Underhand tactics - formula companies

[bubbles123]

Ok, Rach 27, I am genuinely curious as to what you would like formula companies to do. What would you like to happen? No advertising at all, no baby clubs etc? No formula on shelves in the supermarket? I'm not being horrid, I'm just being curious. How would you like the situation to be resolved?

Did she not repeat several times already that she is not against formula and advertising? Did you read her posts at all?

I never said she was Ivy baby and yes I did read them. Lets play nice. I was wondering what she would find an acceptable level of advertising for formula. What would be an acceptable audience, how should it be phrased?

 

[Rach27]

Ok, Rach 27, I am genuinely curious as to what you would like formula companies to do. What would you like to happen? No advertising at all, no baby clubs etc? No formula on shelves in the supermarket? I'm not being horrid, I'm just being curious. How would you like the situation to be resolved?

....I think this kind of advert ought to be banned as well.

Ideally, leave the impartial advice to those who are, in fact, impartial.

 

[IvyBaby]

It just sounded a bit harsh to me, Bubbles, and seemed to me that you missed the point of her original post.

 

[Blah11]

Why does it NEED to be advertised People know it exsists, there's no need to keep showing apitmal adverts every 2 seconds on the TV That one particularly irks me '...if you decide to move on from breastfeeding..'

 

[trumpetbum]

To be honest, I don't understand why everyones so bothered about formula milk. If you want to breastfeed. Great. If you want to formula feed, great! Why are we all so concerned about breast being best. It's nothing to do with you how other people feed their baby.

Be it formula milk or breastmilk. We're all aware of the benefits of breastmilk. Well done the NHS. We can all make our own decisions. Why is everyone so concerned with the fact that breastfeeding figures are falling etc?! Just curious?!

I can only answer for myself, but the issue of interest to me because public health is of interest to me. Poor breastfeeding figures relates to poorer health in general which relates to allocation of funding and resources. Again, of personal interest to me.
If all babies were breastfed for the first 3 months (and I'm not implying that ALL babies can be breastfed or implying anything negative about anyone who chose not to) it is estimated that the NHS would save over 50 million a year on gastroenteritis treatment alone. So anyone in the UK with any opinion on NHS resources, funding, quality of care and treatment provision probably SHOULD be interested in this issue overall.
On an individual basis, it is sod all to do with me how people choose to feed their babies and I support those around me who choose either and recieve the same in return from most of them. I support personal choice 100%.
On a wider level the issues of informed choice and health promotion and it's challenges are the business of all current and training health professionals, but also of interest to all who have any interest in the health service, and as everyone in the UK will be an NHS user at some point in their life it is likely to be of interest to many imho.

That may be true but I didnt stop bfeeding cos an ad told me too which seems to be the point of this thread.

Neither did I. I don't think this IS the point of the debate, but if that's not clear from the entirety of the discussion I don't know how to change that impression.

You cannot take away freedom of choice cos then we would live in a nanny state

I can't see anywhere that I, or anyone else has suggested removing choice from individuals. In fact I know I have stated repeatedly that I am 100% for personal choice.

My Mw was very good when I decided to ff, told me how to make up bottles and what not

Good. That is how it should be, good advice on safe feeding by a health professional.

cos the advice SMA give you about making up bottles is wrong

Well, that reaffirms a point that has been made regarding the difference between formula promotion and the promtion of safe formula feeding several times in this thread, imo.

That was my point if a mother decides to ff she should not be scared of going to her mw and the mw should be giving her practical advice about making up bottles

I agree.

 

[bubbles123]

Ok, Rach 27, I am genuinely curious as to what you would like formula companies to do. What would you like to happen? No advertising at all, no baby clubs etc? No formula on shelves in the supermarket? I'm not being horrid, I'm just being curious. How would you like the situation to be resolved?

Obviously targetting first-time mums-to-be - I think this kind of advert ought to be banned as well.

Ideally, leave the impartial advice to those who are, in fact, impartial.

I agree. I think there needs to be NHS advice given out to all new mums (who want it) about formula, what's in them, what it does, whether these claims have validity, what the different types of milks are (ie comfort, stay down, hungry baby etc) and why/when they should be used, effects on babies of different formulas etc. I think there is a gap in the market for this which allows the formula companies to get in there. If the NHS won't talk about it, you create a dream opportunity for the formula companies to get in there.

 

[MissBroody]

I wish my baby could read, he's due a nap and this thread would most certainly send him to sleep. The last 20 pages or so are just going round and round in circles.

 

[bubbles123]

It just sounded a bit harsh to me, Bubbles, and seemed to me that you missed the point of her original post.

I apologise if I sounded harsh, it was not my intention. I was just genuinely curious as to how the OP wanted the situation resolved. Impartial advice is definitely the way to go

 

[Dragonfly]

I was browsing leaflets in mat ward not so long ago and seen one on how to prepair bottles, is this not everywhere? had only one on breastfeeding here and loads of them right on top shelf. Do hvs not show formula mums things with bottles? I have to ask as I dont actually know mine was useless in the BF department she didnt know and apparently breastfed herself. She was encouraging up till 6 months then went on about stopping and still goes on about it.

 

[bubbles123]

Yes, it is going round in circles a bit, but then again I'm probably not helping! Speaking of which my little man has just woken up from his nap, so I'm off. Wonder how many pages it'll be when I get a chance to come back?

 

[Missy86]

To be honest, I don't understand why everyones so bothered about formula milk. If you want to breastfeed. Great. If you want to formula feed, great! Why are we all so concerned about breast being best. It's nothing to do with you how other people feed their baby.

Be it formula milk or breastmilk. We're all aware of the benefits of breastmilk. Well done the NHS. We can all make our own decisions. Why is everyone so concerned with the fact that breastfeeding figures are falling etc?! Just curious?!

I can only answer for myself, but the issue of interest to me because public health is of interest to me. Poor breastfeeding figures relates to poorer health in general which relates to allocation of funding and resources. Again, of personal interest to me.
If all babies were breastfed for the first 3 months (and I'm not implying that ALL babies can be breastfed or implying anything negative about anyone who chose not to) it is estimated that the NHS would save over 50 million a year on gastroenteritis treatment alone. So anyone in the UK with any opinion on NHS resources, funding, quality of care and treatment provision probably SHOULD be interested in this issue overall.
On an individual basis, it is sod all to do with me how people choose to feed their babies and I support those around me who choose either and recieve the same in return from most of them. I support personal choice 100%.
On a wider level the issues of informed choice and health promotion and it's challenges are the business of all current and training health professionals, but also of interest to all who have any interest in the health service, and as everyone in the UK will be an NHS user at some point in their life it is likely to be of interest to many imho.

That may be true but I didnt stop bfeeding cos an ad told me too which seems to be the point of this thread.

Neither did I. I don't think this IS the point of the debate, but if that's not clear from the entirety of the discussion I don't know how to change that impression.

You cannot take away freedom of choice cos then we would live in a nanny state

I can't see anywhere that I, or anyone else has suggested removing choice from individuals. In fact I know I have stated repeatedly that I am 100% for personal choice.

My Mw was very good when I decided to ff, told me how to make up bottles and what not

Good. That is how it should be, good advice on safe feeding by a health professional.

cos the advice SMA give you about making up bottles is wrong

Well, that reaffirms a point that has been made regarding the difference between formula promotion and the promtion of safe formula feeding several times in this thread, imo.

That was my point if a mother decides to ff she should not be scared of going to her mw and the mw should be giving her practical advice about making up bottles

I agree.

My SIL told me a story while pregnant that a baby died cos her parents (who had LD) were feeding her ready brek

Also MIL told me that years ago in her street a baby died cos its mother was making the bottles up wrong.

(I do not know the ins and outs of the stories so please dont get mad)
Now information needs to be available across the board in my view

 

[Celesse]

Sorry, another thing.. The support IS there if you need it. People need to be more proactive and if they need help they need to ask. People expect everything to be handed to them on a plate and for the HCPs to be psychic or something?

Completely agree. I was discharged following my readmission with the helpful words "I wonder if she will ever latch on?!". Went home and got advice from B&B. In fact I had a thread up that OH posted when I was still in. And when problems persisted I went to a breastfeeding support group. I definitely didn't have to fight to get support, just a thread on B&B and a visit to a coffee morning.

 

[Dragonfly]

Whats LD?

 

[Celesse]

Whats LD?

Learning disabilities (?)

 

[trumpetbum]

I wish my baby could read, he's due a nap and this thread would most certainly send him to sleep. The last 20 pages or so are just going round and round in circles.

Meh, I've enjoyed seeing what peoples POV on the subject is and putting my views across on the subject, even if I don't necessarily agree with all the points made or understand why people post just to tell everyone how pointless and circular the discussion is.

 

[Missy86]

I found it

https://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/1999/jul/28/familyandrelationships.features101

 

[leelee]

And on the Artificial feeding thing..... once upon a time, a very long time ago, I did part of my Midwifery training (though did not complete). On the postnatal charts the short hand for Breastfeeding was BF and the short hand for Formula feeding was AF (Artificial Feeding).

Its just one of those terms. Its accurate and factual. And its also a neutral word. "Artificial" is neither a positive or negative word. Formula is an artificial, man made food. Fact.

To you it isn't a negative word. To others it is. Fact.

 

[Missy86]

Whats LD?

Learning disabilities (?)

Yes sorry I have to be quick cos my dinner is ready I wanna eat it before master of the house wakes up

 

[IvyBaby]

Artificial usually creates more problems than it solves.. that's how it is in my book. The closer to nature, the better!

 

[MissBroody]

I wish my baby could read, he's due a nap and this thread would most certainly send him to sleep. The last 20 pages or so are just going round and round in circles.

Meh, I've enjoyed seeing what peoples POV on the subject is and putting my views across on the subject, even if I don't necessarily agree with all the points made or understand why people post just to tell everyone how pointless and circular the discussion is.

It has taken me hours to read the whole thread and everyones opinions (some of which are posted numerous times) the thread IS going round in circles - I can post what I like. It was a J-OOKKEE - babies don't read internet threads.