Anyone against the banning of formula advertising? If so, why?

[HollyWeen]

I am a student BFC and we are having a debate in next month's tutorial about the pros and cons of formula advertising.

Unfortunately, I am on the pro side and am having a hard time finding any real reasons why formula advertising is a good idea.

Would banning formula advertising make ff mums feel alienated? Would it take away individual choice?

All views appreciated!

TIA!

Well I think that if advertising is around, it helps people like me to feel normal, like we aren't bad mothers for not breast feeding, for whatever reason. Some people get very militant about breast feeding and can make mothers who aren't/can't feel very inferior.

Presumably formula is required by some people, although not as many as use it. The manufacturers wouldn't manufacture it unless there was some profit to made from it. Unless the government or supermarket actually made their own brand I don't see how we can avoid some form of advertising. On the other hand its interesting that normal milk doesn't get advertised much presumably its considered to be the same across the board and that people will buy it wherever they find it. Butter is value-added though and does get advertised, as does yoghurt and cheese. I do know people who chose the most expensive formula because they thought it must be better. That's marketing.
I always found formula adverts for follow-on milk ("the iron he needs") very annoying. He could get the iron in his food in a balanced diet. But maybe all babyfood adverts are extremely pernicious, to make people think they can't provide salt and sugar free tasty food for their babies out of everyday fruit and veg, and have to rely on someone else to come up with something healthy and delicious.

wot - so you're asking for ads not to inform people, not to help people choose between brands in a straightforward, truthful way, but to help mothers let down by the system feel 'normal'....that is understandable, but it doesn't address the real gaps in care. As you found yourself, these gaps mean women who want to breastfeed can't get the help and support they need to do it.

No need to not feel normal if you use formula - almost 100 per cent of mothers use formula at some stage

No one should make you feel bad - and in fact, it's hard for anyone to 'make' someone else feel something!

But knowing about different brands is helful too.

but knowing what about them?
atm there is not much more than 'this one has a duck on the tin, this one has a bear'

I know I've said this before on MN but I don't think formula should be branded and profitable.

It seems wrong to me to be able to make money from a product that provides 100% of nutrition for some babies.

Also if there was no money to be made then there would be no incentive to either undermine breast feeding or influence parents.

IMO an ideal situation would be generic formula available at cost price to parents who want it. There should be a few different types and people should be encouraged to find the type that best suits their babies.

No brands, no cutesy packaging, no profit margins and some proper information.

I knew I shouldn't have stumbled into a thread in this area. MY SON WAS FORMULA FED - SORRY IF THAT ANNOYS ANYONE. I'll go now.

As others have said, I'm all for there being much BETTER information about the difference between different kinds of formula (though I'll bet there isn't actually any real research on this), but THAT WON'T BE WHAT ADVERTISING IS ABOUT!

Advertising is all about trying to make you buy MY formula, in any way I can: happy babies, green fields, sun, clean clothes, cheerful teddies. It's not about information, or health, it's simply about sales!

Wotulookinat, I think the only thing people are annoyed about is the disgraceful lack of useful information easily available about formula.

When I went to antenatal classes there were quite a few people who asked how they should go about choosing a formula brand. The midwife running the class suggested that they start off by choosing a brand that they were easily able to get locally without having to make a long trip to a big supermarket.

Whilst I think this is sensible advice, I feel outraged that formula companies do not give out proper useful information about their products that enables parents to make informed choices.

I am against formula advertising for this reason, not because I think formula shouldn't be available or that parents shouldn't use it.

wotulookinat, the trouble is that formula advertising isn't informative. If they were allowed to, chocolate manufacturers would market their product as a healthy food, oh they'd mention the magnesium and calcium but would leave out the bit about fat and sugar!
Likewise, formula manufacturers will go on about prebiotics and how a formula is "close to breastmilk". They never, ever mention the risks.
I agree with Beachcomber, formula should be available cheaply or freely to people who need it but with no advertising permitted.

Unbelievable though how little information is actually available re: formula.

Even the name 'formula' sounds so medically/clinically reassuring.

Why not call it: cow milk, with sugar and vitamins a few minerals?

DS was in a nursery last month and the owner of the nursery was trying to tell a parent that one of the brands of formula was the 'closest to breast milk...'

better than "artifically feeding" which was what the ff mothers were called in my hospital

That's out of order - making it personal

i'd still use formula.
other things are not advertised and are used. formula companies do talk about b/f first and following on etc... or if you choose not to b/f then bla de bla. they emphasise breastfeeding in the first instance. even though many women don't and i won't be

sometimes breastmilk isn't the best quality for different reasons at least formula is consistent - esp if you have a hungry baby. Everyone has to do what is right for them but there is no doubt pressure exists. 'Artificially feeding' - never heard that one.

"breastmilk isn't the best quality for different reasons" Studies show you have to be on the verge of starvation before it affects the milk supply.

If you heard about stress, tiredness, poor diet etc affecting milk supply it is untrue.

Formula might be consistant but is a big disadvantage. Living breastmilk is made by the mother for her specific baby, it changes on a day per day basis and protects that child from local germs etc, whereas unchanging formula won't.

it can affect the baby tho - if something spicy has been eaten for example it can affect the baby and you can't drink so the milk does change and if diet is poor the milk won't be the best quality it can be. sometimes breastmilk isn't enough for the baby and they need a bottle to settle as well. friend's baby prefers the bottle and sleeps much better at night with one.

VS - I'd like to see that advert too. With an extra bit saying : "If you do decide to use a breastmilk substitute, please be aware that you need to prepare it correctly (safely)...)

And of course, formula does sometimes kill babies. Its a sad fact:

with premature babies and in belgium

Sometimes, formula isn't even "good enough".

We do need 'advertising' to make sure people know this. A friend who is a doctor makes up her formula with cold water and then microwaves it, on the advice of another mum. I've never personally made up formula, but mentioned that as far as I knew, it needed to be prepared with recently boiled (still very hot) water as the formula is not sterile. She chose to follow the other mum's advice.

People need to be aware of the implications of their choices. They may not be the tiny tiny minority that suffers the big illness and the horrific tragedy, but there is that tiny chance that they will.

So yes, there needs to be advertising about formula. But we do not need brands to be able to claim they are 'closer to breastmilk' with a winder audience. And I can't think of any reason why we might need that.

didn't think you should use a microwave to heat milk/water for formula for babies due to hot pockets - even if you shake it.

ema - I believe that is a danger, but they also heat it straight to "baby" temperature rather than hot enough to kill anything that is potentially far more dangerous than some burns.

Ema, Spicy food may flavour the milk slightly but babies don't mind. I had a curry last night and neither toddler nor baby minded It is very rare that a baby reacts to a particular food in a mothers diet.

Poor diet does not affect the milk quality at all. It is better for the mother to have a healthy diet for her own benefit not her baby. Truely you could live on cream cakes and McDonalds and your milk would be top quality.

You can have a drink whilst breastfeeding, in fact I have a small bottle of beer in my hand at the moment How much and when you drink depends on your preferences and age of baby etc. Search for 'Tiktok' and 'Alcohol' and you'll find all the technical advice on alcohol.

doesn't a bottle warmer do a safer job?

Ema, The formula powder is not sterile and needs to be mixed with water which is 70c or hotter in order to kill the bugs. Then the formula is cooled to the right baby drinking tempetures.

I suppose you could use a bottle warmer with premade formula (i.e. made up by the factory and sold sealed in cartons) as this has been heat treated and does not contain bugs.

ready made formula is what i would use so would use bottle warmer. don't really like microwaves but might get a microwave steriliser haven't decided yet.

with regards to alcohol i do miss wine - looking forward to a couple of glasses after baby born!