Still being subjected to the cow and gate ad.

[LookingForwardToSummer]

Grrrrr. It's so annoying! Is there nothing we can do?

Hunker - agree it is not good that formula companies have influence over parenting magazines.
I cant say that I have ever really read them, my own reading material when I was pregnant was the free Boots parenting magazine (yes, did contain formula section, but lot of info on breastfeeding which is what I read) and Mumsnet.

"I do not see why companies cannot advertise"

Sigh.... because advertising is about PERSUASION

It's inappropriate to subject parents to persuasive, manipulative advertising when it comes to something that is as important a public health issue as infant feeding. The choice as to how women feed their babies should be made free from commercial pressure. If women are exposed to sophisticated, manipulative advertising they are not making this choice free from commercial pressure.

Tiktok and Hunker have made this point in various ways.

I have now made it again.

Does this help?

My giddy Aunt - I can't believe you lot are still chuntering on.

I think my interpretation of one of the posts was slightly out.

Well, FWIW, I've had reply from ASA and they are already investigating the ad.

my giddy aunt, I can't believe you, hf, are still insistent on laughing at and undermining the debate. Totally transparent.

Who said I was laughing? Undermining it? Just stunned that days and hundreds of messages later you are still having this debate.

hf, if it doesn't interest you, why post?

Elf, the Boots parenting magazine is not free from bias - it also accepts adverts from formula companies, as does the free Tesco parenting magazine, etc. That's how they're free.

People who work to support breastfeeding in the UK are in the main unpaid, doing it in their spare time, with no advertising budget, no glossy marketing team. It amazes me there are so many passionate and determined women prepared to give up time with their families when their efforts are so often scorned and they're so often called names.

Freedom of speech!

"Just stunned that days and hundreds of messages later you are still having this debate."

But that's probably because you don't really understand the issue and therefore can't think of anythign sensible or interesting to say about it.

Doesn't stop you popping up on the thread huffing and puffing though does it?

the reason we're still having the debate is because there is lots of work to do in trying to persuade people to change their minds about the importance of not advertising formula, and to correct inaccuracies etc..

Well, thank you for adding so much to the debate.

I look forward to future illuminating interjections, such as, perhaps, "Pshaw!" "Who cares?!" and "Yawn...".

Don't be a stranger, eh?

hunker

Haha - clearly that last was to hf, not to Sabire or WS...

You are all, of course, welcome to your debate.

I just consider you are wasting your time posting your feelings on mumsnet.

Instead you should be approaching the appropriate bodies with your findings. Actions, not words, are required.

For your information I do understand the issues - I just don't think any of you are putting it forward very eloquently.

Thank you for your post, hf.

FWIW, I think there's a lot of eloquence on this thread. It went a bit skewy in the middle, is all.

Also, had you considered that MN isn't the only place most of us talk about stuff like this?

I'm doing all sorts in RL to raise awareness of this issue and I know for a fact I'm not alone in that.

Why does it bother you so much that people are wasting their time though, if that's what we are doing?

There are plenty of posters who will say that it's threads like this that make them more determined to breastfeed - I don't consider that a waste of time. Do you?

Oh hf, bless you. Hunker, Tiktok and Sabire are about as eloquent, well-informed and impressive as you can be on this issue. And your previous posts have made it patently clear you have some other agenda than being interested in making a difference to this issue.

And when I say you, I don't actually mean you hf; I mean one but that would be poncey.

ah, hflotsofnumbers is back again to further enlighten us with her witty and ascerbic comments.

The debate is still ongoing because these are important issues that need to be discussed, and the more people who are made aware of them the better imo.

I can't understand why you keep coming onto threads and stirring things up for your own entertainment. I have seen you do the same thing on other threads and what I first thought was mildly funny has now just become boring. In the case of this one you have hinted (by saying "who said I FF?") that you did breastfeed and raised the issue that no-one knows what you do for a living (why we would care is beyind me though). If you did BF and you do have a job involved in the promotion of BFing as can perhaps be inferred from your posts, what have you to gain by sticking up for a bunch of money grabbing manufacturers whi sail as cloise to the wind as they possibly can....unless of course it's one of those companies that pays your wages?

So, go and stir some shit elsewhere run along and find another thread to sabotage with your witty comments, there's a dear

I have no other agenda. I just enjoy reading (and sometimes posting on)a variety of threads on mumsnet.

However a lot of new mums will read this and not understand the law regarding the advertising of infant formula (that was the original post after all). This could lead to confusion and bewilderment - some will think 'What has this ad got to do with breastfeeding?'

I repeat ACTION, not words.

but isn't that exactly the point of this thread?

I can think of an action I'd like to see you do, hf.

I'm aware that the Boots mag is not free of bias from formula companies, given that it is also a catalogue for selling products at Boots. I would like to say the formula section may have had prices, but its three years since I read it, so I could be making that up.
I tended to read the week-by-week "You and Your Baby" sections which I thought were great, and the breastfeeding section which was good.

FWIW Hunker I do think your attitude and dedication is great, I have commented on that in the past (just not under this name)

hf, how have you clarified things for new mums?

And when are you expecting your sainthood?

Shall we all clap?