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Gerber?  

post #1 of 19
8/14/05 at 1:18am
Thread Starter 
Hello!

I was just thinking is Gerber pro BFing? Or do they support FFing? They make lots of BFing products I bought them all : Like the Gental Flex binkys the only one Ds will use ohhhh he LOVES his bink. and the sippys that he doesn't really use at all. I would buy the organic baby foods and their bowls and spoons. Was I supporting a FFing company? I hope not!

Thanks,
Karen and Baby Joe
post #2 of 19
8/14/05 at 1:27am
I don't know about the FF vs. BF but I do know many years ago they got into trouble for selling apple juice that turned out to be flavored sugar water. That still sticks w/ me and I am not trusting of their labeling. I have bought some of their products, but not food. Just one of those things I don't seem to forget about.
post #3 of 19
8/14/05 at 11:25am
yeah, and a friend of mine bought their organic baby food and it has butter in it...why does baby food need butter? Seems easier to me to make my own, at least then I know what DS is getting...
post #4 of 19
8/14/05 at 11:37am
I think Gerber is just pro making money. Yes they do make breastfeeding stuff but they also make "Gerber Cereal with the Ingredients of Formula"
post #5 of 19
8/14/05 at 11:47am
Gerber violates the Who code- one flagrant violation has to do with the labeling of their cereals...labeling does not make it clear when you should start feeding the cereal, and some boxes give the impression that the cereal is from birth on. Coupole that with the bottle nipples designed to accomidate feeding cereal mixes- and you have a company that is really promoting an inapropriate introduction of solids. Also the baby face logo is a violation.

Love Sarah
post #6 of 19
8/14/05 at 12:06pm
Ugh, consumerism is so tricky sometimes. I hate the advertising practices of *most* companies - honesty always seems to be at the bottom of corporate America's list of important things to include in an ad.

That being said, I really appreciate that Gerber makes and sells BF friendly products - yes, they're very mainstream, but on the bright side --> the fact that they see an opportunity to make money off of BF moms means to me that perhaps BF is becoming common enough for a large coporate entity to manufacture & market products to this sector. I really appreciated being able to go to my local grocery store and pick up breastmilk storage bags when I was working/pumping full time. I think it's great that they sell hand pumps (never used it, but it's available), breast pads, nipple cream, boob ice/gel packs, etc.

It just keeps legitimizing breastfeeding to the mainstream as a very viable option, and yeah they're doing it for the $$$, but what if their products make a mom able to navigate the BF relationship more easily instead of having to order online or find a local medical supply store?

Not saying I love Gerber - again, I have a very healthy skepticism about these and other baby-related companies. But just saying it's nice that BF is becoming mainstream enough to warrant attention by large corporate entities.

OK, too longwinded and I probably made no sense - time to go find some food for this pregnant, hungry mama!
post #7 of 19
8/14/05 at 12:22pm
Yeah, when I was working, I bought a lot of baby food for ds2. I tried to buy all organic when I could, but it's hard to find a decent variety of organic baby food in my town. THey had Gerber, but half of them had milk and/or egg products in them, which is VERY bad, IMO. Babies shouldn't be getting milk or egg products till they're a year old, right? Well, my kids don't get them till they're well over a year b/c severe allergies to both run in my family.

When I have to buy bf products, I try to stik w/ a company that is all about bf, like Medela, Lansinoh, Ameda, etc. But if I can't find what I'm looking for, I guess I'd get Gerber. But luckily, those otehr brands are readily available to me, at Target, WalMart, and even our local CVS! (I bought Lansinoh cotton nursing pads 1.5 years ago at CVS! I was very surprised!)
post #8 of 19
8/14/05 at 1:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by wendy1221
When I have to buy bf products, I try to stik w/ a company that is all about bf, like Medela, Lansinoh, Ameda, etc.
Yes, agreed! Medela, Lansinoh, Ameda - definitely my first choices over a brand like Gerber. I *loved* the Lansinoh storage bags, disposable nursing pads, and of course, lanolin. Medela's storage bags I did *not* like, and so pricey too for what you get! Anyway... back to your originally scheduled thread!
post #9 of 19
8/14/05 at 1:59pm
gerber and beech-nut both are not that supportive of bf...

beech nut is sitll sending out info to new moms about starting solid foods at 4 months, even when the aap specifies not till 6 months when bf.
post #10 of 19
8/14/05 at 2:20pm
This is OT but my big beef with gerber is that they sell cloth diapers that are basically designed to leak (gotta love that inner poleyester layer).

I personally won't buy from them unless I must.
post #11 of 19
8/14/05 at 4:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by natashaccat
This is OT but my big beef with gerber is that they sell cloth diapers that are basically designed to leak (gotta love that inner poleyester layer).

I personally won't buy from them unless I must.
Yeah, I think the Gerber diapers and training pants are designed to sell disposable diapers and training pants! I remember buying flats rather than prefolds when I was diapering my dds (before I had internet access.) I will say that the polyester layer is great when you're using the diapers as burp cloths.

I agree that it's great when mainstream companies sell bf stuff, but I don't think these companies need our support. The ones that exclusively sell BF related items are the ones I'd prefer to spend my money on.
post #12 of 19
8/14/05 at 4:40pm
Gerber does sell DSQ diapers at Target and nicer dept stores, like Sears and JC Penneys. Oh, and TRU and BRU both have them as well. They're all cotton and would work find. But they're very expensive and I'm sure most moms trying to save a buch by buying cloth when they don't really know better would be shopping at WalMart.
post #13 of 19
8/14/05 at 9:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruthla
I will say that the polyester layer is great when you're using the diapers as burp cloths.
I think 90% of the people who buy the 'diapers' are buying them for burp clothes. I never would have considered using cloth if that was all I saw. Though I have had a couple of mommas mention that they tried those diapers and after the first few weeks they sucked. I just nicely tell them about CPFs and that if they are interested in cloth that Walmart is not a good place to go.
post #14 of 19
8/15/05 at 2:37am
I had bought a stash of those flat dipes too once upon a time. I wound using them as inserts for better dipes for stain protection when I knew some pooping was gonna go on. Then I cut them up for dishrags. Lol.

On a side note, does anyone know how that new Gerber breast pump works? I will never get to use it but I am curious about it.
post #15 of 19
8/15/05 at 12:32pm
I think I read somewhere that Gerber makes crappy pumps designed to frustrate moms into giving up BFing. I don't know if that's true or not since I've never personally used one of their pumps.

Their jarred food is terrible. My MIL had a jar of carrots left over from when my nephew was here. I gave some to my dd and she hated it. I tasted it and I agree with her. Oh, it was awful. I prefer to make my own food for her so I know what's going into her.

I like their Lavender baby bath. I use that on myself.
post #16 of 19
8/15/05 at 2:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gidget
On a side note, does anyone know how that new Gerber breast pump works? I will never get to use it but I am curious about it.
If you're referring to the one that's basically a copy of the Avent Isis, I used to have one. Somebody on a bf board I was active on at the time gave a raving review of it after finding them on deep clearance at a store near her. I asked her to buy me one (I sent her the money for it of course ) and I wasn't nearly as impressed with it. It automatically breaks the suction after a certain length of time- which didn't affect her use of it because she simply didn't hold the suction as long. I got practically no milk with it because the suction stopped as soon as I got a good stream going!! It was well worth the $10 for me to try it out, but I wouldn't suggest it to anybody as anything but a backup pump (which is how this friend used it, kept it in her PIS bag just in case.)

I agree about the baby wash- it does smell yummy! I'm no longer comfortable buying it though, since I'm not too sure about the ingredients.
post #17 of 19
8/15/05 at 6:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarah
Also the baby face logo is a violation.
I don't understand what you mean by this. : Sorry if I'm being naive : A violation of the baby who is pictured?
post #18 of 19
8/15/05 at 7:19pm
A violation of WHO code.
post #19 of 19
8/16/05 at 12:12am
I have Gerber prefolds. I have no complaints. Although I do wish I had some good CPFs...We got Gerbers for our baby shower and used the money we were going to use for prefolds towards speciality diapers.
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