Help Restrict the Promotion of Formula milk - Send Email to FSA before May 5th

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This is from the Breastfeeding Manifesto Coalition ....

How a baby is fed has profound health implications for both mother and child. It is very important that all parents, those who use formula and who breastfeed, have access to reliable information based on evidence that is free from commercial pressure. Only when this happens will parents be able to make a fully informed decision about how they want to feed their child.

In the UK however, weak laws mean that formula advertising and promotion far outweighs good quality information on feeding. The result of this is that formula feeding mothers find it hard to access reliable information to understand the facts about the various products, including safe preparation and storage of formula milk.,

To improve protection for parents and babies the Breastfeeding Manifesto Coalition is calling for the WHO Code of Marketing of Breastmilk substitutes and subsequent resolutions to become the Law in the UK (Objective 7 of the Manifesto). This is something we are committed to, but it can't happen overnight.

However, we do have an opportunity NOW to help move UK legislation in the right direction and strengthen the legislation governing baby milk promotion in the UK. The Food Standards Agency is consulting until February 5th on the new Guidance which the formula milk advertising must follow when promoting, labeling and advertising formula milk.

Please send the email below and play your part in helping to ensure that the new Regulations are as strong and robust as possible. Public pressure makes a real difference so make your voice heard!

www.breastfeedingmanifesto.org.uk/make_your_voice_heard_2.php/

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

How can your opinion be that it's not true when it is FACT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

As for midwives, they see lots of babies, yes they do, for the first few days after birth FGS! But it's certainly not a 'controlled experiment' into formula milk.

Yes, you're right, I meant prebiotics, sorry.

ybnd: "I must say I dont believe half of it TBH thats my opinion!"

Oh well......not much anyone can say, then. Which half do you not believe, or have you not worked that bit out yet?

"If its so bad why are then we allowed to feed our children it? "

Because it is a free society, ybnd, and no one has ever suggested forcing mothers to breastfeed instead.

"if people would use sense and ask a MW they will tell these things! Or r they getting money and lying to us aswell?"

Some of them are - there are educational awards, trips and grants and other gifts made to midwives from the formula companies. But the main issue is poor training.

AAAARRRGGGHHH MY POINT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT PUT THIS ARGUMENT ASIDE START AGIN AND READ THIS STATEMENT!

My point is that even if there was an advert once a year with stats about formula the there would STILL be complaints even if was issued by the NHS because BF maniacs not on here neccessarily would complain at the fact there was anything to do with formula in the public eye.

NOTHING TO DO WITH ME OR PARTICULARLY FF BUT THEY WILL ALWAYTS CRITICISE AND THIS IS WHAT ANNOYS ME

Crikey YBND. you do seem stressed.

Maybe it's the relaxing hormones released whilst BFing keeping me calm, or just the fact that you keep changing your stance.

What don't you believe? What isn't true? Can you find me some of the pro-BFers that would complain if there was a picture of formula milk with my advertising information on? I can almost guarantee that it would be people like yourself complaining that it was making FFers feel guilty and wasn't fair.

PSML @ this now!!!

For 1 I dont bottlefeed anymore my child is almost 2 so neither would I be BF! Therefore Id be stressed anyway.

I dont believe that all these health implications are brought on by FF, yes I agree that allergies and eczema may be of higher risk but I dont understand how they can figure the rest out. What do they do ask everyone who comes into hospital oh u have ovarian cancer did u BF? It doesnt make sense. And Ive never felt guilty about FF actually why would I? Noone should and noone has a reason to in y eyes its their choice.

OH GOD KNOWS but anyhooz getting bored with this now back to the original thingy Im not signing coz Ive never had a problem getting the info I need.

Breastfeeding doesn't have to stop by their first birthday you know, many people are still feeding beyond 2, but that's by the by.

I'll see if I can find the studies that have been used again and again if you wish to read them, but do you think the World Health Organisation and other such people would make this up, really?

My friend BF both her children and one is almost 2 and one is 3 months so I have no problem with that like I said I just couldnt/wouldnt.

I dont think anyone is making it up I would just like to know if they have all this stuff lurking around I dont believe they would put millions of children at risk.
Think ts been blown out of proportion

I choose not to believe any research that contradicts what I'd like to be true.

LOL at girlfrommars' comment.
I just dont think its such a good conspiracy for them all to hide is a bit pointless if they are really it'd just make more people BF and those who cant scared I think so whats the point in hiding it?

YNDB, when FF was first introduced there was no proof of all this, it was seen as an amazing invention, this wonderful milk that imitated mothers milk and babies could actually thrive on it, all of a sudden women culd go out, they could get other people to feed baby, they could work, it opened up an awful lot of avenues for women back then and was heralded as a great time.

The more it has been used, the more research we come across, the mroe we can see what problems it has put out there and this is part of the reason why organisations like WHO are trying to increase breastfeeding rates, because it is better for our babies and their mothers.

However, could you imagine the uproar if they suddenly banned formula milk? They don't ban tobacco or alcohol that ahs been proven to have adverse effects, they don't ban fatty foods, they dn't stop us doing what we want to do when it comes to putting things into our bodies that can cause harm, so they couldn't do it with formula. Also if they did, what would happen to the women who were not able to breastfeed? (tbh, it is a very small amount of women who cannot physically breastfeed, but they do exist), what would happen in hospitals in which staff are not properly trained to help establish breastfeeding? Every woman that ahs ever been given crap advice will know how distraught they would've been if they had felt unable to feed and formula hadn't been there as an answer to stop their baby starving.

We as a country cannot afford to not have formula milk!

So we shouldn't say the truth because it will make mothers who weren't made aware of thr truth feel guilty?

Surely it should make them feel pissed off they weren't told the truth of the matter and want to do something about it to make sure no-one else is unaware of the risks?

I am one of those mothers VS I couldnt BF as my DS wouldnt latch on and MW were crap with advice as is also well known. So I know we couldnt do without Formula.

ybnd: "I dont believe they would put millions of children at risk."

hahahahahahaha.

No of course they wouldn't.

They'd ban it, wouldn't they, and force mothers to breastfeed instead, and the ones that didn't, they force them to find wet nurses for them.

It would be The Law. And if you didn't obey it, you'd Go To Prison .

Don't be so naive. Plenty of risky things are permitted in our world because banning them would be unfeasible.

OH FUK IT AM OFF TO PIK UP DS FROM NURSERY WILL BE BAK

soz didnt mean caps lock that time lol

Which, YBND, is why we cannot not have formula, I do not know your situation, and have no idea whther it was down to bad advice and lack of support, but at that time you were unable (for whatever reason) to breastfeed so of course formula had to be there. I personally beleive that versus the risks, it would have been more beneficial to you and your baby to have had decent postnatal support that enabled you to breastfeed and then you had a real choice, rather than a percieved no option.

In the absence of this support, we sadly, do need formula, but I am also a great beleiver that everyone should eb given the opportunity to have the required support and help that allows them to successfully breastfeed so if they do choose to feed their babies with formula milk, it is exactly that, their choice.

YNDB, You might want to read some of the research on [[http://www.babyfriendly.org.uk/items/search_results.asp?view=2 this] site. It explains how it was actually come across as well, rather than just saying 'breastfeeding does this'.

ooops. www.babyfriendly.org.uk/items/search_results.asp?view=2

"Plenty of things in this world permitted because banning them would be unfeaseable"

Does that apply to certain people who believe themselves to be the "Brest Messiah"

Is that why a certain someone is still around standing on a pulpit preaching to the masses!! Insisting those who dont agree, are not listening, and doing the smug, "Dont come on here dear, you are obviously not on my level and you shouldnt dare try and conversate with me"

Refering to ones self as "WE" (Ibelieve we had a conversation about the mighty we before)

Ah the all knowing one, well then I think its time the law was changed, not unfeaseable to ban, thats if we are talking about the "Breast Messiah"

Cola, are you talking about me????

Honestly?

Pulpit?

Messiah?

You're mistaking me for someone who gives a shit what you think about me

colacubes, what drugs are you taking?

oh, LOLOLOL colacube
I must be missing that aspect of tiktok's posts. I've never felt preached at!

MN keeps crashing and I'm supposed to packing for a weekend away much to the annoyance of DH, so I must bow out now.

have fun xx