No boots advantage points on infant formua!? - punishing us bottle feeders!wrong

[vintage67]

I think it's a it ott. I mean, it's not as though someone is going to choose to ff solely on the basis that they can get more boots points, and tbh if you based your decision on that then there is more to worry about then whether you breastfeed or not!

A lot of people do not choose to ff, and what about people who adopt, or single fathers. It's ridiculous. Why can't people do whatever the hell they want without the government constantly concerning themselves.

YES! It's like hearing how mom's in the US see a teddy bear on a can and say, "Breastmilk be damned! I'm buying that! Uh, yeah...

 

[pinkpolkadot]

I think it's a it ott. I mean, it's not as though someone is going to choose to ff solely on the basis that they can get more boots points, and tbh if you based your decision on that then there is more to worry about then whether you breastfeed or not!

A lot of people do not choose to ff, and what about people who adopt, or single fathers. It's ridiculous. Why can't people do whatever the hell they want without the government constantly concerning themselves.

YES! It's like hearing how mom's in the US see a teddy bear on a can and say, "Breastmilk be damned! I'm buying that! Uh, yeah...

For people that don't have a choice then it is protecting the prices as mentioned in previous posts.

People can do what they want, formula is freely available, not getting Boots points is not going to hinder someone buying formula. However, not allowing promotion on formula protects prices and protects all parents from aggressive marketing tactics and allows them to make their own decisions based on factual information.

I can see the point made in a prev post that points would be offered on all the brands so would not sway choice but this is still a promotion, and allowing one kind of promotion would open the door for formula companies to exploit this (which they would without a doubt as has been proven in the past).

EDIT: Also, I know all of us BnB ladies are wise to the sneaky tactics of the formula companies but there are some people out there who are not as educated as us and can be swayed by promotions and advertising (which can sometimes be misleading).

 

[vintage67]

You truly believe that someone would make a feeding choice in the hospital, or even with baby still in the womb, based on points at a store?

 

[sg2011]

It just seems a little silly though honestly. Formula companies are going to promote...that is what any company with a product to sell does. The fact is that formula is a necessity for a lot of people so they will buy it regardless of any points earned through a drug store. It seems to me that the "outrage" is that the lack of points earned has more to do with the politics of bfing and ffing as opposed to stopping a company from promoting themselves in a less than ethical fashion.

 

[pinkpolkadot]

You truly believe that someone would make a feeding choice in the hospital, or even with baby still in the womb, based on points at a store?

No, sorry if my last post was sketchy!

I actually don't think this (that would be silly of me as formula costs money and BM is free), I was referring to other methods of marketing/promotion.

I feel it would be impossible to allow only one particular type of promotion such as points and not open up the field to other kinds being exploited as I said in my previous post. I also stand by my opinion that if the law didn't exist and Boots gave points the price would be pushed up.

 

[pinkpolkadot]

I have also just been reminded of something (a bit off topic but relevant I feel, I hope you can see how!)

My mum and auntie were talking about a curling tong they both wanted to purchase and my mum asked me to find where it was cheapest on the internet. She told my auntie it was £x at Curry's but my auntie said she'd prefer to buy it at Boots at the higher price and get the points (even though they nowhere near made up for the difference!) I obvs said she was mad

So if certain stores offered points on formula would people be more likely to buy the brands that they stocked just to get the points, and if so is this really the best way to choose your formula? (I am not saying everyone would do this BTW!)

 

[sg2011]

I have also just been reminded of something (a bit off topic but relevant I feel, I hope you can see how!)

My mum and auntie were talking about a curling tong they both wanted to purchase and my mum asked me to find where it was cheapest on the internet. She told my auntie it was £x at Curry's but my auntie said she'd prefer to buy it at Boots at the higher price and get the points (even though they nowhere near made up for the difference!) I obvs said she was mad

So if certain stores offered points on formula would people be more likely to buy the brands that they stocked just to get the points, and if so is this really the best way to choose your formula? (I am not saying everyone would do this BTW!)

I think there are a lot of factors that go into choosing a formula...probably the biggest one being which one baby tolerates and responds to the best...this would definitely over ride the value of any potential points received from a store.

Our big drugstore chain in Canada gives points on every purchase and once you reach a certain level you can redeem the points to take money off your next purchase (or pay for your purchase all together)...I am not planning on buying our formula at this store at all despite the points I could receive. I would rather go to Walmart where *all* their prices are lower than spend more just to earn some points or rewards.

I have to say though that the smartest thing hubby and I have done is start a baby fund since the beginning of pregnancy to save for the cost of ff, diapers, wipes etc. That way it doesn't come out of our regular budget and certainly helps when looking at formula costs! I value that over any rewards system...more like we're rewarding ourselves

 

[dragonhawk]

Honestly, I can understand the Boots statement that they won't give extra points for Formula, however what I REALLY don't understand is why they can't give standard points for it. Yes I know, it's government legislation. But that doesn't make me feel any less of useless than I already do, in that we weren't able to breast feed.

 

[Mummy Bean]

Do you know if you get points on your tesco clubcard or Nectar card...or does this fall under the same bracket?

Dont quote me on this but is part of the reason for the ban also those on lower income can recieve 'milk tokens' or money towards to buying milk and there for they should not recieve 'points' for something they have got free/deducted.

 

[dragonhawk]

Sorry about my rant yesterday, not being able to breat feed is something of a raw subject for me, as I desperately wanted to do this. And we tried a lot of different things hoping that something would eventually help.

 

[queenlavera]

I am confused, do they not advertise food at all in the UK. So everything remains cheaper because of this?
I am also wondering why formula companies are the big bad wolf, they are businesses and all businesses purpose is to make money selling their product. They are not hocking cigarettes, it is formula - food for babies.

Honestly no amount of promotion would have made me choose formula (which I have to buy) over breast milk (which is free).

 

[vintage67]

You weren't hypnotized by a teddy bear either queen?

 

[bathbabe]

No you dont get tesco points on formula, cigs, lotto, scratchcards or stamps i ff from the start thru choice and i support the 'no points rule'.

 

[pinkpolkadot]

I am confused, do they not advertise food at all in the UK. So everything remains cheaper because of this?
I am also wondering why formula companies are the big bad wolf, they are businesses and all businesses purpose is to make money selling their product. They are not hocking cigarettes, it is formula - food for babies.

Honestly no amount of promotion would have made me choose formula (which I have to buy) over breast milk (which is free).

No it's just infant formula before 6 months.

Gosh I feel myself getting dragged deeper into this discussion than I intended, I know how these things can go so was trying not to but feel I need to explain my POV!

IMO formula companies have proved themselves to be the big bad wolf. Yes they are a business and will promote their product, but they will do so at any cost and IMO they need to be regulated.

To illustrate my point....

At the very serious end of the scale they are accused of marketing to mothers in poorer third world countries where it has serious consequences due to poor sanitation, mother's using too little powder to make it go further due to cost leading to babies receiving inadequate nutrition, and giving enough free samples so as to interfere with lactation so that parents have to carry on buying forumla afterwards when they may not be able to afford it. Remember, not everone is lucky enough to have the information and education available to them that we do.

Here is a link I found interesting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestlé_boycott

At the other end of the scale they have been known to make false claims and pedal misleading info about formula. So, say if money was not so much of an issue for you and you were on the fence about trying BF for various reasons (maybe you are worried about BF in front of others for example) but the thing that sways you to try it is the properties BM has... and then you are led to believe formula has the same properties as BM...

Please note I am not knocking formula here, I am using it! I am knocking the formula companies and trying to explain why I agree with them not being allowed to have free reign. Also apologies to the OP as I feel this has strayed from just the Boots points to the wider issue, but it is of course all linked.

 

[new bride]

Boots and any other store (tesco, sainsburys etc) cannot promote FEEDING, whichever way you choose to do it. You can't get your advantage card points (or club card, or nectar) because they cannot promote formula over breast. If, all things being equal they offered £20 to all breast feeding mums then it would be a different story lol. They can however, promote related goods which is why you can get points on both bottles/teats and breast pumps alike.

HTH x

Edited cause I thought it sounded like I was lecturing, which I'm not

 

[queenlavera]

Boots and any other store (tesco, sainsburys etc) cannot promote FEEDING, whichever way you choose to do it. You can't get your advantage card points (or club card, or nectar) because they cannot promote formula over breast. If, all things being equal they offered £20 to all breast feeding mums then it would be a different story lol. They can however, promote related goods which is why you can get points on both bottles/teats and breast pumps alike.

HTH x

Edited cause I thought it sounded like I was lecturing, which I'm not

I understand not to promote formula over breast and definitely agree with that, but the point that things need to be equal is really not valid being that things aren't equal with ff moms having to pay for their babies food and bf moms don't. So it is already unequal that I have this added expense that I didn't anticipate.

I also really don't see how giving 'store points' is promoting ff over bf, by the time I am buying formula at the store I have already made my decision, so points or no points wouldn't change it. But trying to align cigarettes with baby formula is upsetting

 

[new bride]

Boots and any other store (tesco, sainsburys etc) cannot promote FEEDING, whichever way you choose to do it. You can't get your advantage card points (or club card, or nectar) because they cannot promote formula over breast. If, all things being equal they offered £20 to all breast feeding mums then it would be a different story lol. They can however, promote related goods which is why you can get points on both bottles/teats and breast pumps alike.

HTH x

Edited cause I thought it sounded like I was lecturing, which I'm not

I understand not to promote formula over breast and definitely agree with that, but the point that things need to be equal is really not valid being that things aren't equal with ff moms having to pay for their babies food and bf moms don't. So it is already unequal that I have this added expense that I didn't anticipate.

I also really don't see how giving 'store points' is promoting ff over bf, by the time I am buying formula at the store I have already made my decision, so points or no points wouldn't change it. But trying to align cigarettes with baby formula is upsetting

Hi,

'all things being equal' is just a phrase. I didn't think I'd used it out of context, may be it doesn't read how I want it to. What I mean is if all things were equal, we would reward breast feeding mothers too - therefore agreeing with you that it is unequal that bottle feeders have to pay for food.

I hope it makes more sense now

 

[oblada18]

As if I wasnt feeling enough of a failure for not being able to breastfeed my baby, I now learn that Boots will not give Advantage card points on any 'from birth' formula milk! Apparently the government wont let them give any benefits to mothers who use formula before 6 months??

Just what you need when your stood with a queue behind you, Im sure I could here the tuts in peoples minds! how dare I not breastfeed but still expect points tut tut tut.......

hmm.....and who said mothers who bottle feed are not judged

Just to say that I doubt anyone would tut you because you are ff - only a very small percent of UK mums actually bf - most start to bf for a week or so but by week 6 or so it has become a minority.
As for the points issue I have to say that I agree with not promoting ff personally - instead more efforts should be made to help support women who wish to bf.
xx

 

[xhelenax]

Hello, as an exboots workers i can confirm its because they cant be seen to encourage non breastfeeding (in other words benefit those who ff which could be seen as a punishment for those who bf.) I realise its contraversial but atlas thats the policy which im led to believe is direct from goverment

 

[babyblog]

I agree with OP and find it unnecessary. I dnt really care that I couldn't get points as I don't buy formula from boots but I would like to use my telco vouchers to cover formula, which you can't. First time around when I couldn't Bf I felt a bit of a failure and beat myself up about I it, this time around I made u my mind pretty early on and I don't feel any guilt. I think it's too much of an issue to be honest, I bet no one else is judging you x