... to contemplate participating in a SMA guide to breastfeeding?

[toSMAornottoSMA]

I responded to the advert on MN yesterday for mums to take part in a SMA guide to breastfeeding. I haven't heard back, but I wondering if actually I'm out of order to consider taking part. I breastfed DC1 for 15months and intend to do the same for DC2. I have never bought formula.
But - I can see the benefit of quality breastfeeding advice being available online, and think that SMA would have the resources etc to produce a quality resource. I've loved breastfeeding, so I'd love to pass some of that enthusiasm on.
So ... I know I'll probably get flamed by some, and its totally theoretical at this stage, but what do you think?

I am in no way bashing ff mums.

I am bashing the marketing tactics of the formula companies.

And I never post on bf ff threads so I'll have to put this on ignore too!

Crikey

Conflict of interests definately sums it up best.

Who seriously thinks "I need some help with breast feeding...I know, I'll pop onto the SMA website"??

Subliminal advertising also springs to mind.

ah but you see if they have this info on their website then when new mums google "breastfeeding help" or similar, they will be directed to the SMA site

but you don't see any problem with parents who are struggling to breastfeed, ending up on a website promoting formula milk?

Some of their ads are very close to breaking the rules I think. They use babies younger than 6 months in their follow on milk ads.

And isn't it SMA in their curent follow on milk ad with a young baby saing stuff like "do I look like my immune system is weak", "do I look like I'm not getting all the right nutrients". And I think that's undermining breastfeeding as they're trying to say that the benefits of breast milk are also there in SMA. I wouldn't help them out.

This isn't just a ff vs bf arguement. The problem with it is the spin they will put on it- ooo look at us, we're a formula company, but look at all this great advice we can give you about bf. It's just so insincere, there is no reason for them to do this other than trying to make themselves look good and to try and attract desperate parents to their website. It's like Eli Lilly having a page dedicated to homeopathy. But hey, maybe I'm just cynical

god Franny I hadnt even thought about the powers of google searching. So they catch even the most unsuspecting of mums...clap on the back to SMA for trying to corner all aspects of the market. What next, getting mums to drink SMA and breastfeed it through to the baby

SMA are the ones with the teeny, tiny baby and a man saying 'I promise to help with night feeds, not tell you my mum says you're holding the baby wrong etc'. It might be follow on milk they're advertising but it's clearly aimed at people with newborns.

I'd be very interested to see if they get back to you or not. Would have thought they'd be more intererested in people who bf to 6 months and then stopped (because there's no benefit after 6 months ). If you can genuinely go on their advice board and say bf to over a year and then you won't need formula at all then go for it. If they get to edit what you write...

I googled breastfeeding problems and sodding babycentre was the first

Thats got to be wrong

MN are on page 4
everything else seems to be bbc related or health websites

As far as I can see no formula companies...

You can pay to have your results bumped up in the google listings. Which I am sure they would do

Why was the Sma thing yesterday deleted? Wasn't it a paid-for Ad?

(Did I miss lots of excitment here by spending too much time on bubblebox??)

Hedgewitch - I thought that those comments were jokes actually. Silly things that vaccuous childless celebrities have said about breastfeeding twisted to make funny ads for formula. I am a breastfeeder and I am very pro-breastfeeding, but I also know that I have been very lucky that my DDs put on weight easily, I didn't have thrush or mastitis etc. etc. There is a lot of anti-formula company sentiment on MN, but it doesn't translate into anti-formula feeders sentiment (except for the odd loony, and, let's face it, you get those everywhere).

I ffed from 2 weeks following a disasterous attempt to bf.
However, the last place I would have looked for help was a formula maker.
Their motives are commercial. They are not anti-bfing, but promoting bfing is never going to be top of thier agenda, is it?

If you put "breastfeeding help" into Google, the second sponsored link is Aptamil.

Anyone who truly believes formula manufacturers have anything but profit at heart is really not understanding how advertising and branding work.

I see this as a positive sign, in some ways, that the breastfeeding lobby are making up some ground.

Have you guys read this?

What makes you think that their new updated stuff will be any better informed?

I can't quite put my finger on it, but that entire page does seem overwhelmingly negative. All of the 'breastfeeding problems' listed make a point of 'PAIN'

I complained to the ASA about the 'do I look like I've got a dodgy tummy' ads. Apparently I was one of only about 30 complaints . They legislated in favour of the company, arguing it did not denigrate BF in any way and they were not using younger babies etc...

The advertising codes and standards have such a 'light touch' that I wouldn't trust a formula company to have the best interests of babies or mothers even remotely in their sights, whatever they might claim.

Don't do it. There are plenty of other 'quality BF information sources' available online: contribute to one of those instead.

"I complained to the ASA about the 'do I look like I've got a dodgy tummy' ads. Apparently I was one of only about 30 complaints shock. They legislated in favour of the company, arguing it did not denigrate BF in any way and they were not using younger babies etc..."

Only 30! Never mind the implied message that FF has no disadvantages in the laughing toddlers shown, the last shot of a baby in that ad is huge-eyed, bald, unable to support her head, cradled in arms and looks way, way younger than six months.

And people believe that formula companies don't advertise newborn / infant milk.

The fact that it went on and on about having to have a really healthy diet to breastfeed and you had to drink a pint of milk a day, and take vitamin supplements (that's wrong, by the way, it's only women with dark skin who should take vitamin D according to the NHS blurb) and you have to have your 5 portions of fruit and veg a day - that all sounds like hard work.

Plus the "can I have a social life?" followed by "it is possible". I suppose that some women never see any breastfeeding women and worry about it, but the comment that you can find special comfortable breastfeeding areas was very misleading to me - you don't need a special area! You can do it anywhere, that's the point!

Plus, even though they pointed out that night feeds are important for supply, they also suggested that women express so that their partner can give a bottle and they can get a full night's sleep, which is completely contradictary.

So I'm not completely happy with that advice.

this is very dodgy from the SMA site linked to:

"Do I have to change my diet if I?m breast feeding??
As long as your diet is healthy, balanced and varied, and you eat regularly, your body will be able to produce top quality, nourishing breast milk for your baby.

Have at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables (fresh, dried, frozen, tinned or juiced) a day.
Drink lots of fluids ? at least 6 - 8 glasses a day.
Boost your energy levels with starchy foods such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes.
Make sure there?s plenty of fibre in your diet, such as wholegrain bread and cereals, as some women experience bowel problems after having a baby.
Drink at least one pint of pasteurised milk a day (or use in puddings, custards, sauces and/or on cereals).
If you don?t like milk, increase your intake of dairy products: one carton of yoghurt or an ounce of hard cheese provides a similar amount of calcium to a third of a pint of pasteurised milk.
Eat at least two portions of lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs (well-cooked), beans or pulses a day.
Take a supplement containing 10 μg of vitamin D every day ? your healthcare professional will be able to give your more information about this.
Peanuts, if you or the baby?s father, or either of your families, have a history of allergy you may wish to avoid eating food containing peanuts while breast feeding.
Fish is a great addition to a healthy diet but limit oil-rich fish (such as salmon, mackerel, herring, fresh tuna or sardines) to two servings a week and avoid eating more than one portion a week of shark, swordfish and marlin.
Limit your intake of coffee, tea and cola as caffeine can pass into breast milk and upset your baby.
Keep alcohol intake to a minimum.
Don?t smoke."

implications are that you have to do all the above to make good milk
whereas the truth is that you would have to be severely malnourished for your milk to be less than adequate
breastmilk from a smoker is more protective for babies than formula milk
this kind of 'advice' really does put doubt in mothers' minds and seriously undermines breastfeeding imo

That's the bit I meant F&Z. It makes me feel knackered just reading it. By the way, I'm now donating breastmilk and the milk bank haven't given me half of those restrictions/recommendations about diet etc. And they are really careful as donated milk is preferentially given to premature and sick babies.