Saw an ad in a magazine the other day...

[hunkermunker]

And whilst I don't want to kick off the whole Milupa thing again - are they allowed to use pics of babies breastfeeding in advertising formula?

I seriously doubt it and I am appalled

Wots wrong with these ppl? I cant c how they can get away with it! Wot mag was it in?

Shouldn't think so - it's a subliminal way of saying their milk is the same.

Anyone got their infant feeding code handy?

They can probably do what they want seeing as it would have been advertising follow on milk and not infant formula.

Will see if I can dig out the mag.

Practical Parenting, page 16.

Header is "Prebiotics are found in breast milk. That's why we've put them in our follow-on milk"

Pic of stage three Aptimil forward milk (very similar colour box to the first milk if you ask me...).

Whole text of ad talks about breastmilk. Mentions it three times in 12 half-lines. From reading it, you'd think you were buying breastmilk...

It's follow on milk though so the guidelines etc don't really apply. All the same arguments about the milupa link from Mumsnet apply though (which I won't drag up!) - it's a grey area.

Think the ad may have been mentioned on one of the Baby Milk Action links as being dubious though? The one where the MN screenshot was.

SD, I agree, it probably won't be covered, but I do wish follow-on milk would all fall in a big hole far, far away

Message withdrawn

I@m sure whatever link had the MN screenshot on it mentioned this ad as skirting very close to the boundaries.

I saw a TV ad in france this year - 1st shot a naked lady sitting on a bed (view of her back), obv. feeding a child, camera pans round - slowly, all soft focus and creamy lighting and then she is bottle feeding the baby! I think it was for 1nd stage milk, but I was pretty shocked - i really expected it to be for breast-feeding!!

It actually looked very odd and I am someone who bottle fed (after 8 weeks of breast)

Oops

I do think it's interesting how follow-on milk doesn't exist in countries where advertising first stage formula's legal. And the number of mums who are confused about whether to switch to it, and the number of babies who have horrible constipation on it...I think it's a really, really cynical product.

I'm thinking of going and comparing formulas on a supermarket shelf, so that I know which ones are organic, which ones are suitable for vegetarians, etc - then posting a definitive list on MN. Then nobody need advertise formula ever again - they can just tell people about that post

On the subject of follow-on milk anf formula companies - I was sent a parcel by Hipp when ds was 3 (!) months going on about weaning and advertising their follow-on milk, and another one by Milupa last week (ds was 4 months yesterday) with a free bowl and spoon and full of free samples of follow-on milk and a 'feeding plan' showing that babies 'should' be having baby food midday and evening after 4mo . Milupa was more upfront (and got my name wrong, and can't use apostrophes ) and Hipp more insidious, so that I was actually quite . Will translate extracts from the letters when I have time. Do women in the UK get these parcels too?

I think you get them if you've registered your name with those companies or the "Bounty" type guide thingies. You pick up some packs from places like Mothercare or Boots (at least you did 4 years ago)

Did anyone see Loose Women today? Patsy Palmer was on promoting some TV prog (only caught the last 5 mins of her interview), the prog is about babies and is apparently based on telephone calls to the Cow & Gate helpline. Wondered if this was permissable under the code and also a bit at the quick plug for C&G by PP mentioning them.

sd - I certainlydidn't register think they must have bought my address from the register office !

I was all ready to refuse my 4 month Bounty pack - but it only contained baby rice, vegemite (!) and lots of adverts.

didn't refuse either of the parcels, says she who is all puffed up with righteous anger about them because the Hipp one had a great baby Lego toy in and the rather retro red plastic bowl from Milupa is bound to come in useful too.
But the blatancy of it - and the going and buying my address - grrr.

HM,have you been onto Baby Milk Action about this? I do regularly about infractions I perceivend always get very good feedback from them.

Wemust root this immoral stealth advertising out!!!

I've just reported it, MD

bobbybob my 4 month bounty pack contained 3 sachets of formula and various ads!!!!!Threw them out, horrible things! I was not a happy bunny! I really dont think they should put it in those packs. I know a mum who was having difficulties breasfeeding and cos some formula came in a bounty pack she tried it, thought it was easier and stopped breastfeeding

Mummysmilk...on a similar note, a few years ago a friend of mine boycotted Nestle when she discovered they send out free formula to new mums in India. Obviously, these women think as it's "western" it must be better so they stop BFing & use this free milk. However, once this free milk stops, which co-incides with Breast milk drying up, the women then have to pay extortionate prices to buy this wretched stuff. They obviously cannot afford this so God knows what they end up doing. It's like getting them addicted to crack! The saddest thing is that the one thing they can do to protect their children, which is also free, is taken away from them.

My HV was telling me about nestle a while ago. They just have not thought for others, just want to make a bit of extra money. Sad really! I wonder if anyone who works for these companies has any success with breastfeeding?

karma,your last sentence should be copyrighted and fixed to the entrance of every baby clinic and maternity ward just to remind people of the powerful forces at work.