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?

I spent lots of money on a pumping machine and all the bottle stuff to go with it, as well as nursing bras and pads etc. it wasn’t cheap. Plus I ate more as I lost loads of weight. Oh and there was the lactation consultant which was crazy expensive and all the trips to the hospital when feeding went awry due to lack of feeding support and my son stopped feeding.

Breastfeeding wasn’t free or cheap for me.

I remember with DD1 in the first lockdown I ordered formula through Boots, I knew I wouldn’t get points but when it came to click and collect they were charging me despite spending £40+ on formula so over the £20 needed. I queried it and they said if they offered free click and collect on formula, it was seen as an incentive to stop breastfeeding. I dropped breastfeeding because we were in unprecedented times, as a FTM, a totally alien world of juggling a new baby with no family support, no breastfeeding support and no idea if and when it would ever end. Not because Boots were offering free click & collect 🙄

If parents are upset about the advertising rules, they need to take it up with the formula companies. It’s their fault the WHO drew up the code in the first place. The code itself isn’t law and each country makes its own mind up what to adopt as law. The UK hasn’t adopted the full code.

The formula companies don’t make the milk out of the goodness of their hearts. They do it for profit. Sadly they’ve shown time and time again that profits are more important that babies. They are continuing to engage in unethical practices where the code isn’t adopted. Sadly those tend to be places that lack the widespread sanitation, education and healthcare to make formula feeding safer. There is a LOT of money behind all of this.

In an ideal world formula would be unbranded and available at cost price for those who need / want it. All those advertising budgets would go towards universal breastfeeding support and correcting the mass of misinformation out there. In so places there is no proper BF support and usually they are in communities were a low cost / free infant milk is most needed.

As for instructions / support for FF. Formula is a food product and like all food has a shelf life. it grows bacteria the moment it’s made and will go off. Unlike other foods though we give it to newborns who might not have the gut maturity to deal with anything ‘on the turn’.

The instructions on the pack have been scientifically shown to reduce the risk of harm to babies from the bacteria. Other, quicker, methods are out there but they change the risk. While one parent might do it and be fine, another might and their baby get sick. HCP will have to tell you to go by the instructions written on the pack as they cannot make the risk assessment for you.

Also to add, a lot of the times the retailers (or at least the front line staff) won’t really know the reasons behind the rules and will say things like ‘it’s to promote breastfeeding’ etc which isn’t quite the full story. To be honest I don’t blame them for not knowing either.

Ironically the change in care for new mothers is partly thanks to input from formula companies.
Before they had a hand in redesigning maternity units they were very much midwife led, using knowledge going back generations, with high knowledge (and quick treatment) of issues such as tongue ties.

(My youngest has a TT, not one midwife on the ward recognised it (although it was very obvious), the paediatrician who checked ds over didn’t recognise it and wrote down “mum anxious about baby’s tongue and feeding, but no problems seen”. It was an obvious tongue tie!

So much knowledge has been lost.

NCT leaders are not permitted to 'go over' me making up bottles. It is against baby friendly guidelines to do so in group settings. This has to be done one to one so it can be guaranteed that the safety messages have been communicated properly. Nothing to do with the NCT, it is the same for the NHS.

No. I know it’s true. But it’s so not the point of the thread.

All women get judged for everything they do, especially in motherhood and pregnancy. And I am so fed up with any thread about feeding being hijacked by the ‘other side’ to make out they have it harder or worse. It’s ridiculous. We all struggle, we all make difficult ‘choices’, we all have difficulties… why the need to jump up and down and say “but don’t forget us <insert method> feeders have it this hard…”

It’s merailing and pointless.

I see this all the time in local mums groups. They don't want to feed because it's "not for them" and then they're back on asking about "hungry baby" formula and "comfort" milk. By three months, they're obviously feeling the strain and they're asking about water and/or asking if they can give baby porridge or rice in the bottles. It breaks my heart.

I can’t see how you’re being penalised? You’re just not getting extra rewards. It’s also world health organisation guidance to not do promotion or advertising for infant formula.

This is actually true that many people who 'can't' breastfeed actually could with the right techniques but unfortunately those just aren't taught here. My DP is chinese and was born with tongue tie, it was never fixed with any op (he still can't roll his tongue and it looks short as an adult 😜) . His mum was shown how to feed him and did so until he was a toddler. It's just as well as China has had so many scandals with formula milk containing dangerous ingredients or low nutrients and babies have died from it. I think it's pretty common knowledge that ultra processed formula milk is never going to be as healthy and i do think that "fed is best" is a very low bar but the but the problem is the lack of support to breastfeed . Mum's who have to feed with formula shouldn't be spending an arm and a leg to do so and greedy companies shouldn't be profiting and promoting it. Best case would be for it to only be available on prescription when someone can't breastfeed. This way it would give the health service the incentive to really help people to feed and would take away the power from profiteering companies

I don't see the point in having rules about points on formula milk or free delivery when follow on milks are allowed to be openly advertised.

I also don't get the rules on not teaching formula prep antenatally either. Yes there's instructions on the tin but isn't it obvious to anyone with half a brain cell that lots of people are just going to read them, think

"that's a lot of hassle, did my parents really do it like that?"

then go and ask parents who will say something like

"oh no of course not, we just added powder to cooled boiled water"

Doesn't that just put these babies at more risk of infection?

Oh sod off. You don’t know women’s individual circumstances. Show us the facts!

And essentially remove mothers’ choice. I can’t believe you seriously think a totalitarian state is a good idea - because that’s what limiting formula to prescription amounts to. There would also be a lot of very hungry babies because the logistics would be a nightmare.

Just because it's triggered you doesn't mean it's not true. It really is a very small number of women who really physically can't feed. Lots of women feel they are unable to, however because they've received inadequate support and shitty advice.

In some of the breastfeeding groups I'm in, there are women on their third or fourth child who are happy that they're finally managing to breastfeed because they've received proper advice and support.

And yet any other aspect of having a newborn baby can be covered. And we wonder why women feel judged...

Its not even the making up of the bottle that necessarily needs support (or not just anyway), but tips on giving the bottles, techniques etc.

Its shameful.

The idea that formula companies should be forced to sell in unbranded boxes and put their marketing budget into promoting breastfeeding is unfair and barking. Should we also insist on unbranded nappies, with pallets now advertising reusables? Should we be expecting wine makers to promote abstinence? Durex to promote waiting until marriage? Why is formula the only product that to be 'ethical' needs to promote itself into being used less?

Why don’t you put the ‘facts’ you claim? It is the case that few women are physically /mentally unable to breastfeed. Check out La lèche league information and the WHO. As people have well explained here there is lack of support and information and I’d add lack of support in society. Breastfeeding mums get all sorts of comments that wear them down. Also the mums work, caring commitments, dealing with pain. Breastfeeding is also 24/7 and there’s no time off. I’d be a wet nurse if I could. I’d be happy to breastfeed to give mums a break. I can’t offer this because I’m on medications. I can envisage a society where women lived in groups and fed each others kids. Perhaps this was how it was a long time ago. It makes sense.

No one said they should be forced to sell it unbranded or use their marketing budgets for that. It would be great if formula wasn’t in the hands of private companies and if health authorities had their marketing budgets for breastfeeding support.

wine does carry warnings about drinking to excess. But wine and condoms are products chosen by adults to be used by adults. Nappies don’t have the potential for life threatening illness if used incorrectly.

It's not shameful. Formula feeding is not risk free. It often hurts the baby's tummy as it's more difficult to digest. They're more likely to die of SIDs, end up hospitalised and less likely to respond to vaccination as well as a breastfed baby.

See The Politics of Breastfeeding by Gabrielle Palmer for more info.

Bottles should be covered by the nct. There’s pumping breast milk and feeding it in a bottle. There’s also bottle feeding formula. An informed choice and full support. Have first formula unbranded and on prescription for mums who can’t breastfeed. What formula do hospitals use? This must be a generic product?

I'm coming to this thread super late but nevermind.

I couldn't BF my first, she wouldn't latch at all and I got no postnatal support. The BF consultant appointment I was offered was 6 weeks post birth. What's the point in that? I pumped for 6 weeks but combi fed then switched to formula.

I'm expecting my second and this time round I will just formula feed. The mental pressure to BF was too much and I don't want it this time round. It also means my DH can help out again, everyone I know that has EBF has said their mental health went down the pan for a solid year.

Do I resent spending a huge amount a month on formula? Yes.
Do I resent the fact the cheapest formula has gone up by £2 a tub since I last bought it 4 years ago? Yes.

But it is what it is. I understand why you can't receive points on it because some people would choose to FF instead of BF so that they can get Boots points.

It's not shameful. Formula feeding is not risk free. It often hurts the baby's tummy as it's more difficult to digest. They're more likely to die of SIDs, end up hospitalised and less likely to respond to vaccination as well as a breastfed baby.

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever read and you should actually be ashamed of yourself for posting it. Yep, make parents who couldn't/can't breastfeed feel like they're upping their SIDS risk by FEEDING THEIR BABY.

PS - I know 3 babies that were hospitalised because they were highly allergic to things their mum's were eating, being transferred through breast milk. Doesn't mean people shouldn't breastfeed.

https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/123/3/e406/71689/Does-Breastfeeding-Reduce-the-Risk-of-Sudden?redirectedFrom=fulltext

It's true though

Has it been proven scientifically? If it has parents need to know

Those are statistical facts though. Not moral judgements. Informed choice is important. Same goes for sleep, car seats, weaning etc.
To know 3 babies hospitalized from allergies to breastmilk is so unbelievably unusual and unlikely. Which is why medical advise isn't based on anecdote.

I agree.

Due to a number of reasons which stacked the odds against us I wasnt able to breastfeed - combi fed for a week but it wasn't working.

I went with the milk the hospital gave us. And even just going onto the C&G website before you could enter you had to read a whole paragraph saying how breast is best and you understand that formula is not good etc etc.

... I was only trying to screenshot a picture of the formula so family could get me some for when we were eventually discharged as I had nothing at home.

As a brand new mum who was already going through an extended stay in hospital, lonely and upset I couldn't breastfeed that was so hard to have to read