Formula milk baby clubs

I had a leaflet through the post today from a well known manufacturer of baby milk formula, advising me to carry on breastfeeding. Strange you may think. Yes indeed, until you read between the lines. The whole leaflet is about the problems you may have experienced in the first few weeks of breastfeeding, with a helpful note about how breastfed babies may go less time between feeds because breast milk is more easily digested and how things you eat might go into your milk and affect your baby.

The undercurrent through the whole leaflet, though it is never made specific, is, "don't worry you can always switch to our brand of formula, then you won't have these problems". (It's rubbish of course - there's no real evidence that formula fed babies sleep better than breastfed ones, only anecdotes from helpful people). The companies do this because they aren't allowed to advertise "first milk" - the breastmilk substitute formula. It's why all the adverts on the telly are for follow on milk.

In reality of course the companies know that by 6 months only 2% of women are still breastfeeding, so they will have made the choice to switch to formula milk and who better to switch to than the brand that sent you a helpful note about continuing breast feeding 6 weeks into your new baby's life...