it consciously. Their brains suck it in and these adverts inform your choices every step of the way!

I guess it's a bit like the rules in Scotland and Wales that you can't offer promotions on buying certain amounts of alcohol e.g. cheaper to buy six bottles of wine. It's based on a public health decision. If it becomes the case that families watering down formula etc becomes more of a public health risk then the cost/benefit analysis changes and I'd imagine the rules might change. Though as you say, better breastfeeding support would help many families who are needlessly paying for formula.

I don’t think preventing formula companies from marketing/pricing products in such a way that encourages FF is the same as penalising FF babies - which is a valid choice. You have issues you didn’t BF and are projecting a bit in my view.

This is nestle and others we’re talking about. Why did they even need regulating in the first place - because they use underhand tactics otherwise. The consequence of that is they can’t use price promos for infant formula, which sucks for FF parents but is likely a necessary evil.

I couldn't breastfeed with my oldest and was made to feel shite, litrally bullied by the nurses. Apparently it was all about meeting their quotas.

When I had my second (and third) I had already had a partial mastectomy and no body pushed it, I don't even think many knew so I think things had changed.

We have it somewhat lucky here, in many countries you aren't ALLOWED to decide to use formula. A doctor has to approve your request and prescribe formula which is utterly fucking batshit.

I have always mentioned how amazing it is the 'our body, our choice' stuff never seems to support women in choosing formula as an option.

Formula is also PERFECTLY safe, theres no downsides too it anymore... this isnt the victoria era of refrigerated and unpasteurized milk in unsterile porous bottle.

If parents are having to water down formula, instead of a ‘price promotion’, why are we not asking the shareholders to stop being so greedy and actually reduced the price across the board as standard?

Governments have to intervene in certain areas of capitalism as some capitalists are evil.

I agree it's not black and white. I formula fed 1, breastfed 2 (still feeding 1 now). There's no moral judgement from me either way. But I don't think it's helpful to deny the biological reality that most women are able to breastfeed. The focus should be on properly supporting women to feed however they want to without bringing "success" or "failure" into it. I don't think it's responsible to encourage low income mothers onto formula, when affordability is clearly an issue.
But it's a complex issue, and doesn't start and end with feeding. We're not a mother and baby friendly society imo.

What does having heard of something and brand awareness have to do with making a decision about formula or breastfeeding? There are hundreds of things I’ve heard about and seen advertised or discussed that I’ve never tried or purchased because I don’t want to.

do you really think women see an aptamil ad and think oh I better feed my baby aptamil instead of breastfeeding that advert is just so good and my neighbour mentioned it years ago. Maybe explore why you have such a poor opinion of women.

And do you consider going for a poo an achievement?

Formula is also PERFECTLY safe

It is when made up properly.

Sadly, too frequently it isn’t made up properly. I have seen many people add formula to a cold bottle of water. And now people are watering it down to make it last longer

Exactly. You only need to read this thread to see what an emotive issue this is.
Every mother wants to do the best for their baby. That’s what the brands package and sell along with the milk powder.

They can’t offer time limited promotions but there’s absolutely nothing stopping these companies from dropping their prices or bringing in a price freeze.

No but aside from the fact that breastfeeding is rather more complex and tougher to do than having a poo (and also involves another human) I have never actually said breastfeeding is an achievement. Unless you can point out where I’ve said this? Or are you just making things up?

No but when BF didn’t work out how did you know to switch to formula and specifically Aptamil.

I don’t have a poor opinion of women. What a weird reach. I was simply responding to someone who thinks they’re immune from marketing tactics. No one is

@Kindofcrunchy that's good for you.

No but when BF didn’t work out how did you know to switch to formula

You’d have to be non sentient not to know that the alternative to breastfeeding is formula.

And if a mother is breastfeeding on certain drugs either prescription of street its dangerous... Any could be dangerous if done 'wrong'. Drinking too much water can even kill you.

But used as per correct direction formula is perfectly safe and nutritionally balanced.

There zero truth in the myth that breastfeed babies are magically stronger, healthier and smarter.

As for cost of living, if they weren't going out of their way to make formula less accessible by implementing laws like this then that wouldn't be an issue.

Cow and Gate and Aptimil are made by the same company, in the same factories. It’s 99.9% the same product. And there are no special ingredients that Aptimil put in which justify the price (that really would be unethical). The difference is the marketing. C&G is targeted at a different woman to Aptimil. The C&G mum wants to FF, probably always knows she will from being pregnant or even before. She’s happy with her choice, FF is probably what her family/friends do too. The brand promotes itself as a heritage British brand, one you can rely on that’s always been there. It uses cutesy images like lambs and teddies on the packaging.

The Aptimil target Mum either tried to BF and couldn’t, or wanted to and couldn’t for another reason. She probably feels a lot of guilt for not BF. She buys Aptimil as it’s expensive, scientific-looking and promotes itself as being close to breastmilk. The packaging looks sleek and modern, no teddies on those boxes.

This isn’t marketing bollocks - it works. There is no reason not to buy Aldi milk, from an ingredients point of view. The essential ingredients are regulated by law, and there is no proven science behind anything else which Aptimil claims justifies their price. But lots of parents wouldn’t buy the Aldi milk on principle.

Probably not the answer but I think formula should be a prescription medication tbh

Do you think formula companies spend millions in advertising because it doesn’t work? As someone’s already said, they basically created stage 2 milk so they could get around the advertising ban on formula.

You want to put even more pressure on the poor NHS that’s already on its knees? Really?