Please tell us what you think about this Baby Milk Action campaign on formula pricing and marketing

[RowanMumsnet]

Hello,

We've been contacted by the team at Baby Milk Action with a request that Mumsnet offer public support for its new campaign to persuade formula manufacturers to stop promoting their products and to make permanent (rather than promotional) cuts to the price of formula milk. Baby Milk Action's view is that international marketing rules ban companies from promoting formula, but they do not abide by these rules in the UK. The campaign promotes the right of mothers and the wider public to independent information on pregnancy and baby care through the health care system and mother support groups.

You can read Baby Milk Action's press release about the campaign here.

We'd be interested to hear your views about whether this is something Mumsnet should sign up to. As most of you will already know, Mumsnet supports the Nestle boycott and works with Baby Milk Action to put pressure on formula manufacturers to act responsibly; you can see more about our policy on this here.

Thanks,

MNHQ

Hi Rowan,

There have been a couple of threads about this in the last week-

Price of formula

and in the same vein, this about the SMA roadshows.

HTH!

I really need to get cracking on some other stuff but I would like to say that as far as I can see, restricting marketing and bringing down the price would benefit all mothers and harm none so I definitely think it is worth MN backing it but I think it needs to be dealt with very sensitively because as we have seen all too often, it's a very emotive subject for a lot of people and no one wants to feel like they haven't done the best for their baby.

Bloody hell, was that all one sentence? Sorry.

I agree with EauRouge, both regarding support and the need for it to be clear that it isn't a criticism of women who couldn't/didn't breastfeed their baby.

These unethical marketing practices are damaging both to women who breastfeed and those who feed artificial milks.

Agree with EauRouge and SpiritedWolf - this is not a criticism of mothers who don't bf but a way of protecting vulnerable babies from marketing in an unethical. One would hope that if formula companies were unable to market to parents/HCP that they would be forced to lower the price of the formula making it more affordable for those mothers unable to or who don't wish to bf.

It would be good if MN could support this campaign. The support would help negate the idea that ensuring ethical marketing, truthful information, and a realistic price is nothing to do with denigrating formula feeding parents, nothing to do with restricting choice, and everything to do with supporting better information for all parents.

yes, i agree

would be great for MN to support this

yes, MN should support this, for all the reasons so eloquently given above!

Yes please.

Yes I agree

I also agree and agree with eau rouge's observation that it would need to be done sensitively

Yes, I agree.

I had to think about this one for a bit. My initial reservation is that advertising of formula can be a pretty polarising issue - with people feeling that opposing advertising means judging formula feeding itself. The debates can become quite heated, with some people saying they need adverts because information is in short supply elsewhere.

However, on reflection, I think this is a good opportunity to highlight the issues in this area, and why Baby Milk Action's petition would be good news for babies, whether formula or breast fed, but particularly those who are formula fed and particularly those families on low incomes.

Agree with all the above :)

Please support the campaign.

The cost of formula is too high. The high cost of formula does nothing to support breastfeeding and just makes formula feeding more expensive. We do not want to get to the stage where parents are diluting formula to make a tin last longer as they don't have the money.

yes please

Agreed with the above

I agree. The cost of formula is grossly inflated by advertising margins, when I had my first I ended up ff while in the hospital and I definitely felt one particular brand was pushed by both the hcp's in the hospital and at my local clinic.

As others have said reducing the cost of formula will not make women less likely to bf. It will, however allow families to buy milk for their babies without paying for hefty advertising in the process. Formula is a necessity for some, not a choice.

"It will, however allow families to buy milk for their babies without paying for hefty advertising in the process. Formula is a necessity for some, not a choice."

Absolutely agree.

Yes agree please support this.

Agree with all of the above, please support this. I received in the post today expensive glossy '6 month' promocrap from a formula company. I kick myself for signing up with their 'baby club' as all that these continual marketing ploys do is subtly chip away at my confidence in ebf, and keep the price of formula up for those who choose/need to use it. However you choose to feed your baby this petition would work in your favour surely?

Agree with all of the above - please support.

Another vote of support from me. I am in agreement with all of the above comments. Ff whether by circumstance or choice needs to be affordable and individuals should be made more aware of the tight regulation surrounding formula content so that 'brand' does not impact as heavily on a person's choice of product I.e. just because it's cheaper doesn't mean it's any worse/lesser quality.

please support :)
I hate that companies are so manipulative over something as important as how we feed our babies.

Please support

Agree this should be supported - some excellent points made on why so will not add too much other than anything which helps informed choice can't be a bad thing.

please support!