So - what are all of you who are against the Milupa ad doing....

[QueenOfQuotes]

to stop TV producers and Toy Manufacturers et all show bottlefeeding as "the norm"?

I here people argue that if children and youngsters grow up around people who are all bottlefeeding, then they're more likely to bottlefeed their own babies........surely the same applies to TV.

How many young people do you hearing talking endlessly about TV programmes and 'idolising' people in them. They see these people bottlefeeding babies, and very rarely breastfeeding and IMO that has a much greater influence on them than adverts in places which are mainly viewed/visited by adults.

Not to mention the baby dolls which all come with bottles, and "new baby" cards - again featuring bottles.

There seems to be so much emphasis on "stop the forumula producers advertising" that IMO the other, more commonly seen, and more influential 'promotion' of bottlefeeding is over looked!!!

Already this morning I've watched Angelina Ballerina's mother BOTTLE feeding her baby sister.

Have never bought dd a doll that had a bottle, and dd happily "breastfed" her dollies. Don't buy cards/ anything else with images of bottles on. Am always on the lookout in Supermarkets for promotion/ discounting of infant milk (and have reported my local Sainsbury's to trading standards- twice!).

Won't be leaving, but think MN should reconsider.

Re the breast feeding on Soaps.

In the Archers Ruth Archer B/F all of hers, just as a matter of course and she did the last one after her mastectomy!

She would be good at it though after all her time with the Dairy herd!!!!

oh god Ruth Archer - that's enough to put anyone off...

I agree with QoQ on this. Cultural influences are every bit as important as advertising.

Oh Nooooooooooo!

(Can't bear Ruth Archer)

Not a poster girl then?

Ruth sez whap em out in Underwoods!

If Ruth Archer is really the best we can come up with....

I think one of the girls in Hollyoaks should breastfeed, I'm sure it could be a popular move...

here is what anyone can do:

milk survey

good grief Caligula - you feeling ok luv - agreeing with me again

Has anyone written to Milupa/Aptimal telling them what's going on here ? I'm sure it would go down very well

I watched an episode of Tweenies (while bf DS) where Fizz had a new baby brother and it was said that he had "mummy milk".

On Holby City was Jess bf her baby? Pregnant brain means I can't remember.

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"are they seriously going to be influenced by a soap or a doll that comes with a bottle???"

ermmm - yes - in the same way that people argue that advertising by fornula companies influences people..

Have you never seen/heard young people "singing the praises" (so to speak) of people off the TV???

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I'm not just talking soaps, there are hundreds of 'fictional' stories on the TV which show "big names" with their babies (well not "their" babies but you know what I mean) and bottlefeeding them.

And as someone else has said - of course people follow advertising - companies pay BIG money to advertise - something they wouldn't do it if didn't work!

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But many women 'choose' (and I use that word advisedly) to bottlefeed because that's all they've ever seen, HMo2. Which is the whole point...

It's not so much a case of being swayed by an advert or what's on TV as it seeing formula as the normal number 1 choice.

Whether you choose to breastfeed or not or are able/unable to breastfeed for whatever reason, the fact is that we are mammals, we are designed to feed our babies ourselves and our babies are meant to drink our milk. The "normal" way for us to feed our babies is by breastfeeding. Of course formula is a perfectly acceptable alternative and has saved many a baby's life and mother's sanity and, at the end of the day, we can choose to feed our babies however we wish. HOwever,, when we start seeing formula feeding as the norm, there is something very wrong. No one should be villified for choosing to (or having to) formula feed but equally we should stop using forumla feeding as the "normal" benchmark (eg "breastfed babies are X times likely to suffer from Y" when it should be "forumla fed babies are X times more likely to suffer from Y"

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Didn't Natalie on Eastenders attmept (and fail) to breastfeed? Wouldn't it have been far better to show her struggling and overcoming her difficulties through good advice and support? Noooo, because as far as TV etc are concerned, formula is the norm.

It's easy enough to show a sleeping baby turned towards the screen mother's breast area. No need for full frontal nudity or genuine sucking.

FFS we can't live in space yet we manage to portray it realistically on screen. BF-ing should be a doddle

But seeing Natalie on Eastenders having a one to one with a breast feeding councellor would hardly make for gripping viewing would it?