Underhand tactics - formula companies

[xprincessx]

i honestly think it's disgusting that advertisements for formula before 6 months is illegal. Some people don't WANT to breastfeed and i think that should be there choice and everyone else should keep their noses out of other people's choices (not saying anybody on here is doing that btw)

who cares if someone wants to formula feed? making these things illegal makes people who do choose to FF feel like bad mums for doing so and makes them feel guilty. I'm sorry but it's just wrong IMO and this is coming from someone who is going to breastfeed so i'm not having a go i just think the government really need to get their priorities sorted!

 

[MrsGlitz]

Flipping heck... ive been away, had a visit from my mum, cooked sunday dinner for 11, cleaned up after sunday dinner for 11, done 2 loads of washing, dried 2 loads of washing, sorted kids uniforms out, sorted and ironed lauren and rebekahs things for their 3 day residential trip they are going on tomorrow, bathed 5 babies, put 4 babies to bed, fed Jenson and put him in bed........ and this is STILL going on... round and round in circles???

Whats the point?

I thought i was doing well doing 1 wash and putting 1 child to bed

I thought I was doing well taking care of 1 baby and putting him to bed, I've not even tackled the (few) dishes and I've been on my own all day!

 

[Sam9kids]

Flipping heck... ive been away, had a visit from my mum, cooked sunday dinner for 11, cleaned up after sunday dinner for 11, done 2 loads of washing, dried 2 loads of washing, sorted kids uniforms out, sorted and ironed lauren and rebekahs things for their 3 day residential trip they are going on tomorrow, bathed 5 babies, put 4 babies to bed, fed Jenson and put him in bed........ and this is STILL going on... round and round in circles???

Whats the point?

I thought i was doing well doing 1 wash and putting 1 child to bed

I thought I was doing well taking care of 1 baby and putting him to bed, I've not even tackled the (few) dishes and I've been on my own all day!

There you go, i'll help you out!!

 

[Lu28]

Can I just ask why people think that allowing formula to be advertised under 6 months would be beneficial to anyone? Not advertising it allows the opportunity for bfing to be seen more as the norm which is a great thing in my opinion.

If formula could be advertised before 6 months, it wouldn't get as indepth as to describe how to sterilise bottles, make up formula etc etc, it would likely be the usual pictures of a smiling mum and happy baby - so no useful information. Surely you would still end up browsing the formula websites and having a look in the supermarket to find the best brand for you - it's not as though people need to be made aware that the product is there, they just need to make a decision about which brand to choose. You would still read the box and look at websites to find out how to make it up (I know I did). So what useful information could those ads really contain?

 

[xprincessx]

because some people do not want to BF...and while it may be nice for it to be the norm i think it's wrong to try and "force" people into making a decision they are not comfortable with. If someone was sexually abused as a child they may not see their breasts the same way others do and may not want to use them for feeding due to bad memories and forcing them to do something they don't want to and refusing to give them information about an alternative is unfair in my opinion.

Some people just don't want to do it and they shouldn't be made to feel guilty, it's a personal choice and i believe their should be equal amount of advice and advertisements for BOTH and neither should be the "norm". they can both be as natural as someone wants it to be!

i just dont see why so many people have a problem with FF and what difference would it make to your life if they were allowed to be advertised.

 

[bluebaby]

Can I just ask why people think that allowing formula to be advertised under 6 months would be beneficial to anyone? Not advertising it allows the opportunity for bfing to be seen more as the norm which is a great thing in my opinion.

If formula could be advertised before 6 months, it wouldn't get as indepth as to describe how to sterilise bottles, make up formula etc etc, it would likely be the usual pictures of a smiling mum and happy baby - so no useful information. Surely you would still end up browsing the formula websites and having a look in the supermarket to find the best brand for you - it's not as though people need to be made aware that the product is there, they just need to make a decision about which brand to choose. You would still read the box and look at websites to find out how to make it up (I know I did). So what useful information could those ads really contain?

I wouldn't necessarily want to see formula being advertised because as you say I kinda knew waht formula i wanted but i would like to see there being more information about formula feeding and it not being so secret

 

[Lu28]

because some people do not want to BF...and while it may be nice for it to be the norm i think it's wrong to try and "force" people into making a decision they are not comfortable with. If someone was sexually abused as a child they may not see their breasts the same way others do and may not want to use them for feeding due to bad memories and forcing them to do something they don't want to and refusing to give them information about an alternative is unfair in my opinion.

Some people just don't want to do it and they shouldn't be made to feel guilty, it's a personal choice and i believe their should be equal amount of advice and advertisements for BOTH and neither should be the "norm". they can both be as natural as someone wants it to be!

i just dont see why so many people have a problem with FF and what difference would it make to your life if they were allowed to be advertised.

If people don't want to bf then that's their choice but I fail to see how banning formula advertising under 6 months would make them feel worse? It's not as though you're ever going to see a bfing advert on tv as the funds aren't there to do it. This isn't about refusing to give ff mums any information, my point is those ads wouldn't contain any useful information anyway, you'd still have to access the sources you access now to get it.

 

[xprincessx]

no but the fact that they ARE banned could make some people feel wrong for doing it.

my original point was people see it as such an awful thing they feel the need to ban it. it just seems wrong to me

 

[bluebaby]

because some people do not want to BF...and while it may be nice for it to be the norm i think it's wrong to try and "force" people into making a decision they are not comfortable with. If someone was sexually abused as a child they may not see their breasts the same way others do and may not want to use them for feeding due to bad memories and forcing them to do something they don't want to and refusing to give them information about an alternative is unfair in my opinion.

Some people just don't want to do it and they shouldn't be made to feel guilty, it's a personal choice and i believe their should be equal amount of advice and advertisements for BOTH and neither should be the "norm". they can both be as natural as someone wants it to be!

i just dont see why so many people have a problem with FF and what difference would it make to your life if they were allowed to be advertised.

If people don't want to bf then that's their choice but I fail to see how banning formula advertising under 6 months would make them feel worse? It's not as though you're ever going to see a bfing advert on tv as the funds aren't there to do it. This isn't about refusing to give ff mums any information, my point is those ads wouldn't contain any useful information anyway, you'd still have to access the sources you access now to get it.

I think it makes them feel worse because banning the advertisement of formula makes it seem tabot and wrong and its not.

 

[Lu28]

no but the fact that they ARE banned could make some people feel wrong for doing it.

my original point was people see it as such an awful thing they feel the need to ban it. it just seems wrong to me

Hon I dont think the advertising should be banned because formula feeding is an awful thing, not at all and I doubt anybody else on here thinks that either I've given formula myself from time to time.

But where the government is actively trying to promote increasing bfing rates in the country, helping people to even see bfing as just as normal as ffing would be a massive step. At the moment, most people I know see ffing as normal and bfing as unusual so at the very least, evening up the balance would be an achievement.

 

[xprincessx]

because some people do not want to BF...and while it may be nice for it to be the norm i think it's wrong to try and "force" people into making a decision they are not comfortable with. If someone was sexually abused as a child they may not see their breasts the same way others do and may not want to use them for feeding due to bad memories and forcing them to do something they don't want to and refusing to give them information about an alternative is unfair in my opinion.

Some people just don't want to do it and they shouldn't be made to feel guilty, it's a personal choice and i believe their should be equal amount of advice and advertisements for BOTH and neither should be the "norm". they can both be as natural as someone wants it to be!

i just dont see why so many people have a problem with FF and what difference would it make to your life if they were allowed to be advertised.

If people don't want to bf then that's their choice but I fail to see how banning formula advertising under 6 months would make them feel worse? It's not as though you're ever going to see a bfing advert on tv as the funds aren't there to do it. This isn't about refusing to give ff mums any information, my point is those ads wouldn't contain any useful information anyway, you'd still have to access the sources you access now to get it.

I think it makes them feel worse because banning the advertisement of formula makes it seem tabot and wrong and its not.

my point exactly. I understand people would still need to find out other information by using different sources but the whole need to ban it just doesn't make sense to me. It makes people feel like if they don't BF and do what's "best" for their child then they're being a bad parent which isn't true

 

[maddiwatts19]

She isn't. She is concerned that this is a way of 'advertising' to pregnant women by finding a loophole in the law.

and so what if it is?! surely its good for all mums to be to be aware of all the options available... as everyone has said its a matter of choice...!

 

[Lu28]

She isn't. She is concerned that this is a way of 'advertising' to pregnant women by finding a loophole in the law.

and so what if it is?! surely its good for all mums to be to be aware of all the options available... as everyone has said its a matter of choice...!

Even without the advertising, I can't imagine there's a mum or mum to be in the country who isn't aware of all the options ie that formula is available

 

[trumpetbum]

Formula adverts are banned because poor breastfeeding numbers is a public health issue and formula advertising was shown to negatively affect breastfeeding numbers and undermine expensive health promotion which is of particular concern in a country which has a publicly funded health service. The push for the ban wasn't undertaken by militant breastfeeders but by UNICEF, save the children, WHO, the National childbirth trust etc. All agencies whose agenda is certainly not based on making formula feeding mothers feel bad.

 

[BlackBerry25]

I didn't know a thing about formula. I honestly didn't. I thought ok I am gonna breastfeed I guess.

ETA: Which I guess is what "you" wanted. I had to learn about formula, while experiencing it, which is not that great to do, because I knew nothing about preboiling the water, etc.

 

[smokey]

Can I just ask why people think that allowing formula to be advertised under 6 months would be beneficial to anyone? Not advertising it allows the opportunity for bfing to be seen more as the norm which is a great thing in my opinion.

If formula could be advertised before 6 months, it wouldn't get as indepth as to describe how to sterilise bottles, make up formula etc etc, it would likely be the usual pictures of a smiling mum and happy baby - so no useful information. Surely you would still end up browsing the formula websites and having a look in the supermarket to find the best brand for you - it's not as though people need to be made aware that the product is there, they just need to make a decision about which brand to choose. You would still read the box and look at websites to find out how to make it up (I know I did). So what useful information could those ads really contain?

I couldnt realy care less about seeing an advert for ff tbh, its one less commercial on the tv to have to sit through.
Its more the big hoo haa about banning it and making it seem so wrong that bothers me.
It makes it feel like your part of some underground black market when you hear about it being banned and how wrong it is and somthing to be ashamed of when you associate somthing your doing to keep your baby alive with somthing illigal

 

[smokey]

no but the fact that they ARE banned could make some people feel wrong for doing it.

my original point was people see it as such an awful thing they feel the need to ban it. it just seems wrong to me

Hon I dont think the advertising should be banned because formula feeding is an awful thing, not at all and I doubt anybody else on here thinks that either I've given formula myself from time to time.

But where the government is actively trying to promote increasing bfing rates in the country, helping people to even see bfing as just as normal as ffing would be a massive step. At the moment, most people I know see ffing as normal and bfing as unusual so at the very least, evening up the balance would be an achievement.

But wouldnt it be more productive to spend money on educating people on the benafits of bb and classes on how to succeed in it and help and advise for those that are having problems?

Nope because its just cheaper to ban the advertising of the alternative, knock out the oposition then we dont have to fork out on the real issue.
Typical government policies, if the education and help was there they wouldnt need to ban the adverts.

 

[mrsthomas623]

Just out of pure curiosity, has banning formula ads been affective? Have the BFing numbers increased?

I live in the States where there are formula ads. Its just kind of known breastmilk is best but not a big deal at all if you FF. I didnt even know it was such a hot topic until I came to BnB.

 

[Lu28]

no but the fact that they ARE banned could make some people feel wrong for doing it.

my original point was people see it as such an awful thing they feel the need to ban it. it just seems wrong to me

Hon I dont think the advertising should be banned because formula feeding is an awful thing, not at all and I doubt anybody else on here thinks that either I've given formula myself from time to time.

But where the government is actively trying to promote increasing bfing rates in the country, helping people to even see bfing as just as normal as ffing would be a massive step. At the moment, most people I know see ffing as normal and bfing as unusual so at the very least, evening up the balance would be an achievement.

But wouldnt it be more productive to spend money on educating people on the benafits of bb and classes on how to succeed in it and help and advise for those that are having problems?

Nope because its just cheaper to ban the advertising of the alternative, knock out the oposition then we dont have to fork out on the real issue.
Typical government policies, if the education and help was there they wouldnt need to ban the adverts.

I absolutely agree, it would be much more productive for the government to invest more in helping women succeed with classes and bfing counsellors being available to come to your home for free etc etc. However that would mean the government finding more funding which isn't going to happen. Allowing ff adverts wouldn't in turn mean more bfing support as it's the formula companies paying for the adverts not the government. Now if formula companies agreed to a levy so that they paid an equal amount into a national fund into bfing support and promotion then I'd be happy for them to advertise as they wish

 

[BlackBerry25]

Just out of pure curiosity, has banning formula ads been affective? Have the BFing numbers increased?

I live in the States where there are formula ads. Its just kind of known breastmilk is best but not a big deal at all if you FF. I didnt even know it was such a hot topic until I came to BnB.

That's kind of my point. It isn't a big deal in Canada either. Seems so strange to me. I don't even know if it's legal or illegal here, but I have seen FF and BF ads on my American channels. I skip commercials anyways because of my PVR No one cares here.