Interesting link for anybody interested in formula company practices

[hunkermunker]

I know there are some of you on here

(Thank you for all emails, btw, you lovely lot - will reply later hopefully. Am fine, don't worry )

interesting read.

Though was a little put off half way through by the big "10 reasons NOT to use formula" on the RHS - particularly no.8 (and 9 a little) on the list.

Otherwise an intriguing read - especially how many of the "differing" forumla companies are actually the same people having taken over a lot of the "smaller" ones!

Will have a little looksee when I get a mo....

I want to know what Avent have done to break the Code but haven't got a ready £25 to hand atm.

Then I want to ask Vicki Scott how she can align herself with them.

QoQ, there's a case to be made for each of the things on that list, I think.

Wasn't it something to do with doctoring a photo of a baby to show that their bottles are "closer to natural feeding"? Or was that someone else?

interesting link

Not sure, Mossy - will do some more research.

Found an interesting thing the other day about formula companies in the States often making medicine for babies - such as the oral rehydration sachets - so it's actually in their interests if the babies get ill as well.

Sick fucks, eh?

did you hear back from the bbc re ee

Yeah, they said no money changed hands, but the complaints they've received will inform them going forward or somesuch bollocks. I still think it was shady and the image was on the screen for Far Too Long.

ah more or less what I anticipated they would say

but i think you won't see it again so you will have a result

Yep, it's what I thought too. I think the fact that my email assumed that money had changed hands for the "ad" will be a factor in them not doing it again as well. Because that is what it looked like - an ad.

I really should start calling these threads "free money" shouldn't I?! People might read them then

I suppose you're right Hunker (as per normal ) but I HONESTLY don't feel that DS2 suffered emotionally or psychologically from being FF, whereas DS1 was exclusively BF and I feel my (undiagnosed, and unrecgonised by me) PND did affect DS1....regardless of his frequent BF's.

And (on a lighter note) with regards to number 9 - thank god DS2 wasn't FF - I struggle to cope with his intelligence now - if he'd been BF I'd be climbing the walls

But your bf wasn't the issue, but undiagnosed PND was

Thanks Hunkermunker. I think I got the same reply from the BBC. Have you thought about sending them this link?

Personally I find it astonishing and really, really sad that women in the UK seem so happy to hand their money over to these companies, even when presented with evidence of the damage they're doing to babies through the unethical marketing of their products in developing countries (never mind the damage done to babies over here). It disgusts me. Not wanting to contribute to the profits of these organisations was a huge incentive for me to exclusively breastfeed.

well Sabire - personally I'd rather be handing my money to these companies that giving my DS cows milk before he's old enough .

Well.... yes.

If you can't/won't give your child your own milk then you don't have the option of choosing not to buy these products. They've got you over over a barrel.

Which is good for them because then they can shaft you.

Happily for me I had the option of not buying their products.

MAde for very depressing reading, actually.

They are flagrantly abusing the code and no-one seems to want to enforce it.

Ooh, I recognise some of the names here from the EastEnders thread! Hellooo. Just wanted to say for a bit of balance I've bonded fine with my kids and both were ff. And obviously they are both clever as they take after me.

I do take issue with number 8 on that list, as surely that is just speculative.

Sabire, the trouble is that if you have succeeded in b'feeding then it is very easy to boycott formula, but for the people who fail at/can't b'feed,they don't have much choice but to be 'happy to hand their money over to these companies'. It's the fault of policies surrounding formula, not the women who ff.

thanks for posting link, I learn loads following your links hunker, keep up the good work
reading about those oral rehydration sachets just reminded me about sma bottled water - have just started a thread, comments welcome

"It's the fault of policies surrounding formula, not the women who ff"

Yes - agree. It's the fault of our education system and our health care system that women are so ill-informed about the differences between bf and ff, and that even those who wish to bf face so many obstacles in making it work for them.

BUT - IMO there's also real resistance to the idea that baby milk companies are doing anything unethical in promoting their products - it's hard to come to any other conclusion when the only people who ever seem to raise ethical objections to their marketing strategies seem to be die hard breastfeeding advocates!

And fair do's - you have to hand over your money. But do you have to be 'happy' about it? I honestly think most people don't give it a thought.

I'm happy I'm doing the best I can for my kids - so yes, q.happy to hand my money over to them. Just as I am happy to hand money to Tesco for cornflakes or milk or bread etc.

"so yes, q.happy to hand my money over to them"

What - even that you know that these companies' marketing tactics are resulting in the deaths of babies in developing countries?

If I couldn't breastfeed I'd have to buy formula but I wouldn't be happy about adding to the profits of these companies.

.