Tik Tok is leaving MN as a result of the Milupa advertisement on the home page.

[moondog]

Please good MN people,see sense!
Whodo we really need more,Tik Tok or bloody Aptamil????

This board will lose so much if she goes......

C'mone ladies,add your voice!

I pay for my subscription!!! I hope that Tik Tok will not leave and I can understand her wanting to stand up and take a position as she is a BF advocate. I am never brave or bold enough to take such a strong position other than for the protection of my family.

It would be a shame for her to leave as the more women successfully BF, the stronger the movement will stay to continue to BF in the future. In the end, everyone will make their own decision. I don't know any specifics about the
Aptamil myself as didn't follow that thread (have older children), but I still would hate to see her go.

I respect for Tiktok's decision since it compromises her fundamental principles.

In an ideal world MN could exist without requiring such financial backing. As I understand it the ad/link is not actually illegal (correct me if I'm wrong) and since MN is a discussion forum not a WHO or Govt Health site for instance, then it is acceptable since it is through this that women can be supported and informed on MN whatever feeding choice they ulitmately make.

However if Tiktok, her fellow professionals and trained BFCs, who freely give their time and expertise, do leave it will affect the credibility of MN anyway - a tough call for HQ.

Just noticed this thread, and am reading with interest. Please can someone tell me more? I don't know Tik Tok, and am relatively new to Mumsnet. Thanks

don't think leaving is the best tactic, but am a bit dismayed that mn would advertise milupa....

I haven't seen the ad but what's wrong with Aptamil?

equally, understand that they are trying to survive....

I'm sure there has been much agonizing over future funding for mn...it's very popularity must bring with it more expense and I suspect that is not reflected in the revenue streams it currently has, but I also totally respect tiktok's decision as she must act according to her strongly held principles...how would you fund a site like this, free at point of use?

It's an age old question...

anyone?

I dont have a problem with Aptamil appearing, because there are formula feeding mothers on this site too. But I must say, I do find the actual Aptamil site a bit creepy, and slightly patronising.
So I can understand Tiktok's decision too, though I am sorry about it.

because it's formula feed as opposed to breastmilk?

I am interested too. From what I have read from Tik Tok, she seems a very reasonable and practical person and Milupa are actually promoting breast feeding on the advert, so what is the issue?

What a bummer! I'm a mum who will be, thanks in large part to MN, giving breastfeeding another go when my new baby arrives in December. Never even seen the advert, tbh.

Message withdrawn

jools, its the lack of honesty about it. if they just came straight out and said We want your cash, it would be more honest.

Its like cigarettes; are they going for mothers who have made the decision to use formula and competing with other formula manufacturers? Or are they trying to tempt mothers who are having breastfeeding problems to give up breastfeedign because Aptamil is almost as good, according to them?

sleepysuzy, Tiktok has given lots of much appreciated advice to mothers who are struggling with breastfeeding over the years. As you may know, this support is not always available in hospitals.

true cod [whispers so sponsors don't hear] i never look at home page!

Dang, a shame some of us will be missing out on her advice .

Please can someone tell me more? I don't know Tik Tok, and am relatively new to Mumsnet. Thanks
(sorry no one answered, really interested)

hope you understand the comparison - Im not trying to say that giving a baby a bottle is like putting a fag in their mouth. Hope this heads off a potential major explosion

Just went through the gate to Aptamil and I'm actually rather bemused as Aptamil are wanting to cretae an online community involved in issues around babies, sex, parenthood, friendship etc. as they are aware that it is the community they need to promote their product...

Eh isn't that a desire to emulate/reproduce mumsnet but on a commercial ground (like Bounty)but initially with the ethics imported from mumsnet?

Message withdrawn

The issue is that a breastfeeding mum on MN rang the Aptamil helpline with a 'problem' and the advisor (a midwife) eventually began to tell her to 'compliment' bf with Aptamil. Once they got the idea across, she kept plugging it regularly in the conversation.

Complimenting with formula only makes a breastfeeding problem worse, not solve it hence more dependence on formula and soon enough baby will be entirely on formula.

I hope I get this link right. aptamil thread

If the threads we discuss these issues on highlight the problems with companies like milupa then surely it is up to us as intelligent people to take or leave an advert. FWIW, dd couldn't breastfeed and I used aptimil but it wasn't what you'd call an "either/or" decision. The only choice I had was which brand to use.

Thanks Alux

Mumsnet has extreme stickiness which every website wants but is hard to come by,Aptamil has an advertising budget but the inability to create stickiness...I don't think that they will give each other what they want in the end to be honest...

Oh, sorry Alux that link didn't work.