They want you to fail.
Their bottom line depends on it.
Have you ever heard of a wolf in sheep’s clothing? This is it.
Formula companies do not support breastfeeding. They want to sabotage you. They want to exploit any iota of doubt that you have, any moment of weakness to get you to try their product.
Breastfeeding Support Kits
A breastfeeding support kit from a formula company is like a vegetarianism support kit from a pig farmer.
A formula company offering a free formula sample is like a suicide prevention line offering a free bullet, just in case it doesn’t work out (via @mediamum)
It makes no sense whatsoever. They have a vested interest in not supporting you. And they will be as sly and as deceptive as they can be.
Blogs listing coupons and deals and the twitter personalities that support them have been going crazy lately supporting the Enfamil Breastfeeding Support Kit. According to Enfamil, it contains:
- A sample of Expecta® LIPIL® DHA Supplement for pregnant and nursing moms.
- An excerpt from The Nursing Mother’s Companion, a useful guide with tips and suggestions.
- A sample of Enfamil LIPIL®, our closest formula to breast milk, should you choose to supplement.
Utah Deal Diva, one of the Web sites listing the breastfeeding sabotage kit provides more detail:
**Note: seems there’s a question as to what the Breastfeeding Support kit contains, so I thought I’d answer. Kit contains; breastpads, a container for storing breastmilk in the fridge, a cool-relief gel pad thing that you can put in your bra when you’re engorged and yes, a sample of formula. Mine also contained a coupon for a FREE tube of A&D ointment, as well as several other coupons. Hope this helps.
Do not order one of these kits if you want to breastfeed successfully. Perhaps it seems like they contain a few useful things. But having formula in your home is the best way to ensure that you do use it. Like chips in the cupboard when you’re trying to diet or a bottle of rum or pack of cigarettes lying around when you’re trying to kick the habit. They will be very appealing in a moment of weakness. It will be too easy to give up. When you are feeling desperate is not the best time to make an important decision like this. And yes, just one bottle can hurt.
More on breastfeeding sabotage kits:
Keyword Advertising
Today I was visiting another breastfeeding blog and was surprised to see a formula ad. I contacted the blog owner and she was going to take steps tonight to get it removed. The blog I was on was Blacktating and here is the ad I saw.
Now I say that I was surprised, but actually I wasn’t. This is typical of Google Adsense and of the formula companies. It is one of the reasons that I haven’t implemented Google Ads on my blog. You can block ads after the fact, but the formula ads just keep sneaking in. This has been the experience on the Mothering.com discussion boards where they use Google Ads, but have to rely on members to notify administrators when they see a formula ad, so that they can contact Google to have it blocked. Not exactly ideal. How many people see the ads before that happens? Why should members and administrators have to waste their time reporting these ads?
I don’t like formula ads to begin with, but what is particularly offensive about the one on Blacktating and many others is that they pretend to be a breastfeeding site, a place that you might be able to get support. I’ve seen this type of thing before and noted it in my post behavioural targeting fail.
Tonight, I did a few searches on Google to further research the topic and here is what I found.
First, I did a search on “breastfeeding” and got an Enfamil Ad.
Not what I was looking for, but at least not overly deceptive.It does tell you what the ad is for, what you are getting if you click.
But then I searched on “breastfeeding support” and found yet another link to Enfamil, this type pretending to be a link about breastfeeding support, but if you read the fine print it is about formula feeding.
Ah, okay.
Same thing from Enfamil, but in a different format, when I tried “breastfeeding help“. No Enfamil, soy-based formula is not breastfeeding help.
But then came the kicker. From Similac, also under “breastfeeding help” comes an ad asking you if you need “professional advice about your baby“. Do you see the word formula anywhere? No. But click on the ad and you arrive at the Similac Welcome Club page.
No, you didn’t read wrong. You were searching for “breastfeeding help“. The ad goes from suggesting you are going to Web site that will give you advice about your baby (presumably breastfeeding help?) to a page that says to a page that says:
When it comes to fulfilling the nutritional requirements of non-breastfed babies during the first months of life, SIMILAC is closer than ever to breast milk.
Unbelievable. Someone looking for breastfeeding help presumably does not have a non-breastfed baby. At least not yet. Not until they found this ad that told them how wonderful SIMILAC is and that welcomed them with open arms to their wonderful club.
Kind of reminds me of cults that come knocking on your door. They hope to find you in a state of weakness and suck you in until it is too late to turn back.
What do the formula companies say?
The formula companies, for their part, pretend to be good citizens. Pretend to be doing nothing wrong.
Mead Johnson, the company that sells Enfamil, says:
In developing countries where laws and regulations have been adopted to govern the promotion of infant formula, we abide by those laws. In developing countries where laws and regulations have not been adopted, Mead Johnson Nutrition has developed and complies with our own, internal guidelines. In developed countries, such as the U.S. and Canada, where the WHO Code has not been adopted by law, Mead Johnson complies with those countries’ laws and regulations and applies high-quality company standards.
Really? High quality company standards? Deceptive marketing practices are not what I would call high-quality company standards.
What are you going to do about it?
If you are in Canada, you may wish to read up on Misleading Representations and Deceptive Marketing Practices and consider filing a complaint with the Competition Bureau.
In other countries, I can’t pretend to know enough about the law or process for reporting these types of things, but I would welcome comments from anyone that does know.
Thanks to @TopHat8855 from the bee in your bonnet and @lauredhel from Hoyden About Town for suggesting some great links.
{ 69 comments… read them below or add one }
I was poking around Livejournal without being logged in yesterday, to look at the ads. Here’s what I found: among other things, when you search for communities with keywords on “colic”, “reflux”, “pregnant”, “baby vomiting”, “baby diarrhea”, or “baby gastroenteritis”, you are always served an infant formula site at the top of the ads.
@lauredhel It doesn’t surprise me at all. Unfortunately.
I blame Google for this. I could pay enough money and put up an add for abortion if I wanted. It would show number one of the list for anything I choose. The fact is they have the money and in this case they have the power. sad but true
That’s exactly what I loathe about those kits. The one suggestion I have for the formula samples is to see if you can find a women’s shelter or similar to take it. There are women who are in situations where they’re going to need the formula. But if you’re serious about breastfeeding, don’t keep the samples around.
The advertising thing is a definite weakness of online, keyword targeted advertising. It’s too easy to advertise things that are completely contrary to what is really being searched for. It’s deceptive.
Donating formula samples, though well meaning, violates the World Health Organization’s International Code on the Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, which means that it undermines breastfeeding. I am sure you did not mean to assume that women who are in shelters need formula more than you do, in fact, poor and minority women “need” it less; they are at greater risk for negative health consequences associated with formula like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, etc. We need to protect these women even more from the ruthless marketing of formula that robs them of the opportunity to make an informed, unbiased decision of what works best for them and their families and the opportunity to carry that decision out. I made that decision for myself. I used formula for my son but I can afford to take him to the doctor more often, these women can not.
It’s not that they “need” it more. It’s that if they’re using it, they could use the financial help of having it given to them free more.
Fun story: at a birth I did last year in another city south of where I live, I picked up mom’s freebie ‘breastfeeding support’ bag, and then, with her sitting by, watching from her hospital bed as she breastfed her babe, I helped her methodically remove every piece of advertising for formula companies it contained. I also took the booklet of included information, in which the fomula company had mixed good info with garbage, and tore-out the pages (or parts of pages) which were useless or detrimental to a breastfeeding relationship. The rag of a publication left was significantly reduced in size, and made a very clear point to her. She whistled and said, “Wow. They really push that stuff [formula], don’t they?”
At the bottom of the bag was a can of powdered formula. I looked up at her, grinned and said, “You’re doing great. You won’t be needing this.” Then I chucked it over my shoulder into the bin with the advertising and confetti-pieces of discarded pamphlet culls.
Only regret: that I had to liter (not recycle) to make my point. The benefit, however, is that the point was made, and the mama is still breastfeeding at 8 months with the intention of going for at least a whole year.
The sad reality always seems to me to be that many people would rather get the free stuff, to feel as though they are getting something from “the man” then pay attention to what it is that they are saying yes to.
I hear many of the moms in my classes compare stories about where they can get their “free” samples. They share information about who has the best giveaways and how much they have managed to land for free already.
When I point out that nothing is free and that I believe these companies have ulterior motives they give me a blank look and remind me off all of the free stuff they are getting. It just doesn’t register.
Breaks my heart and makes me nauseous all at the same time!
Excellent post. I have been fighting the “Breastfeeding Support” bag in my hospital since 1980′s. There is always a “new and improved”-”more supportive” bag. I wrote a proposal in 1989 to ban them and adopt the baby-friendly initiative. The NURSES fought me..”what will the mom do if she needs help in the middle of the night?” .. These companies target our hospital staff to do their work for them. If the bag is given to them by a professional… it must be something I need. Emfamil Pens, Similac name tag holders..it’s ALL over the place. I once had a formula rep offer to print up all my breastfeeding literature or hand-outs in a nice little book with my name on it. Hoe generous of him. Ha!
I did NOT know that Canada had as much trouble with this as we do in US. Do you have the bags given in the hospitals? Anyway- very good reading-Thanks
On Lactnet many years ago someone analyzed the copy for formula breastfeeding support. The sabotage is subtle, focusing on high standards for the “ideal” breastfeeding experience.
Did you see my post on formula marketing in Israel?
http://www.amotherinisrael.com/2008/12/23/why-formula-marketing-in-israeli-hospitals-is-bad-for-babies/
excellent post as usual. would you mind if i link to it?
@Francesca – Please go ahead and link to it if you would like! Thank you.
When I was pregnant, I was not sure if I was going to breastfeed. I never gave myself any pressure; no one influenced me in any way. When my baby was born, right away, I tried breastfeeding him and it was just perfect. I loved the entire experience. I didn’t even glance at any Formula ads in magazines, etc. I was not sure how long I would breastfeed for, though. I just did it for as long as was right for both of us. I returned to work when my baby was 6 months old, and basically stopped breastfeeding him around that time as well. So we decided obviously to go with formula – it was a tough adjustment but it worked out well after a few days. I did receive free formula from Nestle and other samples, etc. but I never felt like the reason I stopped breastfeeding was because of this. I know my situation is not like other people’s situations, and that a mom who has a hard time breastfeeding might give up too easily, I just wanted to share my thoughts on this. That while I think in a way, yes, it is wrong to advertise so much and to give all this ‘free stuff’ to mom and to make moms think formula is as great as breastmilk, most moms will make the smart choice for their baby without the influence of Formula companies telling them what to do.
This is an excellent post, though. Thank you.
Loukia– Studies have shown that women who are given formula “just in case” are significantly more likely to struggle with breastfeeding and use that formula. Enfimil’s “kit” says on the front– “For the NURSING mom on her first visit.” Not for those who don’t know…not for those who know they will use formula, but for the breastfeeding mom. Sad.
I ranted on a “Breastfeeding Resource Kit” a few weeks back. I’ve linked to it through my name.
Nestle has come under attack for violating the World Health Organization’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes and has several boycotts of its products out there (water for example).
Wow. Infuriating! Thanks so much for this post. I am also going to write and link. I am not in Canada but I am sure a quick search will end in the same results. I also will be looking more closely at the ads google puts up on my site.
My neighbor has a 5 week old and she’s currently breastfeeding, but she’s been eying her can of formula whenever her little one cluster nurses and she’s feeling overwhelmed. I practically did a happy dance of encouragement for her when she said, “But I haven’t touched it, yet.” She’s “holding out” because her sister is a breastfeeding advocate, but she sees the formula as a relief, a sure-fire way to get her baby to sleep longer, even though she’s producing plenty of milk and her baby is a great latcher.
Ugh.
And when I was breastfeeding, I had friends stress to me how important it was to get my baby “used to a bottle” so my “husband could bond with him.” I wonder how many families add formula to their routines for this reason as well.
It’s all marketing madness. You should check out Cave Mother’s posts on formula advertising in the UK, too. Really smart stuff.
Although one is constantly reminded that it is best to feed infants with human milk, I think the tone of language in this post is unnecessarily hostile.
There are a number of circumstances in which infant formula is the logical choice for an infant. One such situation would be if the infant is kept in intensive care after birth while the mother is too weak from the delivery to leave her bed.
In such situations, the language in this post can actually prove counter-productive. Parents will come to realize that exclusive breastfeeding at this point is unrealistic, and may feel quite guilty when they do resort to supplementation. Although it is quite possible for them to eventually migrate towards an exclusive breastmilk diet, they have now been alienated from the breastfeeding community and have lost what could have been a valuable resource.
Further, the language used in this post seems to imply a malicious intent on the part of the formula manufacturers. I find it very hard to believe that the nutritionists working on developing infant formula have anything but the health of infants on their mind. Rather, they are providing a valuable resource to parents in less-than-ideal circumstances.
@Matthew:
The harsh language in my post is not directed at a parent who chooses formula or who has to use formula. It is directed at the formula companies that are doing their best to sabotage women that are trying hard to breastfeed and to overcome difficulties. Do you really think it is appropriate for formula companies to disguise what they are offering as “breastfeeding help”?
I don’t have a problem with formula existing. It is necessary in certain circumstances. But just like we don’t advertise c-sections, we shouldn’t be advertising infant formula. It is a medical necessity sometimes. It can be a choice sometimes. But just like a c-section shouldn’t be pushed on a woman that wants a natural birth, formula should not be pushed on a woman that wants to breastfeed.
pardon my defensive reply, but I have WORKED hard to supply breastmilk for my child
@Matthew:
There are a number of circumstances in which infant formula is the logical choice for an infant. One such situation would be if the infant is kept in intensive care after birth while the mother is too weak from the delivery to leave her bed.
There are acceptable reasons to supplement. But this isn’t one. As an IBCLC, I have, per the mom’s request, assisted a father to pump the mother’s breast while she was asleep in bed and unable to leave the bed. We also go to ICUs for the same reason. Many moms are too sick to be pumped. Being too weak to get out of bed is a choice.
A VALID reason for supplementation is why I had to give my son the hydrolyzed formula: when we discovered that he had cow’s milk and soy allergies being passed through my breastmilk. He took the milk until I eliminated everything in my diet and everything cleared his system. He is still nursing occasionally almost 2 years after this event.
& : Parents will come to realize that exclusive breastfeeding at this point is unrealistic
Seriously? You think that it is unrealistic? MANY people told me when my son was vomiting before we knew of his allergies to just give up and give him formula. My reply: I didn’t sign up for easy parenting. I signed up to do what is best for my kid. And if giving him formula for 2 weeks while my system was cleansed, then that’s what I did. We should each set our own attainable goals. But, PLEASE, do not tell someone what is not realistic. Keep your own expectations to yourself.
Addie – what do you mean by “being too weak to get out of bed is a choice”?
I didn’t say that being too weak to get out of bed is a choice. I said that it COULD be an acceptable circumstance to give infant formula:
“There are a number of circumstances in which infant formula is the logical choice for an infant. One such situation would be if the infant is kept in intensive care after birth while the mother is too weak from the delivery to leave her bed.”
Lisa,
I didn’t read my full reply before replying to you. And I quoted Matt, not me.
Here’s what I’m saying:
There are medical reasons why the mother cannot breastfeed. But there are very few.
There are medical reasons why a mother cannot be pumped. But there are very few.
A mother who is too weak to get out of bed to go to the NICU can still be pumped. If she chooses not to pump, then it is her choice. I am not saying that it is her choice to be too weak. But if she is medically stable, then she can still provide milk for her baby.
What we must all realize is that breastfeeding is all about choices. And we have to own up to our decisions. If you CHOOSE not to breastfeed, then feel confident in that decision. I CHOSE to breastfeed through YEARS of hurdles and sacrifice for my youngest. (My older two went more smoothly.) And I am confident in that decision.
Unfortunately, there is now a trend allowing women to elect a primary c/section when there is NO reason why she should not have a vaginal birth. I took care of just such a woman the other day. So, unfortunately, c/sections are being advertised (in a way); similar to formula. Word s[reads fast and wmen know just what docs to chooses if they decide they do not even want to consider a normal vaginal birth. It makes me heartsick to think that some doctors have so little regard for a woman’s body that they would advocate for this type of practice.
I’ve been following your blog and find it very interesting and informative but, like Loukia above, I disagree that having formula in the house is like having cigarettes when you’ve given up smoking. I breastfed my son till he turned one, at which point he lost interest – I’d have gone on if he wanted it. The first three weeks of his life, he was in hospital in another town while I was at home, but I carried on breastfeeding (pumping). I also had mastitis during this time. For the next three months feeding him was so painful I cried at every feed. We had formula samples in the house all that time and they did not get used. Another friend here was in really awful pain with cracked nipples and everything and had a whole tin of vegan formula in the house but did not use it and continues to breastfeed her one year old to this day. I am not an unusually strong person or anything (can’t speak for her) – I just didn’t choose to use them. Maybe there is more support here in Europe for breastfeeding women? I don’t know.
I do agree that the marketing is very cynical, but it sounds like the other freebies are worth having – especially for someone who’s short of cash to buy those things.
Great blog!
I’ve seen those Google ads on breastfeeding sites, and find them horrifying. It’s a big reason that I wouldn’t consider using them myself. How do I know if I’m broadcasting a message I fundamentally disagree with? I don’t, until it’s too late.
I received formula samples for the first time with this baby. Whereas 4 years ago when my daughter was born it was all about ‘coupons’, this time they’re actually sending unsolicited cans to my house. It makes me sad, because it suggests that the companies are increasing their marketing rather than decreasing it.
I got one of these unsolicited mailings when my little one was 9 months old. My little one was a late term preemie and I had worked very hard in the beginning few weeks to get her to nurse around the clock (she nursed great but only had energy to nurse once or twice a day, so I had to pump around the clock in order to build up and maintain a supply until she could take over at about 5 or 6 weeks old.) I was very mad and called up the company to complain. I told them my daughter was breastfed and my breasts were very capable of supplying her with what she needed. I let them know I was very insulted and that formula was disgusting! I even asked for them to take it back since I did not ask for it. Apparently, somehow they said I did in my prenatal childbirth class by signing the register sheet! What? I paid for that class not the formula company (or did they help?)
The lady at the formula company I spoke with asked “Well, what about mothers like me who did not make enough milk and needed to use formula?” She told me that though both her grandmother and mother had had no problems breastfeeding and tried to support her, her ped told her the baby was not gaining enough and to stop nursing and bottle feed. This was in the 1970′s. I told her that the weight charts used then and even now were made by the formula companies and were NOT based on breastfed babies, but on formula fed babies. I told her she should have changed doctors not stopped breastfeeding! It did seem like before I got off of the phone with her she seemed to get my message – she probably had never known this before me telling her.
I can proudly say that my little one is still breastfeeding at 33 months old and we plan to do child-led weaning!
I’m particularly struck by the invasiveness of formula marketing when i get samples in the mail, or letters requesting that I participate in surveys about the kind of feeding choices I make.
‘Why?’ one might ask. ‘It’s just advertising…it’s just the way companies reach out to get new customers.’
I don’t have any children.
I had my baby in Germany, and from my experience, I had much better support there than in the U.S.
Sigh. Yeah, I have seen this around a lot lately.
I even had a couple people give me free samples that they got for me — they really didn’t get it. Breastfeeding isn’t as wishy washy as some people might think.
It can be hard and women who want to breastfeed need support & don’t need alternatives shoved in their faces if they choose to stick to the boob.
I agree with you. The last thing you should give a new mom who is breastfeeding for the first time! I am however conflicted on other parts of this post. Still trying to think of the proper way to compile my thoughts. Such a delicate subject, breastfeeding.
Great post as usual.
Bottom line is how many places can a formula company show it’s face? The wider the audience the better chance at “getting” someone to purchase it and think that it’s the only solution.
Like I’ve posted somewhere else, a breastfeeding kit should contain a coupon for a free nursing bra, nipple cream and snacks for mom to eat while baby is attached to her!
To add to someone else’s comment where other people give the breastfeeding mom “free” samples, in my case my mother in law keeps applying and registering herself to get formula for me. Just in case!!! sigh, never mind that I have 100oz of bm in the freezer!
Keep writing your blog, you are doing a great job.
Mothers-in-law and mothers can be so difficult to deal with. How sad. Hvae you shown her your 100 ounces of milk n the freezer? LOL! There is a wondeful pamphlet that I ahve always given out to moms who need it called TO THE GRANDMOTHER OF THE BREASTFED BABY and it is a great support for the new mom.
It’s a year later and I am still breastfeeding and I have had 2 nephews since my original post, on my my sis and the other my sil. Both fomula feeding, ARGH!!!! Neither asked for my help – they have their mothers (mine including) that push push push formula! I wouldn’t be surprised if they worked for a formula company (kidding, but man oh man!)
I live 5 hours away from them all, it’s none of their business how I feed my child and now, I am 5 months pregnant and I get the, when are you going to stop that? I’d like to tandem nurse, so they can just kiss my butt.
I’ve separated myself from them (my whole family) when it comes to breastfeeding. Easier that way for me, my husband, Lily & almost #2!
Perhaps instead of just getting pissy, you could find a way to organize a true breastfeeding support kit, with things that would really help a mother who needs it. Complaints dont help, its action. If I’d had better support when I had my baby, instead of a lactation consultant who was sure my baby was just tired and would catch on eventually, I would have stuck with it and it’s a decision I regret. But I didnt have or know where to find the support that I needed, and maybe you could find companies willing to help organize a real kit to counteract the crappy one.
Sara,
Unfortunately, breastfeeding is free, so there is no money to be had. At a hospital that I used to work at we made a “breastfeeding friendly bag” to send home with our breastfeeding moms. We were lucky that our administrators funded it. With all of the cuts in health care, most hospitals don’t consider it a priority.
Excellent post. I linked you back in my response: http://starr2001.blogspot.com/2009/05/ban-bags.html
You have brought up something which is shaking the whole Internet. Google controls how people find things on the Internet. Many people think Google is “impartial” but in reality the hits which appear on the first page are a result of complicated forumlas Google uses which “filter” what you see. Of course the ads are completely controlled by who paid the most money. I read an interesting book on this topic (The Search) here is the link to the book on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Search-Rewrote-Business-Transformed-Culture/dp/1591841410/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241565072&sr=8-1
Great post, but it is important to point out that you are addressing the marketing issue, not the choice of BF or FF.
When I had my first, he rejected one breast (I didn’t really know at first), clustered, frequently needed to feed etc. in the beginning. I thought “I won’t make it” and it was my HUSBAND who encouraged me to keep going, keep trying…which we did, for 20 months and looking back, I have only fond memories of our nursing relationship.
That was my choice and I had great support around me – BUT with this kind of marketing, it’s far too easy to think that it’s the easy way out, especially if you don’t have support like my husband.
There are a lot of other resources to go to before having to give formula. With my son, pumping really saved me. It just made me feel like I had a little something more (especially with only one working breast) for growth spurts etc.
However, this is not to say formula doesn’t have it’s place. But we should be educating women on the options for nursing first and supporting that choice as best we can (and Cindy had a great idea as to what a true breastfeeding support kit should have in it).
Another great post
I’m so glad to hear you mention the support you received from your husband. Studies show that expectant fathers can be influential advocates for breastfeeding.
Matt, have you ever cared for postpartum women and babies in NICU? Babies who need intensive care are those who most desperately need breastmilk. Artificial feeding dramatically raises the risk of necrotising enterocolitis, gastrointestinal/respiratory/brain/blood infections, and death for fragile and premature babies. Mothers can be assisted to express for the baby (though it is rare that she is truly too ill to be moved in a wheelchair or on a bed), or if that is impossible for some reason, donor human milk should be used. If that is also impossible in some extreme circumstance, obviously the intensive care unit would prescribe formula as per any other feeding substance. Why would the doctors need the mothers to receive advertising and first-taste-is-free packs in this situation?
YEAH…NO KIDDING to the post 24 final question. Formula does not need to be advertised. IT WILL BE PURCHASED IF NEEDED! Like cigarette and alcohol ads have been regulated, so too are fomula ads, but sadly, they are not enforced in this country. It’s all about the Benajmins. I love to read the comments though that are wrong though, because it is a good commentary on what societies as a whole need to work on…wait…I think you’re in Canada?
@strwberryjoy – Yes I’m in Canada, but we still have socieities here!
Excellent, excellent post. The Google ads that pop up when you write about whatever is part of the reason I no longer have any ads on my site.
Thanks for this! We phased in formula for our son from about 7-8 months but I do find this really evil. We have been using the Enfamil brand but now I will avoid it, I don’t want to do business with companies that behave so unethically.
This “freebie” marketing isn’t just to mothers of newborns.
On the very day that my daughter turned 6 months old, another “free” can of Enfamil showed up on my door step.
this is interesting and worrisome thanks for the research- I will pass it on
This is a touchy subject. I breastfed my daughter so I am PRO breastfeeding for my children. But there are just as many women who do not want to breast feed. And my only thought on this is – is it fair to take away their samples? Formula is expensive and free samples are extrememly helpful to some families. So I am conflicted on this one. I guess there should be a choice to sign up for free samples and then only those who want them would get them. I don’t know the answer to this one. I like the idea of a breastfeeding support kit (without formula coupons) would have been SOOOO helpful to me.
One more point to make – A reason for keeping formula in the house. I had a friend who strictly breastfed but did not produce enough milk to freeze. This made it impossible for others to help. Basically, she was attached to the child 85% of the time and only went on short trips to the store etc. This friend had an accident on the way to a friends house. Baby at home with Dad. Rushed to the hospital, unable to feed baby. Dad did not know what to do much less know what formula to buy. It would have been wise in this case for a small supply of formula to be kept on hand for emergencies. Just a thought…
I fully believe that if formula companies want to give free samples and coupons to women who want them, then great. But, to repeatedly target women who intend to breastfeed is just wrong. It is hard enough in this culture for women to exclusively breastfeed without formula companies, hospitals, and/or doctors sabotaging them.
I am proud to say that my state is working to get rid of those “free samples” in the hospital bags. Portland was the first city in the nation to have all hospitals be bag-free and the rest of the state is catching up. http://www.breastfeedingor.org/healthcare/ban-the-bags-campaign
I think true “baby friendly” hospitals are bag-free. I know we are here in Florida. Marsha Walker is the chairman of the BAN THE BAG initiative.
I just did a “breastfeeding” search and all of the ads were from breast pump companies, fit pregnancy’s breast feeding page, and the second from the top was a lactation support group connected to a local hospital. A lot of what Google shows you has to do with your past searches. I have almost exclusively been searching for breast feeding info and when I’ve been on Amazon.com I’ve been searching through breast pump reviews. While I agree with you that these companies use deceptive tactics, you can’t blame google for giving you the search results you’ve been looking for.
I live in Australia and googled breastfeeding help – the second ad on the right was headed “Breastfeeding Problems” followed by “Join Our Free Baby Club for Expert Baby Advice & Receive a Gift!” -This site is run by Nutricia and is a formula company – the gift is a teddy bear or a music CD. The really scary thing is that there is a free number to call for help and a live chat available also:
http://www.clubnutricia.com.au/feeding_and_nutrition/breastfeeding/article/common_breastfeeding_problems_and_solutions?gclid=CJbgysqeuKECFRZ5gwod0TTz-A
Yeah this crap pisses me off…sorry but that is exactly how I feel. I saw a formula commercial on tv and they were doing their usual, “our formula is like breastmilk”…I think it is complete crap that they should be allowed at all to use the word breastfeeding with artificial milk. it should be illegal for them to use the word breast or breastfeeding or nursing in ANY WAY in conjunction with advertising artificial milk.
I see a few posts here talking about we shouldn’t take away women’s ability to get free formula if they want to FF. But we SHOULD be taking away women’s RIGHTS and ability to breastfeed SUCCESSFULLY??!!?!?! Yeah I don’t think so. If they want formula samples they can call the company or go to their website they ALL offer samples.
A breastfeeding SUPPORT KIT should have no formula whatsoever, nor coupons for formula, that is in no way, whatsoever, supportive of breastfeeding.
Also ladies MAKE SURE you tell your Ob or Midwifes office they are to NOT send your information to the marketing companies. Some of them just send your name to their list, others fill out those little coupon/tickets like you see in the magazines that sign you up for the coupons and free formula. The girl at my CNM office (who shares with ob’s, but she also had cans of formula in her own office :/ ) had those cards filled out for me to “sign” I said, “I don’t think so you better trash those, I am BREASTFEEDING.” She was like, uh, ok. I really was dumbfounded they just fill those things out like that. :/ grrrr
Now I feel like singing the beastie boys….it’s sabotage….GAH!!!
oh yeah and if you use firefox, add the adblock plus extension, it blocks ALL ADVERTISEMENTS from your browser…it is awesome.
I got the “breastfeeding support kit” in the hospital, and I found the ice packs particularly offensive. “Here, have something to help deal with the engorgement when you decide to use our product.” Thankfully my hospital didn’t mention bottles, formula, artificial nipples or anything other than the boob once during my stay, they just handed me the bag as I was wheeled out the door. :/
@ Matt, I’m sorry but I don’t believe that this post “hostile”. Obviously you need to experience being around mothers that can breastfeed to truly understand this post. Infants in the nicu can still get Mama’s pumped breast milk. Women can still make milk by pumping while the baby is in the nicu. When we breastfeed and watch our children thrive and grow on the milk our bodies made we are the ones who feel that these formula companies are trying everything possible for us to buy their products.
Yes, there are women that cannot make milk but this is a very small percentage, out of those women most still can make milk but not enough-yet they do. Formula could be an option for those women.
But what about the rest of us that can make milk? After my cesarean, I was told in my face by a doctor that I will not make enough milk because my baby was too big. I went home with a bag full of formula samples thinking that I had no milk. No one told me at the hospital it takes about a week for the milk to come in and that I was making colostrum for my baby. After hearing helpful advice from other breastfeeding Moms I started to successfully breastfeed my baby.
I didn’t know that these formula companies actually have campaigns to get women to stop breastfeeding since it’s bad for their business. They pay doctors and even give out luxury gifts so they can get their formula promoted. They give even more gifts to breastfeeding Moms to get them to stop breastfeeding and try their product. God knows how many coupons and powdered cans of ‘next step’ formula I had after my baby turned 1.
What really angers me is the hospitals and OBs who agree to help with formula promotion! They should be advocates for their patients health and best interest – and as studies have shown, having formula coupons lowers the chance of successful breastfeeding. Actual samples, even more so.
I was fortunate to have my daughter in a babyfriendly hospital. My mothers kit had lansinoh, and breast pad samples. That was it. My OB’s office, however, gave me an Enfamil diaper bag with coupons in it. They explained they made it “breastfeeding friendly” by removing the actual formula samples (which they presumable give to mothers who state they plan on formula feeding).
We’ve since moved and our current hospital is NOT designated baby-friendly…and if I get formula samples when I deliver this baby, well – they are going to hear about it from me.
I think this practice by the formula companies is immoral at best. It is sickening to me that companies will put profits before the health of PEOPLE. Google should be monitoring the keywords that companies are allowed to use, plain and simple. Unfortunately, they are in it for the money as well.
Meh… I don’t know about this one.
I think that while there may be a small percentage of “on the fence” women who might be swayed by a free formula sample, the fact is that the majority of women who aren’t that interested in breastfeeding aren’t going to stick it out when the going gets tough anyway and the formula companies can hardly be blamed for trying to grab up this segment.
I am a passionate breastfeeder and will not give my kids formula before they’re at least a year old and the fact that I could run across the street and buy formula doesn’t influence that. I am a grown up and I’m in control of the choices I make. I don’t blame McDonalds if I have a weight problem and I don’t blame Nestle if I make the wrong feeding choices for my kids.
It is hardly empowering for women to transfer the responsibility for critical mothering decisions onto companies who only have their own bottom lines in mind.
A company’s first responsibility is to its shareholders. A mother’s first responsibility is to her children. Who is not doing their job in this situation?
Lauren:
People are weak and corporations know that. I don’t think that their responsibility to their shareholders gives them the right to participate in manipulative advertising (e.g. pretending to offer “breastfeeding support”, but really offering free formula). As someone who had a lot of difficulty breastfeeding, I know how great the temptation to use formula is. Having it lying around, pushed in your face, etc. is a hazard. A Canadian study I posted about a while ago found that moms who didn’t take any formula samples home from the hospital were 3.5 times more likely to be exclusively breastfeeding at 2 weeks post partum.
Lauren, one of the biggest obstacles to breastfeeding is the attitude of some advocates that women “who aren’t that interested in breastfeeding aren’t going to stick it out when the going gets tough anyway”. Breastfeeding in this country is like being urged to run a marathon, being handed a pair of fllip-flops, and then having tomatoes thrown at you. The question is, why should the going have to get THAT tough? When 70% of hospitals score a “D” on breastfeeding support, why are we bashing women for not sticking it out? I don’t think it’s fair. Women are not weak, they are being actively prevented from succeeding by a myriad of booby traps. I hope you will read our booby traps page http://www.bestforbabes.org/breastfeeding-booby-traps/ and also this incredible essay http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melissa-bartick/ipeaceful-revolutioni-mot_b_536659.html and put yourself in the shoes of these mothers, and consider the ridiculous hurdles we are expecting them to overcome. The formula companies have erected and cemented these hurdles, and it is not fair to expect all women to be able to surmount them in order to succeed at their desire to breastfeed.
BfB – I completely agree with you. That’s what I’m saying too – I think that the real problems that have lead us so far away from breastfeeding are less to do with formula companies and more to do with the completely screwed up North American birth culture where under-informed medical staff are the ones at the steering wheel and we have succumbed to the over-sexualization of breasts and other non-female-friendly cultural ideas that have made breastfeeding “gross”, “offensive” or “unnecessary”.
That’s not even mentioning the lack of adequate maternity leave/BF support for working moms laws in the States which make it next to impossible for lower-income moms to breastfeed.
I’m not saying it’s good that formula companies pave the way for nursing moms to give up, but I am skeptical about how much of a real impact it would have on long-term BF even if these “kits” disappeared tomorrow. Americans have a very long battle ahead of them to reverse the damage that has been done to what is considered “normal” birth and parenting.
I posted this in response to a comment on our Facebook page:
The point here is that the formula companies know that as along as breastfeeding mothers are successfully marketed the convenience of supplementing, whether occasionally or exclusively, they won’t fight for better maternity leave (the U.S. has one of the worst of industrialized countries), better employee lactation programs, health care coverage for lactation counselors and pumps, and for hospitals that score better than a “D” on breastfeeding support. With just one free can of formula, they have managed to galvanize a whole pyramid of booby traps.
Dear Google, It’s called business ethics! Google it!
Google Inc.
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043
Phone: +1 650-253-0000
Fax: +1 650-253-0001
Having worked for 20 years in a hospital that allowed the formula reps in and now working in a Baby Friendly hospital, I can’t get over how much better (and easier) it is to support breastfeeding. I wish more hospitals world wide would adopt the concept of the Baby Friendly Initiative. For those of you who are unfamiliar, google “baby friendly initiative” or “baby friendly hospitals” and you will see exactly what I am referring to.
I wish I could say this is unbelievable.
In a dream world, breast milk from milk banks would be readily available, and prescription would be required for formula.
Great post.
If I could go back in time, I would have worked much harder and gotten more help with BFing. But instead, I chose to exclusively pump for my baby due to latch issues. Pumping has it’s advantages and disadvantages. I am lucky to be blessed with an oversupply of milk and only need to pump 4x/day to make way more than my baby needs. The first few months of round-the-clock pumping, bottle-feeding, dealing with pump parts and bottles, etc were horrible, but now pumping is not difficult at all. It gives me more freedom and allows other people to feed my son.
I still wish BFing had worked out for us and am determined to succeed with my next child. I’m proud to say my baby is 6.5 months old and has only had formula a few times (and this was during the first week of his life, before my milk came in). I plan to continue pumping until he’s one year old and hopefully store some so he can have a few more months of milk even after I quit. I know EPing is not quite as good as straight from the breast, but it’s the next best thing.
I do have plenty of cans of formula that I received as samples while pregnant. I am giving some to a friend who BF for 7 months despite having to supplement due to supply issues. She tried everything (including Reglan) to boost her supply to no avail. She was still forced to supplement but still BF for 7 months.
Exclusive pumping is an option, it is not easy, but well worth it. I did not know much about it until I started doing it a few days PP. I wish more women knew about this option. There is a lot of good information and support available online. I do hate pumping (it is not enjoyable like BFing) but my baby deserves the best I have to offer.
Vanessa,
What you are doing for your child, to me, is the ultimate sacrifice. How wonderful it is for your child to have someone who will go through so much to give him the best food. Pumping is such a pain. I had to pump for almost 3 weeks before my third child would latch, and I had reached the end of my rope after that short period of time.
Please, have no regret that you could not provide milk directly from your breast. What you are doing is amazing.
Though I agree with the sentiment of this blog post, I don’t think formula samples are necessarily the worst thing in the world. Maybe I’m the exception, but I would have liked to receive some samples. I never did.
And I’d like to add that I had my entire pregnancy and delivery within the US healthcare system. With an OB, in a hospital (I had a great very validating experience in my hospital and my doctor). Somehow the companies totally missed my name and I never got a single sample. It would have helped us immensely because I have to take the occasional migraine medication, and as the baby got older, I just couldn’t pump enough for those times. Instead, I had to purchase formula and actually financially support the formula companies. We’ve used so little formula that we would have benefited from the samples. For my next baby, I hope to get some.
And by the way, we’re still breastfeeding at almost 12 months, and have struggled and enjoyed every minute of it. An occasional bottle of formula hasn’t affected us. In fact, the thing that gave me the strength to keep breastfeeding during those initial hatd times was knowing that I could always give formula here and there. I never did, but knowing that my breasts could get a break was a powerful thing.
Which is not to say that I don’t think formula advertising is deceitful. Specially their supposedly backhanded “breastfeeding support”. That really irks me. Maybe I’ve just been surrounded by a particularly supportive community, but we need to give mothers their proper credit. If they want to breastfeed, they’ll do it regardless of whether there’s a can of formula sitting in their pantry. Am I being totally naive?
It’s more important to make sure people have access to lactation consultants, that people know how to be properly supportive of mother’s decisions, and that we normalize public breastfeeding. And to that end, Annie, I think your blog is doing a wonderful job giving people tools for that.
Cupcake’s Mama:
Thank you for the comment.
I think the problem with formula samples is that moms often turn to them in a moment of desperation, rather than a thought out decision to supplement. My guess is most samples get torn open at about 4am. A Canadian study did find that people who were sent home from the hospital with formula samples were much less likely to be exclusively breastfeeding a couple of weeks later than those who were not sent home with any. I wrote about that here: http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/03/17/new-study-on-impact-of-free-formula-on-breastfeeding-rates/
In addition to what Annie said about sabotage, the formula samples and advertising increase the cost of the product in the stores. So they hurt poorer formulas who rely on formula, whatever the reason.
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