Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Follow On Milk Samples in the Bounty Pack

75 replies

NineUnlikelyTales · 16/04/2007 14:52

Apologies if this has already been discussed before.

I have just been to collect the second Bounty Pack for my DS, who is 7 months. I was really surprised that it contained 3 sachets of follow-on formula and very little else. I know that this stuff is made by formula companies to get round the laws about promoting formula, but I was still surprised.

I read the packets and they said that follow on milk was 'more appropriate than cow's milk' which again surprised me, as that seems to suggest that people should use this stuff instead of cow's milk on cereal, in cooking etc when the baby is weaned onto solids even if BF. In fact the general impression was that BF was okay until now, but follow on milk is best from now on.

I am angry about this because I have a tough enough time expressing for my DS without having the temptation of formula in the house, in whatever guise. I wonder if other proper BF mums might be tempted to try the formula and ditch BF too.

What does everyone think about this and who should I complain to?

nut

OP posts:

moondog · 16/04/2007 15:01

What do we think?????

Have you got three days??

Write to your PCT trust,the hospital where you got them,the midwife manager,Baby Milk Action and the formula company.

For starters.....

shirleymac · 16/04/2007 15:01

I go on the bounty web site sometimes & there have been a few posts on there (esp the breastfeeding forum) about this. I don't know how well bounty monitor their forums but I'm pretty sure at least one mum has emailed them to complain. Personally, I just lobbed my formula samples in the bin as when ds (5 months) gets the odd bottle of formula I always give him Aptamil anyway.

shirleymac · 16/04/2007 15:03

I should add that so far he's had a total of 3 formula feeds & I don't intend to give up bf until he is past a year old

Original poster

NineUnlikelyTales · 16/04/2007 15:05

OK well you obviously weren't tempted then Shirleymac

I picked up the pack from Boots, who aren't exactly anti formula companies, but I will try your other suggestions Moondog. I might email Bounty too.

OP posts:

LIZS · 16/04/2007 15:07

You'll find the ongoing breast/formula debate on another thread but this is slightly different.

How can they state 'more appropriate than cow's milk' when the formulae are derived from cow's milk. Surely that implies it is something completely different (not sure what though) ! What they mean is that it is more appropriate for babies than the regular pasteurised milk in the supermarket but after 6 months even that isn't strictly true except as a main drink.

You could contact here or Dept of Health.

moondog · 16/04/2007 15:07

It defies belief that this stuff is handed out under the nose of the health trusts.

The woman distibuting Bounty crap looked most put out when i waved it away after dd's birth.

MissGolightly · 16/04/2007 15:11

How awful! Are they really allowed to promote formula by such a back-door route? I refused to take the second bounty pack because the first one was full of such a load of rubbish so was unaware of this, but now I am very glad I didn't take it!

They should at least put in big letters that it is best for babies to be BF until AT LEAST one year old and that follow on milk is NOT NECESSARY.

More appropriate than cow's milk [as a main drink]. Er, yes, but less appropriate than human milk.

Original poster

NineUnlikelyTales · 16/04/2007 15:12

I was pretty much forced into taking my Bounty Pack in hospital and even though I am 99% certain I declined to give my name and address, they sent me a voucher for the second pack. So on second thoughts, maybe I will complain to the PCT as well.

OP posts:

Cazee · 16/04/2007 21:36

I don't get the whole Bounty set up At ALL. How come the NHS has become a distributor for the free samples of these companies (not just formula, but Sudocream etc?) They would have to pay Royal Mail etc to deliver them, so what is the deal? People will think, well, they give it out in hospital, so it must be good stuff!!

LittleMissLate · 17/04/2007 09:46

My 2nd bounty pack (from boots) had samples of Hipp baby rice and apple puree, both organic - no dodgy formula (but there was a petit filous voucher which went in the bin ). Contents must vary by region.

I am still bf but if I needed to use any extra milk when dd goes to nursery etc and couldn't express enough I would use formula rather than cows milk as I understand it is more easily digested and lower risk of allergies (up to approx 1yr?). Might be wrong on this... Certainly think the packet information sounds misleading and worth a complaint.

tiktok · 17/04/2007 09:52

Bounty pay the hospital to give them access to mothers.

You could probably find out somehow what the deal was.

Original poster

NineUnlikelyTales · 17/04/2007 10:00

As it happens, I am attending a meeting at the local hospital today about BF policy and support (professionals and lay people). I joined last month because I was so upset by the rubbish 'help' we had with DS. So I will ask what the deal is with Bounty and whether they know that they are peddling formula.

It's interesting that the contents vary region by region.

OP posts:

zippitippitoes · 17/04/2007 10:05

why did you go to boots and collect it after you felt practically "forced" to accept the first one?

if you want to protest about Bounty then don't collect their free gifts

tiktok · 17/04/2007 10:08

Maternity units have some say in the contents of the packs, though the deal with Bounty is probably hard to break (and many mothers quite like getting the samples - they're deffo not 'gifts' but samples!) . If there are items which are objectionable (like anything to do with infant feeding) then Bounty can leave them out.

But someone has to tell them to do this, of course.

Original poster

NineUnlikelyTales · 17/04/2007 10:30

I went to collect it because although I hadn't wanted the first one and the woman who brought it round every day for 8 days until I finally accepted it was a pushy mare, that is no reflection on Bounty as a whole. Also I did find some of the samples useful, like the baby wipes which I used on my poor sore bits

I don't think it's unreasonable to be annoyed at the contents. Just because it's free doesn't make it acceptable to be promoting formula.

OP posts:

moondog · 17/04/2007 11:47

Who the hell are Bounty anyway?
Some kind of blanket PR outfit for these companies??

NorksBride · 17/04/2007 12:00

My Bounty bag was stolen by the other mother in my hospital room She was welcome to it - miniscule free sachets of washing up powder and talcum powder I can live without. And I think there was also a packet of those foul 'peach' nappy bags.

Moondog - no idea who they are but they should be arrested for pushing.

moondog · 17/04/2007 12:03

Stealing Bounty bags...that's desperate eh??

aestheticgirl · 17/04/2007 12:07

Woah there, steady on!

I agree bf is best, but not everyone can manage it for that long.

As I understand it 'more appropriate than cow's milk' simply means that it is more nutrious than cows milk on its own as it has added vitamins.

And if this is the 6month + bounty pack, surely by then you'll be at a stage where you know what you want to give your dc and this bounty pack is the one you collect, it isn't given to you in the maternity unit

I threw my bounty book out as I was so pi**ed off at the "The Dept of Health recommends exclusive bf for the first 6 months" on every fecking page. I wanted to breast feed, I tried and tried and tried but I couldn't.

I hardly think its peddling formula when you go collect the bag, and you don't have to use the samples, do you?

moondog · 17/04/2007 12:08

Aesthetic,this has been discussed in great detail on MN.See archives for further details if interested. I'm afraid I disagree with nearly everything you say.

littleducks · 17/04/2007 12:11

I quite liked the free samples the looked so useful at the time! But i didnt use the formula, didnt use the puree so maybe not so useful.

But i did get a free professional pic of dd, and have three more to go (and i didnt buy any of the others just took the freebie) and i did like the £5 asda baby clothes voucher, there stuff washes well, so plain white vest from there are good.

And i liked free spoons, i didnt buy any just the cutlery set now she is learning to use a fork!

Original poster

NineUnlikelyTales · 17/04/2007 12:13

Fair comment aestheticgirl, but my understanding is that promoting formula is illegal (correct me if I'm wong someone), so it annoys me that Bounty are doing just that. And the hospital are still implicated because they introduced me to Bounty. I wouldn't have collected the pack if I'd known it would contain only formula and a jar of apple puree.

OP posts:

LIZS · 17/04/2007 12:13

Aesthetic, this is just another example of the insidious marketing techniques employed by formual manufacturers. It isn't really about the breast vs bottle debate but the way the manufacturers skirt around the letter of the law, which is there to protect the interests of babies and mothers, for profit.

Nip · 17/04/2007 12:15

There are loads of things in a bounty pack though - and much i threw in the bin - is it that much of a big thing. I kept mine and used it when the time came - its free and i didnt BF.

aestheticgirl · 17/04/2007 12:15

If you formula feed, you'd probably welcome a sample packet. If you breast feed, you'd probably throw it out.

I agree Bounty are tagetting vunerable mothers and that bf should be 1st choice but not everyone is going to be swayed by a few freebies.

I think there is another side to this debate though

Flip

1 2 3