BlogHer Let’s Bloggers Opt Out of Formula and Bottle Ads

Today, I was approached by Annie, another breastfeeding supporter who blogs at PhD in Parenting, about problems she had with some of the BlogHer ads that were running on her blog. As someone who believes strongly in the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes, she did not want ads for formula or bottles on her blog, and after some negotiations, she was able to have them add a category that users of BlogHer ads can opt out of:

* I do NOT want ads for infant formula, related companies, artificial nipples or pacifiers or bottles.

Here is Annie’s blog entry of the latest developments and a list of bloggers who will opt out.

I have since changed my preferences to ensure I am WHO Code compliant, and I hope that you will see this change in a few days when BlogHer processes my request. Thank you, BlogHer, for making this change. While I do recognize that some mothers and caretakers use bottles to feed babies pumped breast milk, which is often the only option for working mothers, I have decided that I also do not want to display ads for bottles. We all know they are available; I don’t need to advertise for them on my blog.

I am proud to be included on the list of breastfeeding advocates who take a stand against formula companies. I believe breastfeeding needs to be promoted instead, and providing education, resources, and support for mothers who want to breastfeed is the reason why I blog. I am interested in educating parents about the many health benefits breastfeeding brings with it for the child and the mother, and sadly, that fact is often overshadowed by the constant onslaught of formula advertising, which I don’t want to facilitate.

Thank you, Annie, for all your effort to bring attention to this important issue and for standing up for what you believe in.

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Tagged as: advertising, blogging, BlogHer, bottles, breastfeeding, formula, health, lactivism, nursing in public, parenting, WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes