You know, usually I aim to be articulate, to support opinions with facts, to try to explain things in a helpful manner. I like pointing moms towards good information, and helping explain the source of some mislead opinions and so on.
But this morning, I’m just really not feeling it.
It’s no surprise that I can’t hear “Nestle” without something in me going GRRRRR! And Gerber, sadly, is owned by Nestle. So when I saw this following press release, my head damn near exploded:
Gerber® Good Start® Soothe formula, the first and only routine infant formula with the probiotic L. reuteri. L. reuteri has been clinically shown to reduce crying time by 50 percent in colicky breastfed infants.
You’ve… you’ve got to be effing kidding me. If you’re familiar with Daily Momtra at all, you know I spent a lot of time trying to explain how marketing is sneaky, underhanded sabotage, misleading moms into feeling certain ways. But this? You can’t get more blatantly open about it than this. Might as well come out and say, “Does your breastfed baby cry? Yeah? This formula will make it stop.” And of course, then you can stop breastfeeding too.
I’m just amazed at the audacity. Not to mention the fact that probiotics generally need to be refrigerated to stay “alive” and normal preparation of formula would kill it. But it’s okay, they’re coming out with probiotic drops too, for formula or breastfed babies. You know, because they care. I imagine these particular products are especially going to be targeted at breastfeeding moms, more than their usual tripe.
Yes, I know probiotics are awesome and can help with digestive issues, we take them regularly here ourselves, but to market a formula and say that it helps breastfed infants? Give me a freaking break. I know some of my lovely, intelligent friends here in the breastfeeding community will come out with very good, scientific responses to this, and I’m going to gladly share those, link them here, and be grateful for them, but right now I’m just going to roll my eyes and mutter cusswords under my breath.
Please moms, don’t fall for this crap. Don’t let your friends either.
Tags: #boonestle, #nonestle, advertising, breastfeeding, formula, nestle boycott
Seriously? Just a reminder of why I started avoiding Nestle (and their full family of companies) almost 4 years ago. These people have absolutely no shame & could care less about what is best for babies. It’s all about money.
Either I am reading it wrong or taking it wrong but to me its sounds like they r saying they are putting (probiotic L. reuteri. L. reuteri) has been clinically shown to reduce crying time by 50 percent in colicky breastfed infants.) Meaning that’s what helps breastfed babies not be colicky? I don’t think they were saying breastfed babies are colicky I think they were saying that formula feed babies are cause they need probiotic L. reuteri. L. reuteri ? Altho I’m sure it can b takeing both ways enticeing some women who bf and might have a colicky baby to believe that formula could help??…
So first off, it’s not a lie. There was a clinical try done to prove that statement. If you don’t believe them look up bad ad on the FDA website and call them out. This prompts and FDA investigation on claims consumers and doctors feel companies and making false and misleading claims. Second, not true about probiotics. Certain formulations need to be refrigerated but the kid I take don’t need to be and are in a powder form.
As the mother of 4 grown children a childbirth educator, breastfeeding counsellor, past La Leche League Leader and a woman whose first book about breastfeeding was Gabrirelle Palmers the politics of breastfeeding THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
I have made myself available to any of my clients for many years.
I won some and lost some. I do see it as a loss when therre is no experience of beauty, perfection, bonding and attachment in breastfeeding.
The hardest thing to compete with is the marketing. Perhaps some of the good that can come out of the social media of your generation is getting this information to younger and younger people.