As a breastfeeding advocate who helps moms interested in breastfeeding or struggling with it with encouragement and resources, I’m so disappointed to find out that a few mommy bloggers decided to review the Similac StrongMoms Baby Journal iPhone application for money paid by Abbott Lab, some even though they are educated about breastfeeding and breastfed their own babies.
Formula companies are at it again, marketing aggressively to new moms. I openly boycott Nestle for their unethical practices of pushing their wares, but the fact that a formula company is now using mommy bloggers to sell their product is a new low.
I first saw an ad for the Similac app on a blog that so far has impressed me and then received a tweet from The Marketing Mama that she had written a post about this questionable app.
This is upsetting to me on so many levels:
1. This application is to promote one thing only: Similac formula.
This application is a marketing campaign, and the fact that Similac even included tracking breastfeeding efforts of moms in their app is a joke, because obviously Similac isn’t in the business of helping you succeed with breastfeeding — they want to sell as much formula as possible and encourage you to “immediately connect with Similac’s live Feeding Expert for your infant feeding questions.” Enough said. “Feeding Experts” are not educated, knowledgeable lactation specialists.
I understand that this application has many other features that mothers might like and find helpful, and that’s fine. I’m focusing here on the fact that a formula company is including a breastfeeding feature on its app and wants moms to buy into Similac’s claim that it help them with breastfeeding when all it will do is instill doubts about the “correctness” of them feeding their child.
Because how much a baby is drinking while nursing can’t really be measured as it can with bottles, a common concern new moms have, this app will probably lead to more moms using formula because they have “Similac” on their mind using this application all day and only need to push a button to be connected with a formula sales person.
If you want or need to feed your child formula and use this app, go right ahead, just don’t expect this tool to help you with breastfeeding. You’d be much better off to call your local La Leche League leader or find other resources like Kellymom that are truly interested in you succeeding with breastfeeding.
The best advise I ever got about breastfeeding was from my doula, who said, “If you want to breastfeed and want to succeed, toss out the sample of formula you’ll get so you aren’t tempted to use it.” I did.
Not having formula in the house makes you work harder at learning to breastfeed because you don’t have anything in the house that could substitute for breast milk. How long do you think it will take for a sleep-deprived new moms to think of switching to formula after having this app in her face every few minutes and after that baby doesn’t act like it should according to the application?
2. This application will mess with your head if you are a new mom.
One of the headlines on the website promoting this app reads: “Get in sync with baby’s needs.” That’s the last thing this application will do. I never followed a schedule with my son — because babies don’t follow a schedule. Schedules are for adults; babies are only about getting their immediate needs taken care of right away.
Breastfeeding is all about learning to tune into the cues of your baby and about feeding on demand — when the baby is hungry and not about when an application beeps. I literally threw out the schedule I got from the hospital I was supposed to fill out — my son was nursing every 25 minutes in the beginning; there was no way he wasn’t getting enough milk.
3. Do we really need one more thing to distract us?
Do you really need or want an application to keep track of the number of poopy diapers? I have blogged about my resistance to even get a smart phone because I don’t want to be one of those Blackberry-addicted moms. For my taste, we already have too many electronic distractions in our over-scheduled, beeping, blinking life.
Yes, I forgot which breast I let my son nurse on last once in a while, but what’s the big deal? I can’t imagine having to pick up my phone every few minutes to record something. That would have made me terribly nervous as a first-time mother. My suggestion: have your husband/partner buy you a pretty nursing bracelet to keep track of the feedings.
Another great tip I got from my doula was to stay in bed with my baby — for days. Someone else can do the dishes. Your most important job in those crucial first few days is to take care of yourself, to conserve your energy, and to really get to know your baby.
If you want to breastfeed, there is only a small window for you both to learn to do it right to succeed with it, so wasting time with an application isn’t what I would have chosen even if this app would have been around.
4. I wish bloggers would be more discerning about letting themselves get used and bought to promote brands. This goes for saying no to “a change to win” a $10 gift card for a product review that’s going to take you an hour to write or getting a lot of money or trips from big companies.
There is a frustrating trend of mommy bloggers being pursued by brands to write paid reviews. I have blogged about saying no to many product review requests — I rather spend that time with my family and have less money and just buy one less sweater, as I have mentioned here before.
I’m very cautious to attach my name to any company — I have worked to hard to establish myself as a professional blogger and brand. Being associated with this Similac controversy that already has made national headlines (“Abbott Pays Bloggers For Positive Reviews of Its Similac App“) would be my worst nightmare.
I’m not saying I won’t do a paid review or become a brand ambassador, I’m saying I research the company as much as I can and see if they and their product stand for what I stand for. I’m not naming the names of the bloggers involved here because this is not about name calling, this is about thinking twice about being part of a marketing campaign. I feel bad for bloggers who find themselves in the middle of a bad situation like this.
I wonder how much Abbott paid these mommy bloggers and if they still think it was worth pushing a product that really doesn’t do anything to further breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding isn’t about counting every burp and running to your phone every few minutes, it’s about taking time to bond with your baby and meeting his or her needs.
Was it worth attaching themself to such a questionable product? Couldn’t they see that this app would cause a great uproar, especially from breastfeeding supporters?
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A great post Dagmar – we really need as few distractions as possible to get in the way of bonding and breastfeeding our babies. I relied completely on kellymom in those early days of breastfeeding and got all the answers I needed. I am now a tandem nursing Mama of 2 and all is well, no apps required! Thanks for your continued passion on breastfeeding.
I FF and never put my son on a scheduale. When he was hungary I went into the kitchen and made a bottle.
I feel like this is a topic that is difficult for some moms, even breastfeeding moms, to understand. While there are some moms that may schedule feedings and still be able to meet their breastfeeding goals, for others timing and/or scheduling feeds can lead to stumbling blocks that are very real and difficult to overcome. All you have to do is to attend a few La Leche League meetings and you’ll see that many of the questions asked have to do with interpretation of babies’ cues.
“My 2 month old nurses for up to 45 minutes at a time. Is that too long?”
“My 8 month old only nurses for 5 minutes at a time. How do I know she’s getting enough?”
“My baby drinks 3 ounces of breastmilk while I’m at work, but another baby at her daycare drinks 6! Am I starving my baby?”
“She usually eats every three hours or so, but recently she’s been wanting to eat every hour and a half! Is this normal?”
All of the above are questions that come up frequently, and there are more where those came from. And all of the above scenarios are well within the range of normal for a breastfed baby and most likely not cause for alarm! Of course, we want to look at the whole baby to determine whether everything is going okay. I know that outside of LLL, an IBCLC is the next best resource. And I have found that my pediatrician is helpful with breastfeeding issues, but I know that many pediatricians do not receive extensive training on breastfeeding.
I am absolutely not anti-formula. I used it myself with my first daughter, who lost a shocking amount of weight (over 15%) in a very short span of time. However, I could never in good conscience say that one bottle can’t hurt. The bottles that I gave my daughter were very disruptive to our nursing relationship. We both struggled to overcome a newborn nursing strike and it took us almost a month before we were exclusively breastfeeding again. So while I understand how valuable formula can be in certain situations, I also understand how it can affect a breastfeeding relationship, so I would not recommend another mom use it casually.
The bottom line is that I understand how marketing works and I know what Similac is trying to do here. And I don’t like it.
Well, I have to disagree. Frankly, I’m so tired of this whole, entire controversy. The article on bnet is totally misled, unresearched, and frankly, unethical in and of itself. I will defend Collective Bias all the way, as well as those bloggers, whose words were misused and quoted without permission. We “Mommy bloggers” (who are in fact, entrepreneurs, savvy businesswomen, professional bloggers) are not unintelligent human beings causing controversy….it’s articles like the bnet article that do enough of that.
I do sponsored posts; I’m not afraid to admit that….I’ve only done a few, but I do them for products that I know for a fact are relevant to either me or my readers. At times, I’ll even weave the company into a regular post, so that it’s completely usable by my readers, meaning they can take thoughts away from the post and put them into action, whether in their home, personal life, etc. I don’t think that sponsored posts are unethical in any way, as long as they are disclosed as being compensated or sponsored. I think it’s up to each individual blogger; it’s not your judgment to make. Judgment is an easy button; it truly is. I don’t see how sponsored posts are any different than a magazine article you may read, citing specific products (and websites).
As for the breastfeeding vs. formula issue….that too is a personal decision. Not your judgment call to make. Yes, this may be something you are very passionate about, but you can’t force others to think or feel along the same lines you do. That’s why this big world is so awesome….because we all have different backgrounds, different opinions, and different feelings/thoughts.
As for the whole getting a job comment, that was again, not your judgment to make. Each and every blogger is in a different, unique situation that cannot be understood unless we’re living in their shoes….frankly, I don’t think it’s wrong to be paid for the work that we do, as long as we fully disclose and keep our credibility strong by being honest and open about the things we write about. Again, no different than a magazine article…..
I just think there are a lot bigger issues we need to be raising controversy over right now, such as a child losing a parent to cancer, children being trafficked each and every moment, starvation, families losing their homes, the state of our educational system in the U.S., children in African countries having to walk hours every single day just to get a drink of water…..
Hi Mel, thank you for your comment. I feel the same way, it’s your business which brands you attach yourself to or if you do sponsored posts, and I also strongly believe that bloggers should be paid, and not just with $20 gift card, when they work for a brand.
I wrote about that here: http://dagmarbleasdale.com/2010/11/new-york-times-about-monetizing-motherhood-and-blogging/
My time is valuable and I’m a professional who deserves to get paid.
I never said sponsored post are unethical or judged bloggers for doing sponsored posts, what I was questioning was if the bloggers reviewing the Similac app really considered the implications to be involved in marketing an app by a formula company with a breastfeeding feature. If they are cool with having their name attached to this, and they truly like this app, that is their business, I just think it serves as a cautionary tale that it is important to research a company before one takes the money. I honestly feel bad for bloggers who didn’t meant to offend and didn’t sign up to be in the middle of a controversy.
I never made my post a breastfeeding/bottle-feeding discussion, several commenters did. If you bottle-feed your child, that’s your business.
Honestly, I’m getting a little tired of moms who use(d) formula attacking me. Being a breastfeeding advocate does not mean that I feel formula-feeding moms are bad moms. Being a breastfeeding advocate means I want moms to succeed with breastfeeding. I’m on your side! We all do the best we can and want the best of our children. I guess a lot of formula-feeding moms feel badly or guilty and therefore take offense where non was intended. I don’t want moms who used formula to feed bad or guilty at all.
I am a member of Collective Bias but I did not sign-up for this campaign.
I am mystified as to why some commenters think you are attacking moms who use formula.
If you use formula–out of choice, necessity, or something between the two, that is your business. You do not have to justify yourself to anyone.
There’s a few issues wrapped up in this which have nothing to do with judging other mothers.
Tracking:
In general, there is no reason to track every last thing about a healthy baby. That said, some babies have health concerns. Some new moms are nervous and are reassured by tracking all the details. Some moms need to know how much formula the baby has had from the bottle. I get that. Do whatever works for you. Personally? It would drive me crazy but to each her own.
A Formula Company Giving Breastfeeding Advice
This is just ridiculous. I have yet to see a single convincing argument about why this is okay.
These companies spend millions of dollars on marketing research. This isn’t just a feel good effort. This is a calculated effort to put their brand front and center so you will associate it with infant feeding.
Most US moms will try breastfeeding. Most of them will not continue to breastfeed. This is the key marketing demographic for formula companies, not the mothers who have already decided to formula feed and have already selected a brand.
Furthermore, the obsession with numbers and scheduling sabotages breastfeeding. That may not be the conscious intent but nonetheless it is motivated by something other than the informed desire to help mothers who want to breastfeed.
It may be useful for bottle feeding… but this app is being actively marketed to breastfeeders.
Blogging Ethics
This is where we get into more treacherous territory. This bloggers in this campaign disclosed. It is up to each blogger to decide what they want to do with their own corner of the blogosphere. It is up to their readers to determine whether or not they trust a paid review and longterm whether or not they wish to continue to read this blogger.
Whether you use the money for a sweater or groceries…that’s none of my business, either.
But without criticizing any individual blogger, I don’t think it is unfair to discuss some of the issues that come up when we partner with companies.
If a blogger considers the issues, decides this is a fit, that is her call.
But just as with so many campaigns where issues have come up in the past, there is nothing wrong with asking questions, discussing the issues.
No where in any of this are moms who bottle feed or formula feed under attack. These issues are separate from each mom’s choice.
Amen! So well said. Thank you for your comment, Candace.
I guess I don’t understand the judgement that is going on here. Why so judgmental about women that bottle feed their children or Similac?
Did you download the app and take a look at it?
Before I reviewed the applied to review the app I actually downloaded it to take a look at it. And you know what? I liked it. I was excited and showed my husband.
I guess I am not as great as a mother as you and some of the people commenting.
I breastfed–YES I DID–and as a new mother I found it so overwhelming. I did not pick up on any cues that my son was hungry because he did not want to eat. So his doctor and the LCT I worked closely with told me to make sure to feed him every two hours and to keep track, especially because he lived on a bili-bed his first 2 weeks. I kept a notebook on my nightstand but if I had my iPhone then I happily would have used this SIMILAC App to keep track of how often I was nursing and where I was leaving off.
Now I’m reading this and feeling like a really crappy Mom. :-(
I’m actually not sure where in the Similac App it does this “all it will do is instill doubts about the “correctness” of them feeding their child.”
There is actually a Feeding Section in the App where is talks about Breastfeeding and says how the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding.
I loved breastfeeding my son. I was there with encouragement for my SIL when she wanted to give up.
I also had to formula feed my son when he was 6 months old and I had major surgery and was in the hospital for almost 2 weeks.
I’m always going to say breast is best but as long as a child is being fed, I’m happy!
I am hosting a Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Event on my blog starting March 1st, where I will be giving away products from Medela and beautiful artwork from Birgit Amadori promoting breastfeeding.
But I’m still going to stand by what I said about the Simliac App. I’m going to use it for Baby #2. Hopefully I’ll be like you and won’t have the panic of writing everything down and I’ll be able to know my baby’s “cues”. But if not I’m using the app.
I don’t breastfeed, for my own reasons, but I do agree that even for a formula-feeding mom… the app sounds stupid. You had some really good points about the scheduling, that’s for sure. I remember with my first one that she was taking in what the nurses at the hospital felt was “too much” for her and too often and I screamed at the ladies that if a baby’s hungry, dammit, you feed it when it’s hungry. Babies don’t care about the “schedule” and they don’t care about an app either. I think mother’s have had this modern idea of being a timely organized mother shoved down their throats so much that they’re operating more like robot baby-overseers and less like the natural maternal figures they’re supposed to be. It’s really gotten to be too much.
Have you ever actually called a formula company for breastfeeding advice? They don’t tell you to switch to formula! (I did try out of curiosity…it was not especially thorough but they didn’t plug formula during the call.) Anyway, the formula app is to sell formula and I think they just throw in the “breastfeeding advice” because they have to, or as some kind of face-saving measure and to win over the moms who won’t be BFing for all 12 months. As a breastfeeding mom, Similac would be the last place I’d turn to for an app, anyway…I am betting anyone who does get that app is FF. And FF moms need support, too. You might not need to learn how to mix a bottle, but babies have a lot of trouble stomaching formula and do a lot of switching, and deal with constipation and other problems BF babies never deal with. Anyway, not a fan of Similac or FF, but I just had to comment that I don’t think this app is evil, just good marketing.
I have to disagree. I breastfed my daughter for the first four months exclusively and then tried to just supplement and eventually had to switch to formula. I am a single mother and had to work and go to school, pumping just wasn’t an option. There literally were not enough hours in the day to keep up with her.
I would have LOVED to have this app. I breastfed on demand, but it was so important to keep track of how how often she was eating and how many diapers she was making, if for no other reason than for my own peace of mind. If she deviated from what was normal for her I needed to know because it was usually a sign that she wasn’t feeling well or about to hit a growth spurt. It’s easier to notice these trends when you track feedings. And doctors want to know these things! Maybe it’s anal, but I like to be prepared and not clueless at the doctor.
I’ll agree that having access to formula in those first few days home makes it easier for new moms to reach for it. But I don’t see anything wrong with that. When you’re exhausted and overwhelmed, and your baby is screaming because she’s too hungry to latch, you need SOMETHING to take the edge off and get her to calm down so you can nurse. So thank goodness for formula.
This is so sad! I just don’t know why people will sell out for a few dollars. So many new mamas read those blogs and then think that it is acceptable. I had problems with breastfeeding my first 2 but made it work. Hopefully mamas won’t feel that formula is their solution because a popular girl (blog) says they used it. Sad.
i do think this app is pretty bad, but to be honest, not any worse then a lot of other marketing tactics i’ve seen. it does sort of make me think, what is the world coming to…..
Around every corner someone has tried to sabotage my breastfeeding experiance. Just the other day someone said that I should switch to formula so I don’t have to deal with thrush. I am saddened that some bloggers that I used to love are aligning themselves with a formula company. I say “used to” since I have no longer reading those blogs.
I’m not sure I have much nice to say about the formula companies discouraging Moms against breastfeeding. I especially liked your point on the letting your baby tell you when it’s time to eat! It drives me nuts when people try to put their babies on their schedules!
Rock on Dagmar for bringing attention to this VERY upsetting (but typical) unethical marketing strategy from one of the big formula companies! Brava, lady! xoxo
Thank you for writing this post. I have the same concerns about you as to the app and how it’s NOT a good choice for breastfeeding moms. However, it seems your comments about the role of mom bloggers choosing to work with Similac has really touched a nerve with your readers.
I’m glad you raised that point – it’s a good question to think about. As the founder of the Minnesota Blogger Conference, we had two sessions focused on the ethics of blogging when it comes to giveaways and advertising and the rooms were packed! I’ve heard the same is true about these sessions at women-focused blogging conferences as well.
As a marketer who focuses on brand management (and a parenting blogger) – here’s my insight: Anytime a blogger chooses to recommend a product or service – whether paid or not – they are aligning their reputation and brand with the company they are recommending. Of course it’s important to be thoughtful and careful about which companies you align yourself with. Here’s a hint, the more controversial a company is, the higher the chances are that you are going to alienate some of your readers and be judged harshly for your decision.
Am I turned off when I see a blogger promoting Similac? YES. McDonald’s? YES.
Because… these are brands that I have negative impressions of in general and therefore I’m going to have a negative impression when I see their logo or products all over your blog. Period.
Thanks again for raising this point. The very fact that it hit a nerve is the reason why we need to keep asking the questions.
since infant feeding is such a personal choice, i think moms get defensive- both breast and bottle feeding ones. every mother does the best she can for her child, and i commend that. formula companies (on the other hand), i do take issue with.
try not to be too offended by callous remarks. if people have issues with formula/breast feeding, they are their own- and not yours!
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