What do we think of Kirstie Allsopp's link with SMA?

[hunkermunker]

I am slightly less than utterly unimpressed You?

And yes, of course, it's her decision, yada-yada, but what a shit decision it was.

Kirstie, I knock walls down in your general direction.

pmsl MsD

...tis prime time C4 programme!!

sallypoo, I think it's about the subtle undermining of BFing that a celebrity endorsement like this does, given how obsessed we are with clebrity in this country.

And call me a cynic, but I don't think a company that manufactures formula milk has too much of a vested interest in promoting exclusive BFing, regardless of how unbiased their marketing bumph comes across.

well actually about 1% of women are not able to breastfeed.
the vast, vast majority are able to. if given the correct help and support.

which I don't think includes kirstie allsopp telling you which formula to use "just in case you can't breastfeed"

how is this not advertising??????

Sallypoo, I would be slating anyone who got into bed with a formula manufacturer.

They're not doing it to help women, they're doing it to increase their market share by making it seem as though they care about you and your baby.

Worked a treat, I'd say

and quite frankly, I don't really need some c-list celeb telling me how to look after my baby.
load of twaddle.

but it's pointless saying that about 1% of women are not able to breastfeed and the rest are with help and support

We live in the real world where that help and support is non-existent for many.

It is fighting the wrong battle to come on internet sites and get all up in arms about formula advertising. You'll never win this battle against multi million pound corporations - not directly. You need to be out there volunteering your expertise to provide the help and support at the coalface that will stop women who don't want to use formula but feel they can't manage BF so give up! That's the only way the battle will be won.

HG, without formula advertising, breastfeeding support would get better more quickly.

Because more unbiased information would be available about formula, healthcare professionals wouldn't have their training scuppered by sponsored by formula companies events, etc.

Please don't tell people who know what they're talking about that they don't know what they're doing.

And don't assume that people who post on forums such as this aren't doing anything wrt breastfeeding support in RL. It's annoying. And wrong.

Not too happy with Kirstie, but the person who should really be receiving our opprobrium is the midwife who is being paid by SMA to promote formula. She really should know better

sorry, didn't realise that only people on bf threads ever know what they're doing

HG, sorry, I was exasperated - you're not the first person to tell us we haven't a clue what we're doing, it's the wrong target, posting on forums is a waste of time, etc.

It's really not a waste of time, I promise.

As for the rest of my post - you agree then, that advertising of formula is an barrier to better breastfeeding support?

Haven't read all this thread but lol at the volunteering comment! Do you realise how many of the women on here are Peer Supporters or BFing Councellors?

I've just completed my NHS course, just waiting for the exam to come round and some of these ladies make me realise how pathetic my course was! I'm going to use it to support mothers until I can train with someone better.

I think part of the problem is those red books that has growth measured by plotting on lines. Grrrr.

There seems to be an over emphasis on what percentile a baby is on.

But I hate smug Kirstie anyway

ooh I'm sorry too hunker I realise my 'you need to be out there volunteering' bit does sound RATHER patronising

I totally agree that advertising of formula is a barrier yes; my exasperation comes about because it is a line trotted out that "oh 99% of people can breastfeed" when in REALITY some can't because of the lack of support - I wish we could be more thoughtful and say instead "if there was the right support out there, up to 99% of people would breastfeed"

oh I realise we're all saying the same thing it's just semantics but this just gets to me. When some percentage CAN'T, in reality, for whatever reason. Being phsyically capable is not the same as being ABLE

Anyway,

I have watched the clip on the link.

What struck me was that as the camera pans round the group of mothers with their babies, there isn't one feeding. Which ime of groups of mums with newborns, is very strange.

Kirtie probably needs the money, her and Phil are being slated for encourageing people to overspend on property and contributing to the very over inflated recent house prices. With a housing slump and no one moving she will be out of a job no?

HG, I agree, there needs to be a lot more understanding of the reasons women make the choices they do wrt feeding their babies. Support, to me, means anything from societal recognition that the mother-baby partnership (dyad - Pruners likes dyad) to telling a new mum to put her feet up and you'll make a cup of tea/look after the big kids/cook her dinner - not just "this is how you latch your baby on".

"You need to be out there volunteering your expertise to provide the help and support at the coalface that will stop women who don't want to use formula but feel they can't manage BF so give up"
do you mind if I go and then at that
goodness we had never thought of that

always glad to be of service, Harpsi

You can't think of everything

As one of those far too many women whose plans to bf were defeated very early by a lack of knowledge/confidence/support in the face of a fairly dramatic intervention, I'm offended by this too. I'm really hoping that second time around I won't be having to spend a (not so) small fortune on SMA Gold, or any other formula milk.

Obviously they needed someone they thought would appeal to those of us too middle class to like Jordan!

I can't believe that KA needs the money, but she must have wanted it.

HG - you said :'Being physically capable is not the same as being ABLE'....do you not think the majority of people (like me) who post on here are aware of this, and acutely sensitive to the fact that the 'choice' to breastfeed is socially mediated, and the 'ability' to breastfeed ditto, as well as linked directly to the level of support and knowledge of the healthcare workers they meet?

I've just read in one of the reports of the Healthcare Commission on maternity care that one of the weakest areas of support and even data collection lies in breastfeeding - one very large hospital trust www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jul/10/health.nhs1 returned results which showed 'only 42% of women at the trust said they received good advice, help and support' in feeding.

This is not surprising to any of us working at the coal face of breastfeeding support.

You might get one or two posters here talking about breastfeeding as if it was merely a matter of deploying an innate physiological capacity (like breathing, or walking). But they are a minority, and I think it is, frankly, unfair of you to imply you have a special insight into the reality of it all. You can't be reading mumsnet at all if you think this.

And like hunker, I get tired of hearing that discussing these issues is a waste of time because I should be helping mothers to bf. I do this too, every day, in RL and online. And discussing is awareness raising, and it is important, too.

Oh, and in relation to the OP, I think SMA's DVD is a blatant attempt to reach mothers directly which is against the law, and Kirstie Allsopp needs a (metaphorical) kicking.

tiktok - I hardly EVER read BF boards because that time is past for me, I posted and have graciously accepted that I leapt in - unless posters are saying IN their posts "I help women to BF every day and I think this...." then I am not a mind reader and do not know that they do this, they could just be posting rather superiorly on a board about how 99% of women CAN bf.....

I have been set right about my assumption already. Unfortunately the tone in which you posted to me is just more of the 'oh I'm so superior and knowledgable that I can hardly bother to type' which is so off-putting on these boards and why I hardly ever read them....And I do KNOW that you will not accept this view in a million, zillion years!!!

Notwithstanding all of the people on here who are BFCs/Peer supporters (show of hands everyone?), those of us who post on the bfing threads on MN are helping out at the coalface. How many threads on here say "I'm being advised to top up - I don't want to - help!".

Posting advice on here is helping just as much as in "RL". This is RL, there are real people on the other ends of these threads getting help from people on here. It's just hard to see them sometimes in between the political threads like this one.

HG: make up your mind. You don't read the boards because 'that time' (feeding a baby) is over for you. Or you don't read the boards because you think some posters (eg me) post with a superior tone. Which is it?

Whichever it is, despite not reading the boards, you feel able to draw conclusions about what is routinely said here (about 99 per cent of women blah blah blah). You have now accepted that you 'leapt in' - is that an apology? - about the 'not volunteering in RL' thing, but my concern was what you reported as the usual schtick about '99 per cent being able to bf' was false.

I think you have it wrong about me feeling as if I can 'hardly be bothered to post'....if I feel it, it's not having an effect on my posting rate, anyway ;)

Bumperlicious - hard to see people getting help because of 'political threads'....eh? At any one time, the threads asking for and getting help are always in the majority in this folder.

Not watched the video but wouldn't want to take "advice" from a formula company on bf.

I've bf exclusively all my kids - one of which was bigger than KA's ds.

Not read everything, but followed link to SMA website and read their advice for bfing. As I bf all 3 of mine never felt the need to look at ff websites, but was surprised at how ok the advice seemed to be. Agree that the diet bit might put some off, but pregnancy websites say the same too - and it doesn't stop people becoming pregnant.

I personally don't care what celebs do or don't endorse, I'm sometimes intrigued as it might (or might not) give an insight into their exciting little lives, but as someone said it's concerning that a mw has signed up with them. I think the whole Carol Vordermann advertising credit is far far worse, and probably has a far more detrimental impact on peoples lives - she is on the tv as someone good with numbers, and so the logical train of thought would be that she is saying these loans are a good deal. At least KA isn't someone who provides parenting advice on tv - would be far more irritating if it was say that woman of 'Honey youre killing the kids' (or whatever its called) 'endorsing' ff.

has anyone seen the DVD yet?
can we peruse its contents
then go judgey
devils advocate I know.
even for those that end up not breastfeeding the first 48 hrs are spent establishing that fact by using your breasts to at least give it a try. Support and advice at hand or not as sadly is the case in so many places.
I detest that formula brands pick up on expectant mums need for information and advice and use it to subtly peddle their wares.

Put it on the shelf if you must... Put a gurgling happy child on the tin.
but don't worm in via the back door to further inhibit womens chances of breastfeeding and changing expectations about a baby's happiness, health and good sleep being dependent upon their product.
On an aside charlotte church put some humour into where not to breastfeed on her show last night, quite funny, normalizing the word and action.