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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

SMA GOLD ON EASTENDERS?

488 replies

Dalrymps · 03/01/2008 20:43

I probably don't know what i'm on about but i just flicked on to eastenders and during one scene there was a carton of SMA Gold on the surface in the background, it was the house of the one who has just had the baby with the ginger husband i think (not too sure cause i don't really watch it), anyway i think her baby in it is quite young...
Anyway, i was just wondering if this is allowed, i mean, isn't it like an indirect form of advertising formula for newborns? I'm not totally against formula or anything, I mix feed myself, I just think it seems like their advertising it when they shouldn't? Any thoughts on this?

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 04/01/2008 21:05

It's not about pretending it doesn't exist. It's about using a prime time soap to get round the formula advertising ban, which SMA (and no doubt Farley's too) will be very happy they are doing.

If you don't understand the issues surrounding the ban on infant formula advertising, I'm happy to post some links and try to explain it better, but if you're just going to go "it's not drugs, ffs" then I'd rather not waste my time

dinny · 04/01/2008 21:06

Hi Hunker, have you thought about contacting anyone about it?

dinny · 04/01/2008 21:07

sorry, that sounded really trite! was trying to post in a non-obvious way!

ps where were you yest?

dinny · 04/01/2008 21:07

sorry, that sounded really trite! was trying to post in a non-obvious way!

ps where were you yest?

hunkermunker · 04/01/2008 21:09

I was having a sinus infection, Dinny. I wouldn't recommend it. Am on antibiotics and much in the way of painkillers

carmenelectra · 04/01/2008 21:13

Oh i really hate it when people post things on here like'if you dont understand...'

Im a perfectly intelligent woman actually and i can acces information for myself thanks.

I understand ban on formula advertising and maybe Sma are rubbing their hands with joy at the free plug, but i do not honestly believe that anyone with half a brain would buy it just cos they had possibly spotted it in the backgroungd of a telly programme.

What i struggle to understand is why some posters on here are so upset that maybe formula is being illegally advertised. Does it affect you personally?

dinny · 04/01/2008 21:13

My goodness, me and Madge just moaning about ours yesterday - I nearly went to have tooth extracted last week it hurt so much but it was sinuses! hideous!

lulumama · 04/01/2008 21:17

it might not affect anyone here personally, but it is illegal for a reason, and it might well affect others, for example, those with less than half a brain . so i think it is fine to get cross about it. i bottle fed both my babies, but it makes me cross too, as does the lack of breastfeeding support in real life and on TV. And i boycott nestle. so sue me for giving a fig !

hunkermunker · 04/01/2008 21:21

CE, don't get shitty. Fine, you say you understand it. Why do you mind so much if it matters not a jot to you then? I was perfectly polite and even to show I was being.

Dinny, haven't been able to breathe or taste anything since Monday morning. Went in on Tue, did enough work for two days (truly!) and haven't been back since - couldn't move head for much of Wed. Grim.

Monkeybird · 04/01/2008 21:28

CE, yeah sorry hate to say it but you are being a bit thick (well you did ask!)

'isn't EE meant to be based on real life and don't people FF...?' Yup. So when dya ever see the RL representation of all the BF that goes on, on EE?

'is the whole nation going to see it on EE and think I'll FF?'

Well, yes, it does indeed add to the general climate (for which read: overwhelming tsunami of info that normalises FF and abnormalises BF) so in that sense it IS part of the info that persuades the vast vast majority of women to FF

'how is seeing a tin of formula going to endanger babies?'

For all the other reasons that I'm sure you know cos this topic has gone over and over them which indicate that breastmilk is actually better for babies than formula.

'does it affect me personally?'

Yup. That's the nature of politics. I like to stand up for things I believe in. Life's too short not to give a fuck...

micegg · 04/01/2008 21:48

I hant read all the posts and I dont regularly watch eastenders so please excuse if I am repeating anything. My understanding was that the character Honey was breastfeeding and there was some kind of storyline on it. Therefore stands to reason if eastenders decide to make some representation of someone bottle feeding as well. After all there are two methods of feeding avaiable. I did see the scene and also noticed the SMA. It did occur to me t the blatant advertsing was a bit tactless but wasnt bothered about the fact it was for formula milk. I am sure if you looked there would have been various other produts on show as well. If what I say is right and eastenders have represented breast and botle feeding in recent storylines then I think thats better than only representing one or the other.

Hunker - I have a sinus ifection as well. Absolute agony. Can throughly recommend olbas oil on a tissue. I am pregnant at the moment and can only take paracetomol which was not touching it. Olbas oil made me eel 100% better.

dinny · 04/01/2008 21:53

Micegg, BBC are forbidden to do
product placements.

hunkermunker · 04/01/2008 21:56

Micegg, Olbas only works if you can breathe through your nose, so up till mid afternoon today, it didn't work. I have some now though and it's working a bit - poor you having a sinus infection when pg!

carmenelectra · 04/01/2008 22:16

Oh Jesus i knew i shouldnt have got myself into a feeding debate.

My observations of feeding threads so far on mumsnet are always like this.

I am all for standing up for your causes but the breast v bottles debates on here are something else. I cannot for the life of me why some posters get so het up about how other people feed their own babies.

IM a veggie and dont like eating animals but im not offended/annoyed by other people doing it

stripeymama · 04/01/2008 22:21

Nobody on this thread has passed comment on the feeding choices of individuals.

The issue we are all 'het up about' is what could be seen as an attempt to influence that choice.

ReverseThePolarity · 04/01/2008 22:27

But this actually has very little to do with "breast vs bottles". As I said in my earlier post (albeit in a slightly muddled way) this issue is relevant no matter how you feed your baby.

If baby is ff, this issue is about providing non-biased information about formula.

I just hate the way that it seems to be implied (or maybe I'm just inferring it from some of the posts on here) that this is a load of breastfeeders getting their knickers in a twist and having a go at the ff Mums.

carmenelectra · 04/01/2008 22:27

I really do not believe that the general public out there are so brainless that they would choose a certain formula cos someone in EE may do.

Can't people take responsibilty for their own actions/choices anymore?You cant show/do this/do that.Cant people be trusted to be sensible over these matters?

hunkermunker · 04/01/2008 22:31

CE, you say you understand the issues, but honestly, you're really not showing that much with your posts.

I do find it offensive that you keep questioning why people care about it, actually. Not just a tin of SMA on EE, obv, but the wider issues of which this is a symptom.

If you don't care at all, why are you on the thread?

carmenelectra · 04/01/2008 22:34

Sorry i am on this thread cos i didnt realise what it was about.

If by wider implications we are talking about promoting ff in 3rd world countries then fair enough, but i thought we are talking about advertising and how its illegal(still seems too strong a word)in the UK.

hunkermunker · 04/01/2008 22:36

Do you agree that formula advertising in the UK undermines breastfeeding?

carmenelectra · 04/01/2008 22:37

eRM thought ff advertising illegal, therefore nothing to undermine bf.

hunkermunker · 04/01/2008 22:40

Follow-on formula can be advertised. Many women who were polled thought they had seen ads for infant formula, so it's as good as being advertised now.

And, apparently, it doesn't matter at all if there are tins of infant formula all over prime time soaps, which I think is advertising.

stripeymama · 04/01/2008 22:42

Aaaaaarrrrrghhhh.

Formula for babies under 6 months cannot be advertised or otherwise promoted.

Formula companies do whatever they think they can get away with to get around that ban.

It undermines breastfeeding - of course it does. As does the normalisation of FF by scenes such as the ones in EE.

carmenelectra · 04/01/2008 22:44

yes i know follow on advertised, cant believe anyone would buy that anyway!

I think i just struggle really with the concept that even if formaula advertised it would undermine bf.Maybe thats just me. No way on this earth would i stop bf and gibe formula just beacuse it had been advertised on tv. Just like i didnt think ooh i will start smoking when fags could be advertised or drink Martini cos Joan collins drank it!

carmenelectra · 04/01/2008 22:47

Stripey i know, i know, i know, that it cannot be advertised!!But i disagree with you saying EE may have normalised ff. It is normal!!!Might not be the right way(so to speak)but it is normal.

I could get annoyed the way meat products are advertised as normal. Think it should be illegal

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