Underhand tactics - formula companies

[dani_tinks]

Nearly 100 pages all because a formula site was advertised??? lol
I still fail to see what the big deal is and this discussion has been going on for how long?

Where did you get your little formula feeding blinkie from?

Ps, Jacob is the best name !

It really is
& im not sure which site, I just googled blinkies! x

 

[Blah11]

yes it does matter as its a way of promoting themselves which is ILLEGAL.

So?! Im sure we all know someone who does something illegal. Or something that is illegal! I just don't understand what the big deal is. FF's PAY for their milk, so why shouldn't we be able to 'succumb' to the big powers of advertising.

I dont do anything illegal Breaking the law is breaking the law, i dont care if you pay for it or not... thats totally besides the point.

You're telling me you've never even gone over the speed limit whilst driving? Assuming you drive of course.. (Im going really off topic now!)

If I pay for something, I don't see why I shouldn't be allowed to view advertisements for it. It's like anything else we pay for.. It's not a big deal after 6 months, so why is it for the first?

If anyone's like me, once you've made your mind up, you've made your mind up! I always knew I was going to formula feed from when I found out I was pregnant! No amount of the midwives telling me that breastfeeding was best was going to change my mind!

No, I don't drive lol

Not everyone is like you though, I've participated in quite a few threads started by pregnant mums that have ended in the OP changing their mind and deciding to give BF a go (the most recent is bigbettys thread in babyclub).

So how come it's okay for mothers to be persuaded into breastfeeding and not formula feeding? Apart from the obvious, breastmilk is better than formula milk! Why is everyone so concerned.. just don't understand

because breastmilk has added benefits to formula milk It has antibodies, its tailor made for your LO, its on tap, it helps mum to lose baby weight, it reduces the risk of ear infection and skin problems for LO, reduces the risk of cancer for the mother... etc etc. Formula doesn't do anything more than nutritionally satisfy the baby.

 

[Missy86]

yes it does matter as its a way of promoting themselves which is ILLEGAL.

So?! Im sure we all know someone who does something illegal. Or something that is illegal! I just don't understand what the big deal is. FF's PAY for their milk, so why shouldn't we be able to 'succumb' to the big powers of advertising.

I dont do anything illegal Breaking the law is breaking the law, i dont care if you pay for it or not... thats totally besides the point.

You're telling me you've never even gone over the speed limit whilst driving? Assuming you drive of course.. (Im going really off topic now!)

If I pay for something, I don't see why I shouldn't be allowed to view advertisements for it. It's like anything else we pay for.. It's not a big deal after 6 months, so why is it for the first?

If anyone's like me, once you've made your mind up, you've made your mind up! I always knew I was going to formula feed from when I found out I was pregnant! No amount of the midwives telling me that breastfeeding was best was going to change my mind!

No, I don't drive lol

Not everyone is like you though, I've participated in quite a few threads started by pregnant mums that have ended in the OP changing their mind and deciding to give BF a go (the most recent is bigbettys thread in babyclub).

So how come it's okay for mothers to be persuaded into breastfeeding and not formula feeding? Apart from the obvious, breastmilk is better than formula milk! Why is everyone so concerned.. just don't understand

because breastmilk has added benefits to formula milk It has antibodies, its tailor made for your LO, its on tap, it helps mum to lose baby weight, it reduces the risk of ear infection and skin problems for LO, reduces the risk of cancer for the mother... etc etc. Formula doesn't do anything more than nutritionally satisfy the baby.

I beg you im not having a go but can we not get into this again

 

[Blah11]

I answered her question. IDK what you expect me to say?

 

[AppleBlossom]

I meant... seriously... is this still going on? It's going round in circles! Bfers just keep picking out quotes from the internet and FFers are just having to keep defending themselves (which they shouldn't have to do) Can't we all just leave it and do something constructive with our lives rather than sit and argue the same thing over 100 pages and 3 days!? Thank goodness I'm going out today!

 

[Missy86]

I answered her question. IDK what you expect me to say?

Blah I said I wasnt having a go, its just o I dont know

Im gonna shut up

 

[xpinkness87x]

i think the term... "cant teach an old dog new tricks" comes in here

untill a few years ago there was a big tabo about BF. Its only the last few years there has been such a campan about it.

To me it just feels like alot of the BF mums on here dont even give FF mums the chance to have their say. Not everybody is doing it because its easier. But then if you havent been in the suitation some of us FF mums have been you wouldnt understand. I would have loved to have BF!! And as result of not being able to do what i wanted i have very bad PND and on AD's so dont go jumping on people if you dont know their stories.

I am sick of the devide on this forum. We all feed our babies, we all do what we feel is best, we are all mums so stop having ago at each other.

 

[bluebaby]

Thats not true, they can help. I think you just had a horrible HV MWs cant discuss formula at antenatal classes or appointments but HVs certaintly can when they baby is actually born.

I was told by several HV that they weren't allowed to discuss formula with me (although one of them did sneakly say to me when I asked about giving aptimal that it was the best formula). Its all like a dirty little secret if you get me.

I had no idea how to make up formula, how many oz to give, what equipment i needed. antenatal classes and the like are where you need some advise and info on formula if thats the road you are going down.

I'm sure though alot of breast feeding mummies feel the same way that they were left with no help its not just a formula feeding thing.

 

[Pyrrhic]

I can't believe this is still going!

 

[smokey]

Can this thread get to 100 pages ??!?

OK, the terms that apparently upset and offend people. I still don't know why they do ... aside from someone saying its a silly term, or its not quite accurate - I still don't understand why so many people seem to find it personally offensive? I'd still like someone to explain what it is that makes it actually offensive, not just silly or inaccurate (genuinely interested). However, no its not a widely used term generally - but no one on here has made it up !!! I don't know why certain people are saying we should ignore that it is out there. If it's so awful ... why are we going on at each other? We didnt invent it! If it's so awful ... why are the medical profession, WHO etc, allowed to get away with using it, as it seems to add to the guilt that FF mothers have? It';s really not helpful to pick on individuals on here and say 'oooh dont use that word we don't like it'. It's there ... and IMO, if mums don't like it, then it just adds to the wider medicalisation and dehumanisation of mothering, and the general 'inferior' view that society and authority has of mothers. Hows about an online petition or something to change it? (to what?)

Because it has been said many times, it brings up images of force feeding and tube feeding, none of which are accurate and should be in any way associated to bottle feeding.
Irrelavent of why it brings up those images if someone has asked you to stop using a word because it upsets them then respect that and move on.
Its not helpfull to anyone to keep repeating it and coming across as insensative and while not everyone is doing this a few seem to be constantly getting it in to most of their post and it now seems to be purley for the purpose of "you cant stop me so ill sneak another one in"

Its the same as obese and morbidly obese are technical terms, if someone called me obese just because im over a certain defined "tecnical" weight id probably get rather upset about it as would anyone.
Now if they kept calling me obese over and over again and getting it in whenever thet could and claimed "oh but im only saying it because you tecnicaly are" id probably slug them one
Its understandable why people would get deffensive after a while

 

[Blah11]

Thats not true, they can help. I think you just had a horrible HV MWs cant discuss formula at antenatal classes or appointments but HVs certaintly can when they baby is actually born.

I was told by several HV that they weren't allowed to discuss formula with me (although one of them did sneakly say to me when I asked about giving aptimal that it was the best formula). Its all like a dirty little secret if you get me.

I had no idea how to make up formula, how many oz to give, what equipment i needed. antenatal classes and the like are where you need some advise and info on formula if thats the road you are going down.

I'm sure though alot of breast feeding mummies feel the same way that they were left with no help its not just a formula feeding thing.

Looks like its a postcode lottery I dont think antenatal classes are the place for formula advise as I think the gov has it right to assume everyone can and will breastfeed but if they for whatever reason arent successful in breastfeeding then of course they should be told how to make a bottle up.

 

[Missy86]

Thats not true, they can help. I think you just had a horrible HV MWs cant discuss formula at antenatal classes or appointments but HVs certaintly can when they baby is actually born.

I was told by several HV that they weren't allowed to discuss formula with me (although one of them did sneakly say to me when I asked about giving aptimal that it was the best formula). Its all like a dirty little secret if you get me.

I had no idea how to make up formula, how many oz to give, what equipment i needed. antenatal classes and the like are where you need some advise and info on formula if thats the road you are going down.

I'm sure though alot of breast feeding mummies feel the same way that they were left with no help its not just a formula feeding thing.

Excatly I said this on day one, more help needs to be given across the board no matter what you have decided to do

Which is prob what SMA have done they have seen a gap in the market

 

[AppleBlossom]

My mw wasn't allowed to talk to me about FF either

 

[Dragonfly]

I got nothing on feeding from the hospital blah, nothing before and nothing after. I left early I barely seen a misdwife near me when asking for one and I even peed the bed because no one would take william off me and i was in bad pain after c section and had to clean that up myself. I was told they where not allowed to help. My dad was raging when he found that out and moved me to a private room with a loo closer. Girl next to me had PND and was crying all night and the midwive was with her and the other girl who was formula feeding and having a hard time settling her baby was helped, I was told I was breatsfeeding wrong and that was it thats why it hurt. Hurt for a long long time to. But thats a bit off topic I still want to know why can a hv not help mums with formula feeding? I dont think thats right at all. They are there to help and some mums cant breastfeed so why do they not get the help?

 

[BrookieG]

Theres more support out there than the one your hospital gives. I appreciate that its a hit and miss when it comes to hospital BF help. There's numerous helplines and even on BnB the bf section is full of wonderfully helpful ladies. Theres also BF cafes who I'm sure would be happy to help ANY new mum who asked.

there were no BF groups available in my area, i applied for BF support groups during pregnancy whilst i was pregnant n there were no spaces available, as for BF cafes never ever heard of them, googled it for my area n there are none....unfortunaltey it really does depend on the area you live...my area is terrible we dont even get baby massage classes or that anymore here. yeah the support on here is gr8 but tbh honest the 1st few weeks of my sons life i was nowhere near the computer xx

 

[cherryglitter]

I can't answer Dragonfly as my HV saw how much I was struggling with Jake and his colic so she suggested Aptamil Comfort milk. She was brilliant with me and Jake. She took him off me once when he was screaming the place down.

She's excellent!

 

[Blah11]

https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/en/pdfs/bottle_feeding.pdf

HVs saying they cant discuss it is a load of TOSH.

 

[bluebaby]

I got nothing on feeding from the hospital blah, nothing before and nothing after. I left early I barely seen a misdwife near me when asking for one and I even peed the bed because no one would take william off me and i was in bad pain after c section and had to clean that up myself. I was told they where not allowed to help. My dad was raging when he found that out and moved me to a private room with a loo closer. Girl next to me had PND and was crying all night and the midwive was with her and the other girl who was formula feeding and having a hard time settling her baby was helped, I was told I was breatsfeeding wrong and that was it thats why it hurt. Hurt for a long long time to. But thats a bit off topic I still want to know why can a hv not help mums with formula feeding? I dont think thats right at all. They are there to help and some mums cant breastfeed so why do they not get the help?

I really don't know why mothers who want to formula feed don't get help in hospita. Basically I was told to pick my formula and I was never spoken to again about formula. I asked a midwife 3 times over 2 days to help me with feeding from the bottle as my LO wouldn't eat (she went from 7lb 12 to 7lb 6 in 2 days) and was never helped. I was pretty distraught

My baby could have went home not being able to feed from the bottle and they have been none the wiser!

I don't know whether some midwifes take the guidence on breastfeeding to the extreme or midwifes are so short staffed they don't have time to help anyone

 

[cherryglitter]

Just to throw another little story in -

When I was in hospital I had real problems with Jake feeding from a bottle. He just wasn't interested and would get so worn out from trying to feed because he just couldn't suck properly.

I was in hospital for 3 days and I was made to feel like crap everytime I asked for help. I almost felt like I had taken the easy option, so why did I need the midwives help? Was awful. I remember one night I rang them bell 4 times to get someone to come and help me. I was just given a bottle and a teat and told to get on with it (basically!)

It was only when OH brought in one of our own bottles on day 3 did Jake take a full 3 ounces. He'd been starving the whole time and was tiring himself out from trying to suckle but just not getting anywhere. Was so sad. I could finally go home after that though! It's funny how the midwives can be real bitches.

 

[Foogirl]

So how come it's okay for mothers to be persuaded into breastfeeding and not formula feeding? Apart from the obvious, breastmilk is better than formula milk! Why is everyone so concerned.. just don't understand

I forget where I read this, but I think it was something from UNICEF. They feel mothers should be given proper advice when it comes to feeding, and not be swayed by advertising where companies are competing for market share. They did say that advice should come from healthcare professionals and should include advice about formula feeding too. I think I get where they are coming from. Advertising is rarely "accurate" and there have been cases where formulas and follow on milks have made the most outrageous claims, all to make you feel that THEIR formula is the only one which will feed your child properly. There should be advice available about the varying types of milk and what they do, but an advert isn't the best place to get that. Obviously the healthcare professionals are going to advise BFing if they think it is genuinely the best thing for your baby, but as far as I'm concerned, advice about formula feeding should be given too and on the whole it should be balanced.

I was told by several HV that they weren't allowed to discuss formula with me (although one of them did sneakly say to me when I asked about giving aptimal that it was the best formula). Its all like a dirty little secret if you get me.

I had no idea how to make up formula, how many oz to give, what equipment i needed. antenatal classes and the like are where you need some advise and info on formula if thats the road you are going down.

I'm sure though alot of breast feeding mummies feel the same way that they were left with no help its not just a formula feeding thing.

I would suspect it is an individual health trusts rules - it certainly isn't law that health visitors and midwives can't talk about FFing - its all about getting their accreditation thing for breastfeeding. I will agree though, it is very much a hit or a miss. I have bfing friends who were practically bullied into giving a bottle before they went home, and in the SCBU you were given a one to one on preparing bottles before your baby went home if you were formula feeding. It probably even depends on individuals.