Umm... I just saw an add for formula encouraging mums to 'move on' from breastfeeding

[PumpkinZulu]

(especially with a poster for ff in a store?- are you serious?).

Actually yeah, completely serious. It makes me sick. A low socioeconomic area, full of immigrants, the poor, uneducated etc...and a poster advertising how much better formula is for your new baby. Wrongtown all the way. I was proud as punch when DH told me what he did. Not to mention it's just plain illegal. There are rules in place for a reason, they're not made willy nilly.

[Taurean]

Oh gosh... really.. there is nothing wrong with the add. Its not shoving it in your face its just saying "if YOU decide to move on from breastfeeding etc" The add still leaves the decision totally up to you. They are like any company really, they will do what they have to do to sell their product. I have always thought that it was quite a pro breastfeeding add for a formula add. It does say on the add though that WHO reccomends breastfeeding for atleast 2 years.

Another completley unessesary (sp?) formula VS breastfeeding debate..

well said.

I read this late last night and just rolled my eyes and thought 'here we go AGAIN'.

From a pro-BF who also dabbled with formula (when all the expressing became too much), these threads are just so boring and quite frankly annoying. So much of this has been said (and argued) before.

[RhiChiChi]

Advertising works. That's why it exists. We like to think that we make our own choices, but research shows we are swayed by advertising. Very few formula feeding mums (research shows) choose to formula feed. Most are driven to it, feeling that they have no other option. Because they don't feel their bodies are competent enough to make milk. because they are pressured by family, friends and health professionals or because they feel like their baby should sleep more, grow more etc. They don't choose. some countries have adopted the WHO code and don't allow the advertising of formula. And in some countries health professionals are educated about breastfeeding. What we have doesn't have to be the way it has to be

Off topic, but why doesn't the WHO advertised bf on tv then? If advertising 'works' (I am not a person who will just go out and but something b/c of an ad on t.v., sure it might make me think but I don't rush out) why doesn't the WHO or ABA etc... advertise bf then? Just wondering... this is not a go at anyone

[HotI]

Off topic, but why doesn't the WHO advertised bf on tv then? If advertising 'works' (I am not a person who will just go out and but something b/c of an ad on t.v., sure it might make me think but I don't rush out) why doesn't the WHO or ABA etc... advertise bf then? Just wondering... this is not a go at anyone

Who is going to pay for it?

[forshelby]

Hopefully that disgusting poster was taken down before these poor, uneducated immigrants were scarred for life.

[nothing2lose]

Who is going to pay for it?

Just in answer to this question, the WHO is far from poor and the ABA could run CSAs at no cost.

[misty]

I find nothing wrong with that ad to be honest.. What I don't agree with is putting kids on a formula as toddlers.. A healthy diet, fresh air and exercise is better for their immunity

I also find nothing wrong with the ad.
In general I also agree that a healthy balanced diet, fresh air and exercise are the key important elements and that formula isn't nessecary for toddlers. However there are exceptions to the rule - My DS1 was one of these exceptions, where health issues actually forced us to introduce him to formula as a toddler: when he had been breastfed and then put on cows milk prior to this (he self weaned from the breast at 16months). It was actually a real struggle to get a toddler formula that would help with his issues, and which he would willingly drink (most of them being 'flavoured').

[Floweryfields]

I don't think that artificial baby milk companies should be able to advertise any of their products. If parents need to use ABM then they will do so regardless of whether it is advertised or not. If parents don't need to use ABM but they are toying with the idea because of misinformation then a blackout on advertising will reduce the number of parents who make the switch. It seems to me that many people confuse/conflate advertising and marketing for information. Advertising is not information about a product, it is aimed squarely at the emotions and only discloses the information that is likely to sell the product. This year pro-biotics are trendy in food so ABM marketing is all about pro-biotics. When my mother was breastfeeding low fat was the latest trend and they sold low-fat ABM with disastrous results - babies need fat for brain formation. I suspect that low sugar/fructose will be on the menu soon or maybe high protein. If advertising was banned and replaced with detailed fact sheets that were available at point of sale parents would actually be able to make choices based on information not emotion.

But then advertising is really all about convincing people a) they need something they don't really or b)the product does something (or provides something) it doesn't really. So therefore nothing much out there really should be advertised - think of all the totally crap breakky cereals, snack bars, etc that are constantly promoted as healthy when all they are is a pile of sugar.
I don't particularly like this ad, but I think we as adults should be able to use our brains enough to educate ourselves and not rely on advertising to do it for us.

[PumpkinZulu]

Hopefully that disgusting poster was taken down before these poor, uneducated immigrants were scarred for life.

Haha oh I'm such a racist. Seriously? There were commas between, three separate categories. And yeah, some people did fall into all three. Kinda missed my point I think?

I think our govt needs to be doing a HELL of a lot more to promote And educate about bf.

[Floweryfields]

Actually yeah, completely serious. It makes me sick. A low socioeconomic area, full of immigrants, the poor, uneducated etc...and a poster advertising how much better formula is for your new baby. Wrongtown all the way. I was proud as punch when DH told me what he did. Not to mention it's just plain illegal. There are rules in place for a reason, they're not made willy nilly.

I have to say, that comes across a little bit 'ist' - what 'ist' I am not sure, but just because people come from poor or immigrant or 'uneducated' backgrounds does not make them idiotic......I've seen alot of very well educated, rich and australians who make equally poor life choices.

[PumpkinZulu]

I agree that educated people can make these choices too. It isn't 'ist' though. It's just not, it's a solid fact, people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to FF.

[Barb Glare]

Well, ABA have run CSAs free of charge about 3 times in the last 20 years. CSAs generally run midnight until dawn, and very rarely in prime spots. ABA is a not for profit. The sort of one it takes to run an advertising campaign is out of their reach.

[Fleur]

I don't think that artificial baby milk companies should be able to advertise any of their products. If parents need to use ABM then they will do so regardless of whether it is advertised or not. If parents don't need to use ABM but they are toying with the idea because of misinformation then a blackout on advertising will reduce the number of parents who make the switch. It seems to me that many people confuse/conflate advertising and marketing for information. Advertising is not information about a product, it is aimed squarely at the emotions and only discloses the information that is likely to sell the product. This year pro-biotics are trendy in food so ABM marketing is all about pro-biotics. When my mother was breastfeeding low fat was the latest trend and they sold low-fat ABM with disastrous results - babies need fat for brain formation. I suspect that low sugar/fructose will be on the menu soon or maybe high protein. If advertising was banned and replaced with detailed fact sheets that were available at point of sale parents would actually be able to make choices based on information not emotion.

So well said.

Advertising is not about information - it's about marketing, and yes there are a lot of products which are marketed to us, but not necessarily products which have such an impact on health. And what bites me the most is that this kind of thing (a lot of children's products actually) plays on 'mummy guilt' and the need to do the best thing for your child. Coming from sources that have a vested interest in the choices you make.

[Lolpigs]

The add only annoys me beucase it is so condecending really. Magic powder in a tin to protect my childs immune system? Dosen't make much sense to me but I switch off alot for these things. I get what they are trying to say, but the whole add is just annoying. No kids I know are that clean

I'm pro BF but think it's the way they are advertised not so much that they are advertised that annoys me. I would hate to be in a situation where I couldn't BF and I had noone to talk to about forumla becuase it's become the new taboo. I really feel for anyone that has been placed in that situation becuase to me that is just as bad as being advised against BF for one reason or another and feeling totally lost. There has to be a way that both can co exist, because people need to feed their babies regardless of circumstances, however sadly unless there is formula produced by not for profit organisations I don't see this becoming a reality sadly.

I understand the post about PZ DH reporting the store for having a FF poster up. Some companies have an atrocious record for targeting people in certain socio economic and low levels of education groups, both here and over seas.

[Jellybean29]

Well, ABA have run CSAs free of charge about 3 times in the last 20 years. CSAs generally run midnight until dawn, and very rarely in prime spots. ABA is a not for profit. The sort of one it takes to run an advertising campaign is out of their reach.

The LBGT movement gets CSAs in primetime by celebrities... if you've seen those adverts on Ch.10.
So maybe there is something we can do for similar exposure?

[Just Me]

I was thinking about this more and I think that in many ways lack of factual information about formula feeding (not advertising necessarily) actually works to the benefit of some formula companies.

With no real information on what to look for in a formula or how to pick it, or even what is available, parents have to pick by looking on the shelves. I think that price plays a huge part in this. Parents who want the best for their kids would assume that the more expensive formulas are better and so would choose to buy based on price only. It's a whole mentality about getting something quality because we are paying for it.

Advertising would not stop this from happening but I think a lack of general information and it being the only viable alternative to BFing means that formula companies can mark their product sky high and parents will buy it assuming that high price means that best product for their babies.

Feel free to disagree, because I am interested in what other's think but I picked formula based on price. To me the cheaper ones didn't seem 'as good as' the more expensive ones and it didn't even occur to me at the time, that the shelf price is probably designed that way. I have heard cosmetics companies say that they give their products high price tags if they want to be valued in the market because people think it is cheap and nasty if they aren't paying top dollar - though cosmestics cost nothing to make. I think formula companies are the same.

Just a thought anyway

[onthefly]

Completely agree JM.

[*LittleMissSummer*]

FWIW my DD absolutely LOVES that toddler milk She doesn't have a very balanced diet only because she wont eat anything so she has up to 4 bottles a day and is FINALLY starting to gain weight. I honestly don't feel comfortable introducing cows milk to her yet and the formula works great for her.

What i find annoying and ill be completely honest is the lack of trust in other parents to make good choices for their children, yes there are some parents who probably don't know as much as others but they aren't all completely clueless, just because a friend of a friends SIL (for example) chose not to BF doesn't mean she's an uneducated silly billy she made a choice that will work for her and her baby, who knows maybe there is an issue that shes not willing to share. I just see so many comments that i think "hang on thats not fair" i know myself that i HATE hearing other people mouthing off my parenting choices or comments of "your DD is so little you know if you BF she wouldn't be so skinny" that doesn't help me as a parent and its a comment i dont want to hear. Anyways don't have to like or agree with me just adding in my two cents.