Formula samples...

[prettypixels]

I thought I had averted their presence, until yesterday they showed up on my doorstep! (I'm 38 wks pregnant!) The funny part is, they are addressed to my SIL, not to me. (She has no children, is not pregnant.) My SIL and BIL did send us some gifts... via the Target baby registry...

So, how did Enfamil (Give your baby the BEST start in life manage to add my home to the list with my SIL's name?!?!?! Isn't that wierd???

On another unrelated note about Target... after all the stories of moms being chased away from their display furniture, the other day I was at Target and saw a large man chilling out in one of their display armchairs. Up on a platform, even. There were 5 or 6 Target employees around (working on a Christmas display I think) and not one told him he was unsafe or should move. Just for the record!

[melikahiwa]

You can donate the samples to a food bank or birthright or some sort of organization. Or post them on your mommy's group. Or mark them return to sender. I've heard Doctors give your info out.


They will send more. and more companies will send it to. This is just the beginning. I have probably a case of formula here collecting dust.

[prettypixels]

Well I have a midwife, not a doctor, and she is a lactivist.

Besides, it's not in my name... it's in my SIL's which is why it's so wierd! All the gifts I got on my registry were in her husband's name (his name as the return address).

[annettemarie]

Please do not advocating selling checks here, as it goes against the purpose of the Lactivism forum.

Mothering Magazine and MDC have a strong commitment to the World Health Organization’s International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, which recognizes that advertising formula reduces the number of children that are breastfed and the duration of breastfeeding. The purpose of the code is "contribute to the provision of safe and adequate nutrition for infants, by the protection and promotion of breast-feeding, and by ensuring the proper use of breast-milk substitutes, when these are necessary, on the basis of adequate information and through appropriate marketing and distribution." Keeping this in mind, advocating formula feeding by choice is not permitted on the Lactivism board or any other forum at MDC. Additionally, advocating the redistributing or selling of formula coupons, samples, or other freebies is strongly discouraged.

Whether it's you or a formula company attempting to market formula to women, it can have the same devestating result on a breastfeeding relationship.

[prettypixels]

Thanks for the reminder Anne Marie

I'll donate my samples to a shelter!

[boheime]

You can always ask around to see if there are any mothers who have to supplement with Lact-Aid or SNS. Mothers who supplement at the breast are typically strong lactivists who would give anything to be able to exclusively breastfeed and have worked their bums off for every drop of breastmilk that they can give their children.

I, personally, have worked my bum off to provide breastmilk for my kids. I still use the LA at times for my 26 month old, although for just comfort nursing, she is okay just "nursing mommy."

[chandasz]

I wouldn't donate the stuff. I got a sample in the mail. Marked it return to sender. Refused. Breastfed baby!

[prettypixels]

Well I got another package for my SIL (not pregnant, never has been) LOL! I wonder if they just somehow FOUND the female name tied to my BIL's credit card info? If so that is sneaky. And if so then it's Target selling stuff to the formula companies, just FYI for anyone else who may be registering!

There is a "Feeding Basics" card in here and the whole front is a poster about HOW TO BREASTFEED! Wow... Then the back is "Supplementing with Formula," "Transitioning with formula," "types of formula."

[RetroMom]

I've received so many darned formula samples, checks, calendars, etc. that I could literally wallpaper an entire room with the them. The one thing that made me the angriest was instructions on how to gradually replace breastfeedings with formula until completely weaned. I was beyond livid.
Now that my son is a toddler, I don't get them anymore, thankfully. However.......my 75yo FIL gets them, as does my SIL who has never had a child! Strange. They give me all of the mailings, and I have quite a bit of fun ripping them to shreds. Great stress-reliever!!

[user_name]

That MDC makes the blanket statement that they discourage "the redistributing or selling of formula coupons, samples, or other freebies" does not jive with their commitment to "contribute to the provision of safe and adequate nutrition for infants, by the protection and promotion of breast-feeding, and by ensuring the proper use of breast-milk substitutes, when these are necessary, on the basis of adequate information and through appropriate marketing and distribution."

The code itself acknowledges that there is a "proper use of breast-milk substitutes" because it wants to ensure it.

Formula coupons helped us save some money, and I even sold several coupons and made some money. How could anyone logically argue it is inappropriate to sell a coupon to help someone buy necessary formula? Also, what sense does it make to say giving away coupons or samples to charity is any better?

Basically, FWIW, my opinion is that every coupon, pamphlet, sample, etc. a formula company sends to me (or anyone else that is either a lactivist or not even a mother) means one fewer potentially-persuadable person out there getting one. What's wrong with helping formula companies waste their resources?

[annettemarie]

There's plenty wrong with it, in my opinion. Every one of those checks has the information coded into it of the person to whom it was sent, including the fact that the recipient marked that she intended to breastfeed on the card she filled out. When that check gets cashed, it doesn't matter if it's you, your neighbor, or some lady with 99% positive feedback rating on ebay--as far as the formula company is concerned, they succeeded in getting one more breastfeeding woman not to breastfeed. It has already been proven that they market harder to breastfeeding women. When you "redistribute" those coupons, you are telling them their hard marketing tactics towards breastfeeding mothers work.

Secondly, don't delude yourself. Formula's heavy-handed marketing techniques, including coupons and supposed "free" samples are a major factor in why formula is so stinking expensive. They're not giving the samples and coupons away out of the goodness of their hearts, nor are they eating the costs because they're nice people. Every cent in so-called free formula gets passed on to the mamas and babies who truly need it.

If you (general you) are selling "free" samples or coupons and making a profit, I have a very hard time seeing the difference between you and a formula corporation. You're just doing it on a smaller scale.

[prettypixels]

I had never even heard of such a thing before...

Of course I never heard that people sell their Bed Bath and Beyond coupons online either!

I think you make a really good point Annette Marie. Unfortunately we all know lots of low income mamas out there ARE using formula (for all kinds of reasons, like... lack of information about breastfeeding!)... so is it unethical, do you think, to GIVE people these coupons and samples? Vs. Throwing them away? It seems so wasteful when maybe it could help someone who really needs the help.

Anyways... I was all proud of myself for dodging the formula company mailing lists this time. When my godson was born, I had signed up for some catalog for baby clothes to give his mom (11 years ago), and wound up getting totally slammed with formula stuff. I was trying really hard to dodge that this time!

I still say it's creepy that they somehow got my SIL's name, somehow, from my BIL's cc information I guess??? Since he is the one that bought us the gifts via my registry.

That is just way too Big Brother to me. Creeeeeeeepy!

[annettemarie]

If I knew someone was already using formula and I didn't feel like it would interfere with a breastfeeding relationship or influence a mama in any way not to breastfeed, I would probably give the samples with a clear conscience. I love the idea of giving them to a low supply mama or a mama who does foster care.

Personally, I would just throw away or send back the coupons, because of the information aspect. I think it's absolutely disgusting that they market formula so hard and heavy to breastfeeding mamas. (As you can tell, I feel very strongly about this). And I guess I just don't see wasting what essentially is an unethical bribe as "wasteful". But I understand that not everyone will feel that way.

[Sharondio]

Selling the checks is technically illegal as it says right on them "non-transferable." Why do they use checks? As another poster mentioned...it's so they can track down exactly who cashed it and when. And once you cash that $11.00 check, don't be surprised when the next one you receive is only $3.00.

I cashed them and donated the formula to a food bank.

[momuveight2B]

I miscarried earlier this year and recieved formula samples in the mail near my due date. I have heard of this happening to other moms too. I threw it in the trash this time but in the past I have donated to the food bank.

[melikahiwa]

Originally Posted by Sharondio

I cashed them and donated the formula to a food bank.

They let you cash them? Strange.

[Sharondio]

Originally Posted by melikahiwa

They let you cash them? Strange.

I'm not sure I understand. By "cash them in" I mean, use them for formula. They don't pay me cash, of course. I'm still not sure how they manage to be both a coupon and a check, but they have the rules of a coupon (no returns, etc) but with the legal protection and tracking ability of a check.

I used them at the store for formula which I then donated to a food bank. I collected as many of those checks as possible (without letting any expire) before cashing them in because as soon as they were cashed, I started getting the smaller checks instead of the "full can" checks.

I also signed up for formula samples, stating "full breastfeeding" to get the maximum samples and checks from all companies. If they're going to stack the deck, I'm going to count the cards. :

[melikahiwa]

Originally Posted by Sharondio

I'm not sure I understand. By "cash them in" I mean, use them for formula. They don't pay me cash, of course. I'm still not sure how they manage to be both a coupon and a check, but they have the rules of a coupon (no returns, etc) but with the legal protection and tracking ability of a check.

I used them at the store for formula which I then donated to a food bank. I collected as many of those checks as possible (without letting any expire) before cashing them in because as soon as they were cashed, I started getting the smaller checks instead of the "full can" checks.

I also signed up for formula samples, stating "full breastfeeding" to get the maximum samples and checks from all companies. If they're going to stack the deck, I'm going to count the cards. :

I misunderstood I was trying to figure out what sort of bank would cash them, it just sounded bizarre!
I didn't realize they give you more for full breastfeeding! That's too funny! Ok well not really funny but ironic and irritating...

[lml41981]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

Secondly, don't delude yourself. Formula's heavy-handed marketing techniques, including coupons and supposed "free" samples are a major factor in why formula is so stinking expensive.

Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.

I heard a formula feeding mother complain once about Nestle. She said that when her baby was only a month old or so, she got checks for $11 left and right. She then started getting $5 and $3 checks and then they just stopped once her baby was about 6 months old. She was genuinely confused as to why they just stopped. It took all I had not to say, "Because they know they have you. There's a reason they don't address relactation in the breastfeeding info they send with the formula checks."

[sapphire_chan]

: I wonder if something like this:

Dear Formula Company,

You will be glad to know that I no longer rely on your formula for my 6 month old baby. I have sucessfully resumed breastfeeding! I will no longer be purchasing your products.

Sincerely,
Usedtouse Formula

Would get the samples started up again?