Lansinoh baby wipes...hmmm...

[hubris]

I was in Target today and noticed a package of Lansinoh baby wipes next to the tubes of lanolin. Since I had never seen them before, I picked up a pack to find out what they are. The package said they were for breastfed babies...and I wondered, for what? Wiping the mama? Wiping baby's tush?

The package says this:

Breastfed Babies have different needs

Breastfed babies need changing more often because breastmilk is a natural laxative. Clean & Condition Cloths provide extra care and protection for the breastfed baby. Contains Lansinoh Brand Lanolin to promote healthy skin. Safe for use anywhere gentle cleaning and conditioning is required.

Hmmmm. That kindof bothered me. On the one hand, saying that BM is a laxative is true. Lanolinized wipes sound great for any baby. But is it just me being oversensitive, or could people take away the message that breastfed babies need more cleaning, or that they get more diaper rash. The statement "breastfed babies have different needs" almost implies that breastfed babies have MORE needs, since I don't see any special wipes for formula-fed babies.

I can just see this getting out on a mainstream due date board, hearing people talk about how so-and-so's breastfed baby had the WORST diaper rash, and that there are even special products just for breastfed diaper rash. Just one more reason not to breastfeed.

I wouldn't expect Lansinoh to put out a product that undermines breastfeeding and don't think it was intentional, but it does strike me as not the greatest package copy in the world. Plus, wouldn't all (sposie-wipe-using) babies benefit from wipes with lanolin instead of normal disposable wipes? Why is this product shelved with the lanolin, next to the bottles, instead of with the wipes on the diaper aisle?

DH thinks that I'm nuts and overanalyzing this. Please somebody either tell me that I'm crazy, or let me know that I'm not alone in my interpretation of the package and the possible repercussions among women who are undecided about breastfeeding and might be deterred by the appearance that BFing is hard or might harm baby or requires more equipment/stuff.

[Belle]

I noticed that product also, but I wasn't that curious about it. I assumed that they were lanolin wipes for sore nipples. I guess that they could be used for either nipples or bums. I think that they would put them next to Lansinoh's other products so that the BFing mommas would notice them more and be more inclined to buy them. If they put them next to the other wipes all most moms would see is a small package of wipes that are a lot more expensive than other wipes; not a good selling point.

[angelpie545]

I don't blame you at all for being offended; they are using the statment that BM is a natural laxative to promote their product to BFing mothers, because their cream is for BFing mothers, and those mothers will know the brand name. Actually, their statement that BF babies need to be changed more is true, b/c BF babies do poop a lot more, but this is healthy! As far as diaper rash goes, any baby left in a poopy diaper is likely to develop a rash, but BF bowel movement is less likely to cause a rash than a formula BM, unless the BFing mother's diet has something in it that is her baby is sensitive to, and in that case the rash would be terrible, which is were they get they idea from. So as long as a BFing mother watches her diet and makes sure to change and clean her baby often (as of course all mothers should), then her baby is no more likely to develop diaper rash then a formula-fed baby. So, they are trying to promote their product using the diaper-rash scenario. Just another marketing scheme to suck mothers into buying more and more products.

Beth, fiance to a wonderful man , mommy to Destiny, 4, ,
and Deanna, 2

[annettemarie]

It bothers me because it is perpetuating the myth that breastfeeding takes some sort of special equipment.

[soccerchic21]

You aren't crazy. It sounds like the ad department didn't really think it all the way through. Us breastfeeding mothers understand what it means but I can see someone who is on the fence about breastfeeding being possibly pushed the other way because maybe breastfed babies sound like more work.

[annettemarie]

Not only more work, but they need specialized wipes.

[MA mommy]

Sounds like they are really stretching it by selling special diaper wipes for breastfed babies You could drop them a line: http://www.lansinoh.com/A-Please%20T...bout%20You.htm

[Jadzia]

I remember looking at these at Target and being really confused about the product. I thought it would be a great idea to have wipes for breasts (especially since I read you shouldn't use soap on your breasts while breastfeeding). But I picked them up and read that line which seemed to say that they were basically diaper wipes for babies.

I think they would be better off marketing them as a healthy way to clean your nipples before breastfeeding. I think that is a great idea for a product that a breastfeeding mom would buy.

I actually bought the wipes to use them for that purpose, but I have yet to crack them open to try them.

[UUMom]

Well...I dunno, but prettty much *every* baby wipe I ever tried sucks. You need like 10 to clean a little bum. There is *one* exception however, and it it the French brand of wipes MUSTELA. Those things rock-- their whole entire baby line rocks. One wipe could clean a bum covered in meconium. I got them as a baby gift and then bought one more pack. My dh always laughed--- 'what the heck is in these things? It melts it all away". :LOL

*UNREAL* quality--and no other baby wipe even comes close. (Not talking about cloth wipes, which also rock).

If these end up being like Mustela, I want them to keep in the car.

I could never figure out how the French could make such a totally rockin' baby wipe that worked and the Americans could not.

I'm going to try them. Here's to hoping someone on this continent figured it all out. I mean, is it rocket science?

[Changed]

i'd have assumed they were junk too but having used a sample on a bleeding raw diaper rash i now know better. they are super gentle and his rash got better while i was using them. they are a nice alternative imo, to regular wipes.

[hubris]

Originally Posted by Belle

I assumed that they were lanolin wipes for sore nipples. I guess that they could be used for either nipples or bums. I think that they would put them next to Lansinoh's other products so that the BFing mommas would notice them more and be more inclined to buy them. If they put them next to the other wipes all most moms would see is a small package of wipes that are a lot more expensive than other wipes; not a good selling point.

I thought the same thing when I first saw them, that they were for mamas to use on their breasts. I'm not sure that using them on sore nipples would be a good idea, wouldn't it be similar to using soap on nipples? Lanolinized soap, sure, but probably not as good for you as a little plain water followed by some plain lanolin.

I'm sure that they did put them next to the lanolin to appeal to BFing mamas, and your point about expensive wipes is good, although people do buy other products that are more expensive than similar things on the shelf next to them, if the packaging is cute and tells them that it does something that the other products don't do.

Originally Posted by angelpie545

I don't blame you at all for being offended; they are using the statment that BM is a natural laxative to promote their product to BFing mothers, because their cream is for BFing mothers, and those mothers will know the brand name. Actually, their statement that BF babies need to be changed more is true, b/c BF babies do poop a lot more, but this is healthy! As far as diaper rash goes, any baby left in a poopy diaper is likely to develop a rash, but BF bowel movement is less likely to cause a rash than a formula BM, unless the BFing mother's diet has something in it that is her baby is sensitive to, and in that case the rash would be terrible, which is were they get they idea from. So as long as a BFing mother watches her diet and makes sure to change and clean her baby often (as of course all mothers should), then her baby is no more likely to develop diaper rash then a formula-fed baby. So, they are trying to promote their product using the diaper-rash scenario. Just another marketing scheme to suck mothers into buying more and more products.

Marketing schemes like that bug me in general. : Call me oversensitive. Like those "don't you wish you had a fresh wipe for every bath? And don't you wish you could throw it away?" Ugh, no, I never wished that, but thanks for creating the need in other people.

*I* know that BM is a natural laxative, that BFed babies poop more often and that sitting in poop is the cause of diaper rash, not BFing. But there are a lot of mothers out there who don't know that, and it's them and their perception of this product that worry me here. I've seen some pretty cockamamie reasons for not BFing on mainstream boards, usually based on a mother feeling genuine but misinformed concern for her baby's health.

Originally Posted by annettemarie

It bothers me because it is perpetuating the myth that breastfeeding takes some sort of special equipment.

Yes. Wasn't there a thread here recently comparing some site's list of what you need for FFing vs. BFing, and the BFing list was a mile long?

Originally Posted by soccerchic21

Us breastfeeding mothers understand what it means but I can see someone who is on the fence about breastfeeding being possibly pushed the other way because maybe breastfed babies sound like more work.

Exactly my concern.

Originally Posted by MA mommy

Sounds like they are really stretching it by selling special diaper wipes for breastfed babies You could drop them a line: http://www.lansinoh.com/A-Please%20T...bout%20You.htm

I plan to, I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't totally off-base in my reaction.

Originally Posted by Jadzia

I think they would be better off marketing them as a healthy way to clean your nipples before breastfeeding.

But doesn't that perpetuate the ideas that a) cleaning breasts is necessary, and b)that BFing is more work?

Originally Posted by Momma4

Well...I dunno, but prettty much *every* baby wipe I ever tried sucks. ...If these end up being like Mustela, I want them to keep in the car.

Originally Posted by my~hearts~light

i'd have assumed they were junk too but having used a sample on a bleeding raw diaper rash i now know better. they are super gentle and his rash got better while i was using them. they are a nice alternative imo, to regular wipes.

I'm totally NOT assuming that they're pure junk or knocking them as a diaper wipe, just the way they are choosing to market them. The idea of a lanolinized diaper wipe actually sounds good to me and it's something I would consider carrying in my diaper bag. I bet it would be nice for hands as well - cleaning AND moisturizing.

[brookerenee]

I've used the wipes, and like them, but I don't like what they say about pooping frequency on the package.

In our case, the statement that BF babies poop more often is true for the first few months, but once my DD was a few months old, she only pooped once a week! Tell that to a FF mother!

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by Jadzia

I remember looking at these at Target and being really confused about the product. I thought it would be a great idea to have wipes for breasts (especially since I read you shouldn't use soap on your breasts while breastfeeding). But I picked them up and read that line which seemed to say that they were basically diaper wipes for babies.

I think they would be better off marketing them as a healthy way to clean your nipples before breastfeeding. I think that is a great idea for a product that a breastfeeding mom would buy.

I actually bought the wipes to use them for that purpose, but I have yet to crack them open to try them.

You do know that you do not actually have to clean your nipples before breastfeeding, don't you?

[MA mommy]

Originally Posted by brookerenee

I've used the wipes, and like them, but I don't like what they say about pooping frequency on the package.

In our case, the statement that BF babies poop more often is true for the first few months, but once my DD was a few months old, she only pooped once a week! Tell that to a FF mother!

Very true! How much of a market will there be for these breastfed baby wipes once the poops slow down? :LOL

[Changed]

see they worked great for us because he was pooping constantly. like a slow leak! so anyway they were just gentle and less painful for him. maybe they put them with the bf stuff because thats where nursing mothers who would consider them would most likely see them? would a ff mom use them? not as likely. and ftm, if you got a sample as i did and wanted more as i did ypu would look with he rest of the lansinoh products. food for thought.

[hubris]

Originally Posted by my~hearts~light

see they worked great for us because he was pooping constantly. like a slow leak! so anyway they were just gentle and less painful for him. maybe they put them with the bf stuff because thats where nursing mothers who would consider them would most likely see them? would a ff mom use them? not as likely. and ftm, if you got a sample as i did and wanted more as i did ypu would look with he rest of the lansinoh products. food for thought.

Again, not arguing over whether or not the product itself is good, just the marketing/packaging.

If I received a sample in the mail and wanted more, I would actually look in the disposable diaper/wipe section first, since that's where I would expect to find wipes. Although Lansinoh makes them, it wouldn't occur to me that all Lansinoh products would be on one shelf...after all, all J&J products aren't on one shelf, or P&G, or other companies.

I'm skeptical of the claim that this product wouldn't be useful to FFing moms. Too bad that Lansinoh might miss out on that portion of the market because they're only targeting BFers.

Plus, honestly, how many times do BFers visit the section of the store where the tubes of Lanolin are kept? I bought one while pg with Griff and still have lots left in that tube.

[MommytoTwo]

It doesnt really bother me

[Jadzia]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

You do know that you do not actually have to clean your nipples before breastfeeding, don't you?

Yes, but since my son was born, let's just say I don't get to shower as much as I'd like to.

Sometimes I worry about DS developing too much of a salty taste.

[Ruthla]

Yes, the marketing of that sounds "off" to me as well.

As far as I'm concerned, here's a complete list of feeding supplies for a bf baby:

at least 1 lactating breast

[hlkm2e]

When my dd was born, I wasn't enlightened about cloth yet. Her poor bum was red from the pampers wipes. I noticed the Lansinoh tube box said something about wipes. So, I found them at TArget by the bf stuff. Those wipes saved my dd's bum. I swore by them and told everyone I knew about them. Now, we use cloth and her bum is fine, but those are great wipes.