Asking for "personal info" on a whole new level.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

So my sister is going off on a rant about how irritating it is when clerks at cash registers ask for personal info like pnone numbers and zip codes, and of course I'm agreeing with her and she goes on to tell me that there's a maternity store in her town that asks for name, number, phone, email, address, and IF YOU PLAN TO BREASTFEED?



Have direct marketing people lost their collective MINDS???

I told her the day some cashier in some store asks me something that personal, that's the day I loudly ask a strange cashier in a store if she shaves her cootch or not.

I kid you not. I'm just....

[blas]

Hey it could be that they just want some statistics........

But yeah, that's a little weird....

To quote Nancy Grace...."WHAT?"

[CancelMyService]

I told her the day some cashier in some store asks me something that personal, that's the day I loudly ask a strange cashier in a store if she shaves her cootch or not.

Dammit, now I need to towel off my monitor.........

[hawkchick11]

is that the store called motherhood?

cuz im pretty sure the one here asked my sister that when we went in there

[Becks]

What an odd question.

But then, it was asked at a maternity store. Maybe they need that info to better serve the needs of their customers.

[BlaqueKatt]

actually they sell the list of name that answer "yes I plan to breastfeed" to formula companies so they can be "nice"and send "samples" and coupons for formula, so your milk dries up if you use it and you have to pay a large corporation to feed your infant. I got an entire case of it sent to me-my son was allergic to anything but Breastmilk-it would've killed him.

[Kogarashi]

Huh. I think I answered "yes" when I went in to get my nursing bra, and they never sent me any coupons or samples or anything. It could also be so they can refer you to the local La Leche League. ::

Only place that gave me formula samples was the hospital, in the free diaper bag with samples and coupons that they give to every new mother. It was a 9-oz. can of formula or something, with a coupon or two. But the diaper bag also had a nice-sized packet of breastfeeding literature. ::

BlaqueKatt, maybe you accidentally ended up on the "no breastfeeding" list instead?

[crazylegs]

formula companies so they can be "nice"and send "samples" and coupons for formula,

Wow, that would be illegal in the UK, as its aginst the law to advertise infant formula unless it is follow on milk. Initial formula milk doesn't even attract reward points at shops (i.e. Boots Advantage Card)

[RecoveringKinkoid]

BlaqueKatt, maybe you accidentally ended up on the "no breastfeeding" list instead?

I'm pretty sure she didn't. When you tell a hospital you plan to breastfeed, they give you a "breastfeeding kit". It's a bag from a formula manufacturer, full of samples of formula and coupons. There's no mistake. Breastfeeding is not encouraged.

Kickbacks, I'm sure.

[Kogarashi]

I'm pretty sure she didn't. When you tell a hospital you plan to breastfeed, they give you a "breastfeeding kit". It's a bag from a formula manufacturer, full of samples of formula and coupons. There's no mistake. Breastfeeding is not encouraged.

Kickbacks, I'm sure.

Huh. That's strange. When I told my hospital that I was planning to breastfeed, the "breastfeeding kit" they gave me was a folder with a bunch of information on breastfeeding in it, breastfeeding classes, resources for lactation consultants, and even a list of the local La Leche League groups. Nothing on formula.

The formula samples came with the diaper bag that the hospital gives to every new mom, which also has a small leaflet on breastfeeding, a wipes sample, and a few creams (Desitin, Aquaphor, some lotion, etc.). I think it might even have had two newborn-sized diapers in it. Nothing out here (CT) seems to have indicated that there's an anti-breastfeeding conspiracy. Like I said, I told the lady at the maternity store that I was planning to breastfeed and haven't received any pro-formula stuff in the 10+ months since that happened.

Not saying that your situation should be the same....

[BookstoreEscapee]

If anything, from what I've seen in the news recently, there's more of an anti-formula movement afoot. (This is New York area news.) There was a story a while back on efforts to make it illegal for hospitals to give out formula samples, because they want to "encourage" breastfeeding exclusively. Personally, I think that is a decision to be made between a woman and her doctor (and to some extent, the baby!) rather than some politicized group who wants to vilify formula feeding as some kind of child abuse.

If I was ever asked that question, I would simply decline to answer. I will give my zip code, since I don't exactly consider that "personal" information, but I don't give out my phone number or anything else unless there is a specific reason for it (in other words, I'm ordering something or signing up for a specific program). When I am asked for it when I am simply making a purchase, I just say "No thank you" and leave it at that.

[Kogarashi]

I personally think that formula samples and coupons should be handed out with decently-made pamphlets on breastfeeding, including information on how to find breastfeeding help. That way both sides are equally represented, or as best as can be managed.

[Killer Bees]

I don't care if it was a maternity store, that is completely private info and I would say, "none of your damn business!"

How rude!

[Raieth]

There hasn't been many studies done on it but one that I saw was a study of how much heavy metal a baby absorbs whether it''s on breastmilk or formula.

A baby on formula absorbs a hell of a lot more heavy metal than one that's not.

Excess heavy metal can lead to increased agression and a lack of emotional control.

They then did a demographic showing the poorest areas in a city (forgot which one), the richest and then breastmilk vs formula.

The people with the least admount of money tend to buy formula. Those with lots breastfeed.

The thinking is that to give thier baby the best chance they have to use formula. Unfortunitly that really isn't true.

Breastfeeding develops a closer bond between mother and child. Alows the bacteria/virus in the baby to pass into the mother. Then the antibodies that the mother makes pass into the child. If the mother is eating proper, the milk is very well balanced and has everything a baby needs to grow up. Many of the formulas don't have enough fat and have too much sugar.

As a note: I'm talking about commertial formula. There is formula you can get thru doctors that is just dried human milk. Just add water. That stuff is breastmilk and therefore excempt.

[iradney]

I dunno, that's a little personal. That's like them asking if you're going to go for a natural birth or a caesar. Who cares how you feed your baby as long as you DO feed your baby?
I've seen malnourished children who's mother's milk supply dried up, and they couldn't afford formula - it is the saddest thing in the world, and kind of makes the debate seem a little pointless (Just My Opinion).