To think adverts for and more info on formulas should be allowed?

[StrictlyBoogying]

I couldn't and didn't breastfeed either of my DCs for many reasons and when in hospital I was asked which formula I wanted DD1 to have. I had no idea which to choose and the staff weren't allowed to suggest or recommend one brand. I think it's ridiculous. People who want to make an informed decision on formula aren't being allowed to.

[thisisyesterday]

just because you're a "scientist" doesn't mean you know the first thing about breastfeeding though, clearly

[TrinityHasAVampireRhino]

adverts dont tell the truth

breastmilk is the best thing for your baby

all formulas are about the sodding same, not breasmilk so not as good

not harming but much of the same

[thisisyesterday]

anyway, you remain unconvinced if that's what you want.

the research and studies are all out there, you just don't want to look at it obviously.

[pooexplosions]

so fucking sick of this same hackneyed shite.

Fact 1. breast is best. End of. no need for tonnes of references, its an absolute.
Fact 2. Stating fact 1 is not a big conspiracy to make you feel bad if you FF. Nobody cares. Honest.
Fact 3. if you are in the massive majority as FF'ers are, its pretty bad form to bang on about being persecuted and made to feel a certain ay by the smaller minority.

oh and "
"I'm sure every new Mum would breastfeed if they could but it's not always possible"
is such obvious nonsense I'm not sure it needs a response. Tell that to the 5 other mothers on my postnata room using the free bottles of formula provided by the hospital no intention of ever trying BF.

[thisisyesterday]

I wonder why, if there are no benefits to breastfeeding, and formula feeding dfoes not increase risks of long-term illness, the WHO claim this to be true.
and the NHS
government
most other countries both developed and developing

bit odd

[MrsSantosisbored]

Cannot be bothered to read your thread.

Do you work for a formula manufacturer?

How many of these type of threads are actually started by people employed by marketing companies employed by formula manufacturers. Their ability to flog their products directly is limited so they use viral methods e.g. Mumsnet.

Sorry, I think you are plant. I am reporting OP.

[Fitzy72]

and these new mothers made the choice to ff without formula manufacturers advertising??

amazing.

i wonder what decision they would have made had advertising been permitted?

[scottishmummy]

cool it with the conspiracy theories.such misplaced paranoia

argue away withoiut squawking she is MrsNestle/MrsAptamil

[TheCrackFox]

How on Earth would adverts allow anybody to make an informed choice regarding formula? My DS1 (8yrs old) will happily tell you that all adverts lie to get you to buy their tat. Do you really think that advertisers will change the habit of a lifetime and tell the truth? Of course they fucking won't.

[CornishKK]

I'm not saying there are no benefits to BFing, I know it's best, that's why I got so farking upset when I couldn't and then couldn't get any un-biased information on the benefits/drawbacks of different formulas.

I was never given the bottle feeding leaflet and all it tells you how to do is sterilise a bloody bottle.

I want to know what is in this crap that I have to give my baby and to ensure that if I can't give him the best then I give him the second best.

FF are not in a massive majority in my circle of Mum's - those that do hide it like a guilty secret.

[Penthesileia]

Here's how I see it.

WRT the UK, the risks associated with FF are pretty neglible, by and large (owing to the NHS, general sanitation, etc.). Sure, money might be saved if everyone BF, but WRT to the risks, well, they're very small. Real, but small.

Obviously, FF in the developing world is another matter entirely. Regrettably, profits made by FF companies in the West do get ploughed into pushing FF in developing nations. But this is a consequence of globalised capitalism, and we all make choices all the time which have an impact on the less fortunate in the developing world (clothes, foods, etc.). Few people have clean hands in this respect.

Anyway, to return to my main point.

The reason I am against FF advertising is part of a wider problem, as I see it. Our society is so overwhelmingly biased towards bottle-feeding (despite the prevalence of public health initiatives about BF) that it - inevitably - has an effect on BF, or people who want to BF. This thread is testament to that! I don't know the OP's circumstances, but many people on MN, for example, claim that, with better support, BF could've been successful for them.

So, FF directly and indirectly stops women from BF-ing, even if they wanted to.

On the contrary, BF does not have the power to stop someone from FF their child: even with the worst societal condemnation in the world, one could still retreat to the kitchen and make up a bottle.

BF needs to be supported; FF, on the whole, does not. This is not to say that clear information should not be available - and in fact, as I showed earlier, it is. But it should not be "supported". It doesn't need to be.

People on MN are very keen on "choice": "my body, my choice"; "my baby, my choice". Etc.

Well, FF impacts on BFers choices.

And that's why I am against FF advertising.

[CornishKK]

The OP was not just asking for adverts but also more information, I assume she means from the NHS - i.e. a source we can trust.

[sabire]

Pheebe - the information is there on NHS Direct - if you go to the section on 'choices' and look at breastfeeding and bottlefeeding.

Sorry - want to add that there is information about formula and how to prepare feeds. If women who ff aren't being given this by their midwives - well that's very cruddy.

What there isn't though is good quality independent research comparing which brands of formula are best tolerated by the largest number of babies, so it's simply impossible for midwives to give mothers evidence based information on this issue.

BTW - my understanding is that Norway allows very little formula advertising. Nothing like what we have here. I think formula advertising here is disgraceful - so manipulative and disingenuous. I particularly despise Aptimel for riding on the back of years of breastfeeding promotion campaigns. "Breastfeeding is wonderful for your baby, and Aptimel is inspired by breastfeeding. Breastmilk protects your baby's immune system. So does immunofortis - the 'wonder ingredient' we add to our formula'. And the way they price it at the top of the market to try to appeal to the conscience bf mums who are guilty about supplementing or stopping bf.

[thisisyesterday]

there is information from the NHS.

[Penthesileia]

BF-ers'

Sheesh. Not typing well tonight!

[pooexplosions]

you miss the point. There is no unbiased advice on formula, theres nothing to choose beteen them. None is better than another. Pick the one in the nicest packet. I picked the cheapest hen supplementing.

[pooexplosions]

damn broken keyboard

[TheCrackFox]

Doesn't it tell you on the back of the tin? Anyway, it is not exactly rocket science.

[CornishKK]

Penthesileia - I don't agree with you but at last you admit FF might not kill my child.

There is a MASSIVE array of support for BFing in my experience, I personally saw a very good breast feeding counsellor every week for a month and had offers of home visits from two other breast feeding support sources.

The concerns I had about FFing were completely unsupported.

[Vallhala]

My own experience, nearly 15 years ago when I had DD1, was that I had no advice from midwives/hospital on how to safely prepare and store formula and so on. I discovered how to do so by reading up on the matter (not least on the back of the tin!) myself.

I would certainly say that if a mother choses to formula feed or has no option but to do so she should be offered practical advice on how to formula feed. Perhaps they are now but this was not the case in the major teaching hospital where I had both of my children.

[Penthesileia]

I think Orm suggested that the NHS should provide a generic formula, available at cost. Good idea, in theory. (I am taking as a given that there will always be some people who want to FF).

Ideally the recipe for this formula should be based on unbiased research, not geared towards profit making.

However, even if such a product were available, I bet you that no-one would buy it. People would still buy Aptamil, for the depressing reasons sabire has given.

[sabire]

"Do you really think that advertisers will change the habit of a lifetime and tell the truth? Of course they fucking won't."

'You can trust SMA - we've been constipating British babies for decades'

'Cow and Gate - never mind the fact it'll make your baby's nappies smell like a geriatric's farts, dont'cha just love the cuddly cow we're giving away to mums who sign up to our website and agree to be bombarded with formula advertising?'

'Aptimel - it'll go through your baby like a hot knife through butter'.