Treat baby milk advertising like tobacco advertising

[AB Asks]

A number of children's charities are calling for a total ban on the advertising of baby milk. They want it to be treated like tobacco. They believe it is reason why many women stop breastfeeding before their baby is six months old. Currently formula for babies under six months is not allowed to be advertised, however milk for babies over six months old and follow-on milks are allowed to be advertised. What do you think? Will a total advertising ban encourage women to breastfeed or will women just decide on what is best for them and their baby with a disregard to adverts?

[joanne713]

I would like to think that most women are intelligent enough to make their own decision regarding breastmilk or formula. But having met some people I think maybe a restriction could be a good idea. But a ban? Sorry but the UK is turning into more of a nanny state each day. Soon we will be controlled by the Americans.

[radiogaga]

for me it was an enitierly personal choice. as far as i was concerned id done enough of getting up every 3 hours to feed baby gaga, done enough expressing milk, done enough breastfeeding in unfriendly environments with babygaga. id lasted until she was 4 months old. then i knew i could put her on formula. no advertsing helped me make up my mind, i just made the decision myself.
then i went on that longed for night out...

[LoftyLottie]

I think it's about time that they stop trying to make mums who bottle feed feel guilty. Bottle feeding is sometimes essential for various reasons and only the families and/or their own health advisors should be concerned. The vast majority of mothers want what is best for their baby and will do their best to provide it. Making them feel like bad mothers at such a vulnerable time is just not on!
I can see no problem with advertising baby milk, although I think most women will make their own decision. I don't think the advertisers of baby milk have ever suggested that it is better than breast milk!!

Another example of this 'Nanny' state and unwarrented interference!

[littleone85]

How ridiculous, with people having such busy lives lots of women will still chose to bottle feed. Why not educate women about the benefits of breast milk and how to make it convenient in their lives rather than relying on an 'out of sight, out of mind' approach. Mothers are not homogeneous, they have lots of different circumstances and its dogmatic for these charities to assume the know whats best for them and their baby

[johnlambert]

My wife contracted mastitus when she was breastfeedinmg our eldest so unfortunatly had to bottle feed him or she would have stuck to the "breast is best" maxim. The good thing about bottle feeding is that us Dads get the oportunity to feed our sprogs

[Octavius]

I didn�t even realise that baby milk was or wasn�t advertised, and even so it would have made very little difference to Mrs O�s personal choice.

It confounds me that �general society� really still believes that advertising has such a profound effect on our lives. If anyone, why not blame the supermarkets for having them on the shelves? Or the manufacturers for supplying them? If the product is so bad, remove the product. Then there is nothing to advertise.

[ojread2]

A total ban on advertising is a great idea; an even better one is to have good, solid information available to ALL women about breastfeeding and the semantics that go along side it. From reading a message board that I help to moderate, many many women do not know the benefits of BF'ing and certainly do not realise just how good it is for baby

Using the mastitis post here as an example, the best way to 'cure' it is to feed more alongside a course of anit-b's, or express is feeding is too painful, not stop and use a bottle. Stopping can cause even further infection.

ojx

[Dassie]

This is just another example of this Country going tits up!

[LoftyLottie]

Informed choice is what it should be all about. Banning advertising makes no sense whatsoever. The comparison with tobacco advertising is totally ridiculous.

A happy, contented mother is one of the best starts in life for a baby. Too much interference from the do gooders causes stress to mothers which reflects on the child.

[Goodsoulette]

I dont think advertising makes the blindest bit of difference. I know many women who think breastfeeding is unnatural and will never try it. There is nothing anyone can do to change there mind, they think midwives are banging on about nothing and dont believe it offers your baby more protection.

It cannot be argued that formula milk, made from cows milk and fish is better for a baby than breast milk. Its good for baby cows.

Attitudes for breastfeeding have gotten worse over the last 6 or 7 years. When my eldest was a baby I would and could breast feed him anywhere but my youngest it became impossible. In the place where I worked before maternity leave I found a quiet corner turned the chair so it was facing the wall on the side I was feeding and draped a shaul over my shoulder so nothing was exposed and a man still came up to me and asked me couldnt I do that in the toilet. Only because I worked there did I feel comfortable enough to ask him if he would not disturb me and my newborn baby and sod off and drink his coffee in the toilet.

Bottled milk has its place, in some circumstances. Attitudes are what need changing.

[Goodsoulette]

and Lofty its not an entirely ridiculous comparison. Breast milk contains a prebiotic which fights bugs, meaning breast fed babies will very, very rarely get gastroentiritis compared to the billion quid it costs the nhs to treat bottle fed babies with this illness each year.

[LoftyLottie]

But tobacco is known to damage health and has no advantages, Goodsoulette. Babymilk is not basically dangerous to health, although, I agree it does not have the bug and allergy fighting benefits. Many, many mothers do not have the choice of breastfeeding and I do think in recent years they have been made to feel as if they are failing their babies by not doing so.

I find the attitude of some of these charities quite bullying.

[Goodsoulette]

I agree in some way but if you went onto a maternity ward and saw the amount of women that wont even try breast feeding then you would be shocked.

Lots of energy needs to be focused on the benefits of breast is best and the government need to back the midwives. We are the only country in Europe that don't recommend it till the age of 3. We base our growth charts of what is normal on bottle fed children.

I know mothers who wanted to breast feed but couldn't and my heart really breaks for them because the bond you feel when you do it, is very very special. Plus its a lot less work.

They are trying to make it an offence for someone to tall you not to breast feed here, like restaurants, shops, parks etc and I think that might help attitudes but I dont think advertising makes any difference we all know formula milk is there.

[LoftyLottie]

Like you Goodsoulette, I too find breastfeeding totally natural and think it should be encouraged and that there should be provision for breastfeeding in public places.

However, it should be the informed choice of the parents.

I am quoting someone else here, with whom I agree wholeheartedly:

'Right now I don't envy parents one little bit - whatever choices they make they seem to find themselves demonised by the media and declared irresponsible by finger-wagging so-called 'experts'.'

[Goodsoulette]

I find it really hard to understand how it changed. In post war Britain it went from home births and breast fed to hospital births and bottle feeding very rapidly. My great granny reckons before the war it wasnt uncommon for 5 year olds to still breast feed.

You are very right about informed choices but id the right information is indeed breast is best then they should continue to feed that message.

[LoftyLottie]

I think we probably agree that breast is best for most and where possible, but, if impossible for any good reasons that the parents might have, then their decision should not be questioned and they should not be made to feel like they are bad parents or are putting their child at risk.

Don't forget thought that bottle feeding can feel just as joyful and bonding. I found it so.

However, not for modest reasons, I do find that feeding, whether breast or bottle is best in private, so that it can be a relaxing, intimate experience between parent and child.

[LoftyLottie]

I am afraid though that I find 5 years olds being breast fed quite revolting and think it may be for the mother's satisfaction and not the child's. Just my own opinion. :o)

[Goodsoulette]

I couldn't do it but thats a different time.

Though with the rationale that breast is best and only under circumstance where mothers cannot or have circumstances where they cant then no advertising for formula is needed then, is it??

[LoftyLottie]

Well, I suppose not, but then what advertising is needed anyway? I must admit I have not even noticed any adverts for formula. It's a very long time since I used it, but even when I was feeding my child on formula I think I bought it from the clinic, as recommended choice didn't come into it.

Actually, I can think of far bigger issues that these charities could pursue than calling for a total ban on advertising baby milk.

[LoftyLottie]

'.............as recommended - choice didn't come into it'

I should use ' preview'!