Formula gifts to new mothers

[MarshaNABA]

I am in the process of gathering input on examples of formula company gifts given to new mothers. I am the executive director of the National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy (NABA), the organization that monitors the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes in the US. We have recently been made aware of a new marketing tactic used by a formula company. A company who takes photos of newborns in the hospital has been selling the names and contact information of mothers to a formula company who in turn sends formula samples and marketing materials to that mother for a full year.

Have any of you experienced this? If so I would be grateful if you would tell me of your experience. Any other examples of formula marketing would be gratefully accepted. You may reply to this forum or to my email address, [e-mail].

Thank you so much for your help

Marsha Walker RN, IBCLC

[songbh]

Marsha, thanks so much for posting about this project here, and thanks for the work that NABA does to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding in the US.

I'm wondering if you have any more information about how mothers might know that a hospital photography company is the conduit by which their info has reached the formula companies that are sending them samples and other marketing materials? It seems there are so many companies that sell personal info for these purposes, I'm wondering how the targeted consumers can pinpoint the source of any specific mailing?

(It is so ironic that as I'm replying to Marsha Walker's post on the lactivism forum of MDC, I'm staring at two huge ads by Similac's "StrongMoms" campaign ... sigh....)

[MarshaNABA]

How formula companies get your name

When the mother received the first mailing she called the phone number on the mailing, 1-800-BABY123, and I asked them how they obtained her name and address. The woman on the phone told her they received her name and address and her baby's birth date from Our365. She asked the Mead Johnson representative what they do with this information that Our365 gave/sold to them. The woman said that they send mailings every month until the baby turns one year. Sure enough, a few weeks later she received two cans of formula in the mail, and a few weeks after that she received a three dollar coupon. The first mailing advised mothers to ask their doctor to learn more about Enfamil. Anyone who signs up for Our365 photos becomes a part of their "club" when they fill out the paperwork (unless they indicate that they don't want to be), and when you are part of the "club" you get enrolled in the Enfamil Family Beginnings program. 1949 hospitals partner with this photography company.

[songbh]

Originally Posted by MarshaNABA

1949 hospitals partner with this photography company.

Wow. Almost two thousand hospitals colluding with Enfamil via the apparently harmless and oh-so-cute practice of newborn photos.

What percentage of U.S. hospitals does this represent?

[WC_hapamama]

It's really not any different than what the OB/Gyn practices tend to do.

[DYMINDGURL]

I knew i wasn't crazy...

I RECEIVED A LETTER IN THE MAIL TODAY FROM A COMPANY NAMED THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF MOTHER AND CHILD CARE. I WAS INSTANTLY SUSPICIOUS BECAUSE I'D NEVER HEARD OF THIS PLACE. I WAS BEING ASKED LOTS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT MY NEW BABY AND WHAT, HOW AND WHEN I FEED HER. THEY TRIED TO MAKE THE LETTER SOUND LEGITIMATE BY PUTTING MY NAME IN THE GREETING AND STATING THAT I HAD BEEN "RANDOMLY SELECTED" TO PARTICIPATE IN A SURVEY TO HELP THEM IMPROVE THEIR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. THEY WENT ON TO SAY THAT THEY WOULD NOT SELL MY NAME TO ANYONE. THE FIRST THING THAT POPPED IN MY HEAD WAS, "I WONDER WHO SOLD MY NAME TO YOU?" WHAT MADE ME MORE LEERY WAS THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO PHONE NUMBER LISTED ANYWHERE ON THE FORM. I GOOGLED THE COMPANY TO TRY AND CONTACT SOMEONE TO FIND OUT HOW THEY GOT MY INFORMATION. I FOUND NO WEBSITE FOR THEM, BUT DID FIND SOMETHING DISTURBING. ON AT LEAST 4 DIFFERENT LINKS THE NAME OF THE COMPANY WAS THE SAME, BUT THE ADDRESS, LOCATION STATE AND CONTACT PERSON WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT. ONE OF THE LINKS LED ME HERE AND VOILA! YOU HAVE CONFIRMED MY SUSPICION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THINK IT' SICKENING AND SCARY THAT THESE TYPES OF THINGS ARE BEING DONE AND THERE SEEMS TO BE NO REGULATION ON ANY OF THEM. AND AS A NEW MOM, I DON'T HAVE THE ENERGY TO DEAL WITH NONSENSE LIKE THIS. ANY SOLUTIONS? HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ANY OF YOU? :

[DYMINDGURL]

And what's worse is that when i had my daughter, i was told that the hospital no longer had a photo company working with them and that i couldn't get any pictures unless i took them with my own camera. To find out it wasn't true makes me feel very disgusted.

[betsyj]

I believe that Babies r Us sold my name to a formula company. When my Mom registered me for some gifts all of a sudden I began receiving Similac (spelling??) coupons. Then, a week before my due date I reveived two free tins of formula in a plastic kit and it included coupons for more formula and bottles as well.

I donated them to my local WIC office.

[everything to one]

what about the gifts given at the hospital? everyone at our hospital is given a new diaper bag with a similac tag and its filled with samples and info about formula. i cut the tag off and used the bag for almost two years. but i actually thought about saving the samples bc you hate to be wasteful. i finally through them away after they sat around for months and months. but it is crazy that i even thought about it- when i didnt ask for it in the first place! i also get lots of stuff in the mail about formula but we get lots of junk mail. could be from babiesrus mailing list? or a million other sources...??

[lilmissimpatient@c]

Our baby had photos done by our365, and we receive $5-10 in formula coupons every month. ridiculous. :

[mojumi]

FWIW I know Mothering Maternity does this same thing. When I signed up with them (as a first time pg mom) for "store coupons in the mail" I ended up on several formula mailing lists. (This was in 2000.) I know it was through the store registration because I did not 'register' with anyone else, and in fact even tho' I m/c I continued to receive letters and samples from the formula company (even a 'welcome baby' letter on my due date -- devastating). Anyway, every time I received a sample I called and asked to be removed from the mailing list, and confirmed from the cs rep that they got my name from Mothering Maternity. And stores wonder why I won't sign up for 'store coupons' anymore!!

I hope this effort isn't limited to one particular company that sells mothers' information to formula companies, but *all* companies who do this.

[Ellien C]

My OB office was pushing a bag that included some kind of pregnancy journal from one of the formula companies. I took all of the formula stuff out of the bag and the bag and left it on the counter. The nurse asked if I didn't want those things and I said I don't take formula gifts.

[akat]

The heartbreaking thing is that these tactics must work for them. When I got back to my recovery room after fighting tooth and nail with the NICU for them not to give my baby formula, imagine my rage when I found a "Breastfeeding Success Kit" hanging on my doorknob...a diaper bag containing a big can of formula and nothing else. They sure proved my point [that the hospital only gives lip service to exclusive breastfeeding].

[woodensandals]

My "breastfeeding" bag from the hospital also came with formula samples. It did have other good stuff in there, but I was confused at why they'd include formula for someone who doesn't want it.

Before I was even pregnant I did an online survey that must have sold my name all over. I received 4 full size cans of formula powder (2 from each brand) and a million coupons.

[OkiMom]

When I took some Budgeting classes and newborn classes the military offered I got a TON of formula samples. I also got them when I registered at Babies R Us. Im thinking Babies R Us might have sold my info or the place I got a 3 D ultrasound done at because shortly after I registered I started recieving formula advertisments and cans of formula.
The NICU here wouldn't release my newborn to me until I told them I would use formula with her and accepted their samples.

[filiadeluna]

I'm pretty sure BabiesRUs sold my name/addy to the formula companies. I got quite a lot of samples and coupons the first few months, but nothing in awhile (thank goodness). I gave them to a friend to donate to WIC.

[tnmomtoboys]

The bag I got didn't have any formula. The nursese encouraged breastfeeding. In fact, the nurses wore t-shirts that had the 10 reasons to breastfeed on them. If you are breastfeeding, they don't give pacifiers or bottles. They clear out the room after the birth so the mother and father can bond and nurse the baby. I was very happy with my hospital and the things they did to make breastfeeding easier.

[emmalizz]

.

[SuzyLee]

My "breastfeeding" diaper bag had formula, and formula coupons. I kept the ice packs. That was it. I didn't even keep the bag since it had a Enfamil logo on it!

I got on lists from BRU and Motherhood.

[leaveit2beeker]

Originally Posted by tnmomtoboys

The bag I got didn't have any formula. The nursese encouraged breastfeeding. In fact, the nurses wore t-shirts that had the 10 reasons to breastfeed on them. If you are breastfeeding, they don't give pacifiers or bottles. They clear out the room after the birth so the mother and father can bond and nurse the baby. I was very happy with my hospital and the things they did to make breastfeeding easier.

Same here. I never received free formula (but I also did NOT get pictures through the hospital photographer, or sign up for any registries at BRU or such, or get any subscriptions...) And the breastfeeding bag I received at the hospital was just that: breastfeeding literature and LLL contact information. Although, it can't be that hard to get free formula, all my friends that delivered at said hospital got it...