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Win a Boppy breastfeeding pillow – Closes 8th Sept at 2.45pm!

September 8th, 2010 by admin

The lovely people from Family Friendly Working have a draw for a Boppy breastfeeding pillow that ends today at 2.45.

All you have to do is comment on the page here:

http://www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk/2010/08/27/win-a-boppy-breastfeeding-pillow/

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Closer Magazine say Breastfeeding can make your Boobs sag.

By Anne Harper Simmance, on August 30th, 2010

The above article appeared in a the issue of Closer Magazine dated 28th August – 3rd September 2010.
It’s hard to know if the author, Dr Christian Jessen, is just ‘bandwagon-jumping’ (because of recent press contraversy over other articles) or if he’s being deliberately provocative, but many of us consider his recent writing on the subject of sagging boobs to be scaremongering.
Some of you may remember that this is the same ‘TV doc’ who told a woman her breasts were ‘too small’ to breastfeed, and advised another (on ‘The Ugly Face of Beauty’) to have a breast enlargement because breastfeeding had made her boobs saggy.  Following the latter broadcast we contacted Dr Jessen to make him aware of the most recent research into the subject (which concluded that breast-ptosis is not linked to breastfeeding but to a variety of other factors).  He responded at the time saying that his opinion was based on his ‘clinical experience’ and stated that he did not think the study was credible.  Dr Jessen’s area of speciality is sexual health.
Following the debate in parliament over free school milk Dr Jessen wrote an article in the London Evening Standard which also attracted criticism.  He maintained that milk (in any form) is not necessary after 1 year, despite the WHO advice on the subject.  You can read the article here.
I have, on behalf of ‘Dispelling Breastfeeding Myths’, written to the Press Complaints Commission regarding the content of his article in Closer Magazine and what I (and others) consider to be a mis-representation of the facts which may put women off breastfeeding.  You can read a copy of the letter here.
Closer magazine have, in the past, been more balanced in their presentation of breastfeeding articles.  They have responded to our complaint to say they will approach Dr Jessen and get back to us.  I think it is worth mentioning that via his Twitter page Dr Jessen communicated with a number of members of our group.  Although they were complaining solely about his article regarding breast-sagging, he seemed to suggest that in taking exception to the article they were trying to make ‘bottle-feeding friends feel bad’.  He also tweeted that he was taking a stand against ‘midwife tyrany’ (sic).
I have (reluctantly!) concluded that Dr Jessen is currently using his position to try and promote a negative perception about breastfeeding and breastfeeding advocates.   He would  not agree, and (also on Twitter) has said that breastfeeding is ‘a choice’ and that he is walking the ‘moderate, balanced middle ground’.
I feel that his article in Closer magazine misrepresented the facts about breastfeeding and mastitis, and in particular I am disappointed that he included no information about how best to treat the illness.  As a former ‘fan’ of Dr Jessen I am both surprised and saddened by his behaviour surrounding this issue.
If you also would like to complain about the content of this most recent article by Dr Jessen, the complaints section of the PCC website is here.
You can read more opinions from members of DBM on our facebook page.

Leave a comment   Breastfeeding Campaigns, Lactivism, Media Complaints   , , ,  

Follow-on milk ads ‘misleading’

By admin, on July 23rd, 2009

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8161831.stm

A baby milk company has been criticised by the advertising watchdog for making misleading claims.


Nutricia, which trades as both Cow and Gate and Milupa, was told to remove adverts which claimed they could “support” the immune system.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled the magazine adverts were misleading and such claims should not be made without “robust” evidence.

The company said it accepted the ruling “in its entirety”.

The issue of follow-on milk for children has been at the centre of continued controversy.

Companies are not allowed to advertise formula milk for babies under six months old.
A mother has a right to make an informed choice on how to feed her child
Mike Brady, of Baby Milk Action

But some pro-breast feeding groups believe there should be a total ban on this kind of advertising.

The World Health Organization recommends that babies are given breast milk exclusively for the first six months and after that it should continue alongside food until the age of two.

In one of the ads for Cow and Gate, a toddler is shown with text stating “still building their self-defences Cow and Gate follow-on milks support your baby’s natural immune system”.

As well as the immune system ruling, Milupa Aptamil was also told to stop claiming it was the “best” formula milk.

A spokeswoman for Nutricia said: “Cow and Gate and Aptamil accept the adjudication in its entirety.”

She said they had already stopped using the claims.

Parents

Mike Brady, of the Baby Milk Action charity, welcomed the rulings, saying there needed to be accurate information about follow-on milk.

“A mother has a right to make an informed choice on how to feed her child.”

And Rosie Dodds, of the National Childbirth Trust, said: “This is a victory for all parents.

“It is another example of how commercially-motivated formula milk manufacturers are tempted to misuse research to persuade parents to use their brand.

“They have overstepped the mark with this advertisement.”

Leave a comment   Lactivism, Media Complaints   ,  

Nasty Nestle think Psycho’s are funny

By admin, on February 17th, 2009

This is from 1999, so I don’t know if they are still calling sweets “Psycho Sam,” “Looney Jerry,” and “Weird Wally” but it just about sums Nestles irresponsible actions up.

Full story here:
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Press_Release_Archive&template=/contentmanagement/contentdisplay.cfm&ContentID=5724&title=NAMI%20Protests%20Nestle’s%20Promotion%20Of%20Mental%20Illness%20Stigma

“Arlington, VA — Nestle USA believes the names of three of its Tangy Taffy flavors are “rooted in a silly, playful humor” that “amuses children and gives personality to our cartoon characters.”

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), on other hand, considers the names to have “long-standing stereotypical associations with person suffering from mental illnesses” which promote stigma in society.

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter agrees with NAMI, but so far the giant candy maker doesn’t seem to care.

NAMI’s Campaign to End Discrimination therefore has launched a second phase in its efforts to persuade Nestle of the error of its ways.

In a letter to Joseph Weller, CEO and chairman of the board of the California-based company, released today, NAMI Executive Director Laurie Flynn wrote that the organization is “outraged and offended” by Nestle’s continued use of the product names “Psycho Sam,” “Looney Jerry,” and “Weird Wally” for its Tangy Taffy bars. “We join former First Lady Rosalyn Carter in expressing our profound objection to such names and images in the promotion of candy sales.”

Since 1998, NAMI has engaged in “quiet diplomacy” with the company, but this time it is going public in its efforts, calling on its network of Stigmabusters and others to join in protests against the candy names. “We assure you that mental illnesses are not silly, playful, or humorous; in no way can these devastating disorders be related to fun,” Flynn declared. “We know this because we face these illnesses every day.”

Flynn also cited President Clinton’s radio address before the recent White House Conference on Mental Health, which spoke to the “tremendous harm caused by the stigma surrounding mental illness, particularly in relation to children” and announced a national public education campaign to combat it.

“Stigma leads to children committing suicide rather than revealing their inner struggles; to adults failing to seek treatment that could salvage their lives, careers and family relations; and to tragedies like the Columbine High School massacre,” Flynn advised Weller. “Nestle cannot make the injury disappear by ignoring or dismissing our concerns, as you have thus far.”

“We are sure you have acted out of ignorance, not malice, and that it was not your intent to cause harm or to perpetuate discrimination,” Flynn said. “But you have and will, unless and until you remove these products from the shelves or repackage them more appropriately.”

Letters of protest can be sent to Mr. Joseph Weller, CEO & Chairman of the Board, Nestle USA, 800 North Brand Boulevard, Glendale, California 91203.”

2 comments   Lactivism, Media Complaints   , , ,  

Looking for dodgy marketing of infant formula…

By admin, on November 25th, 2008

This email is from Baby Milk Action. If you see anything dodgy pleaseuse this link to report it:

http://www.babyfeedinglawgroup.org.uk/monitoring.html

“1 am sending you this email as I think you have reported examples of baby food companies pushing their products in questionable ways to the Baby Feeding Law Group (BFLG) monitoring project in the UK. I am hoping you can help with providing further information.

We are aiming to produce the monitoring reports every three months and it is time to finish the latest. I am particularly looking for help from people who can check the current parenting, celebrity and health worker magazines/journals and send me scans of all formula advertisements. Please let me know if you are interested and which magazines you are able to monitor so I can avoid duplicated effort.

The reports are proving to be effective in exposing aggressive marketing. We submitted evidence to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child when it was evaluating the UK and it stated in October:

“The Committee, while appreciating the progress made in recent years in the promotion and support of breastfeeding in the State party, it is concerned that implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes continues to be inadequate and that aggressive promotion of breastmilk substitutes remains common.”

There is still much to be done to persuade the government to act, however. Three weeks after that report, the Advertising Standards Authority responded by clearing Danone’s advertisement for Cow & Gate formula – the one featuring laughing babies.

The reports also go to Trading Standards home authorities and the government’s panel reviewing the law. Everything submitted to us will go into our database and we will put what we can in the report. Please do let me know if you can help.

mikebrady@babymilkaction.org “

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An Alternative to THAT advert

By Ruth, on July 24th, 2008

You know the advert I mean. Thankfully I’ve not seen it for a while, but you may remember it. The one that basically implies that you can only have the perfect partner / father if you feed your baby a certain brand of artificial baby milk.

One of the many things that angers me about the advert is how clever it is; a byproduct of how much money and time has been spent in designing it and making it.

And how much time and thought, by comparison, goes into breastfeeding adverts in the UK, particularly in England? Not much!

It was getting me down, so I wrote this:

http://theperfectlatch.wordpress.com/2007/10/23/an-alternative-to-that-advert/

it starts like this:

<Gorgeous bloke massaging partner’s shoulders as she breastfeeds the newborn baby>

“I promise to support you in your decision to breastfeed, and never to suggest that any problems would be easily solved with a bottle.”

<Picture of said bloke cooking hot casserole as partner nurses the baby>

“I promise to “mother” you, as you mother our baby, and never to hassle you about household chores.”

Just imagine what we could do, if we had the same budget and the same access to top advertising companies that the artificial baby milk companies do!

And if you do see the original advertisement on TV again – don’t forget to complain. Maybe one day the ASA will have to listen!

Ruth

Leave a comment   Lactivism, Media Complaints, Pregnancy, Breastfeeding and Weaning   ,