First of all, I feel the need to say suck and crap in order to get my G blog rating down to at least a PG.
Then, sheesh, I didn't realize it had been two weeks since an update. I'm just not feeling all that interesting lately.
A bird just slammed into the large window that's about two feet to my left. It scared the crap out of me. The bird is fine - the impact didn't even knock him out. He's currently in the birdbath splashing yesterday's rainwater all over the place.
I got a survey in the mail last week from a research institute, claiming to be about studying trends in infant feeding, and that I was among a small group of people selected for the survey. I read through the questions and found them to be entirely about different formulas - and they really seemed to be marketing questions. (Which brands of formula have you purchased, which ones have you gotten coupons for, which ones did the hospital give you, etc. . . ) So, I googled the research institute and sure enough, it's not actually an institute at all - it's a name reigstered by Abbot labs, who make formula - coincidentally, the brand which has been sending me samples and coupons and stuff since before the baby was born.
For the record, I don't have a beef with formula. I'm not really a lactivist. People should feed their babies in whatever manner works for them and their baby. It so happens that if I were to answer the survey, I'd only be able to answer the first question: "How much formula do you feed your infant?: d.) None." The rest of the questions (4 pages worth) I'd have to mark "N/A".
Well, actually, there's a question on the third page about the free diaper bag the formula company gave me, and whether and how long I used it. I do use it, actually, I like it for a small diaper bag, and it came with nice little cooler packs. Since I haven't bought any of their formula I hadn't decided whether to feel guilty or smug about using the bag, and I settled on smug.
What I DO have a beef with is the sneakiness of the survey. I understand the marketing idea that people will skew their answers if they know why the questions are being asked, and I guess that's why they hid behind this fake "research institute." But it annoys me - personally, I feel like if I answer their survey, they'll think I fell for their ruse. I'd rather they know I'm on to them. I thought about writing on the thing, "Dear Abbot, I know who you are, but here's your stinkin' survey anyway. Please send me another diaper bag."
But then my googling revealed that if people didn't answer the survey the first time, they received it again along with a free prepaid phone card. So, I'm holding out. I'll return their survey with the "I've never used any of your formula but thanks for the free bag" answer and enjoy my phone card.
We've been working on sleep training with Lauren this week. That's where I put her down in her crib when she's drowsy but not asleep, and when she cries, I go in every few minutes to comfort and reassure her, but don't pick her up. Eventually she goes to sleep on her own. I hate it with a passion. However, the more rational part of me knows that it's important to do this so she knows that she can fall asleep on her own. Still, I spend a good hour every night feeling like the most horrible person on earth. (15 minutes or so of her crying, then another 45 of me feeling guilty for not picking her up even though she's fallen asleep.)
I'm crabby because I can't go to the WI peep meet. We got an invitation to a wedding that day. More about that in a separate post, I think. It's a weird situation.
See. I'm not all that interesting lately.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
I agree about the "research institute." Similarly I received a phone call yesterday, "Heya, Puffy, how have you been?" Me: "Fine, how are you?" He replied, "I'm great. I'm Norm and we do construction in the area...blah blah blah."
Fifteen minutes of crying when Lauren goes to bed isn't bad at all!
Well, this is very interesting. You've hit on a baby topic I know a lot about!
My best friend is a rep for Abbott selling infant formula. They call on doctor's offices and get doctors to give out their products to new mothers. They actually are very knowledgeable on the subject of infant feeding and will always tell you that "breast is best".
As you can imagine, since they don't sell directly to consumers, it's hard to gauge the performance of individual reps. These surveys are the way they get paid! Apparently, approximately 200 surveys go out, quarterly I think, to new mothers who live in their zip codes. Based almost solely on the responses they get, reps are ranked amongst each other, and market share percentages are determined. Their raises, bonuses, and other perks are almost solely as a result of these surveys!
In fact, when I told my friend about your blog entry, he got excited and asked if you would send me the survey so that I could give it to him - IF there is nothing on the survey that identifies you personally (or your location)!
Sleep training - you are being an EXCELLENT mom! Your child will benefit greatly from you forcing her to learn how to fall asleep on her own. By caving in, you would be making yourself FEEL better, but ultimately it would be at her expense. There really are very few moms (or dads) these days with enough strength to do what you are doing. *looks in mirror*
Keep it up!
Hmm, that's good info, MTW. Like I said, I don't have an issue with formula at all, but I did find the mask of the research institute to be a little sneaky.
However, I wouldn't want to deny some poor rep a paycheck or a bonus - I did indeed get samples and the free diaper bag and a spa coupon AND my doctor gave me samples and another little cooler pack, too. So the rep in this area is doing a good job.
I also didn't mention - both the free diaper bag and the cooler pack from my doctor were geared toward breastfeeding - for instance the one I got from my doctor came with little storage bottles for breastmilk and ice packs, and a bunch of pamphlets about breastfeeding.
Like I said, I'm not a lactivist. Formula is good and necessary and a choice for lots of people. I'm keeping all the samples I have gotten to donate to a women's shelter. I'd never throw it away. It is food, afterall. I just didn't figure that my contribution via this survey would be all that valuable since I'm not using it.
I'd be happy to send you the survey. I don't think it had any identifying info on it, at least nothing obvious. I guess it could be coded, somehow. It might have gone out with the recycling this morning though (since I'm holding out for survey #2 I might have pitched it, I can't remember.)
I do have a suggestion for Abbott, though, maybe you can tell your friend - it might be good if Abbott at least makes a web page for the "research institute" so that when googled, it looks legit. Otherwise the only hits that come up are of blogs and message boards of people who ARE lactivists spewing vitriol about the evil formula companies.
Thanks too for the encouragement about the sleep training. I know in my head that it's the right thing to do, but while she's crying I feel miserable for not picking her up. I'm sure it won't be the last tough love test of me as a parent!
I've sent you a PM at the other place! :)
I think I know which company because I received the same. And I think I used the cooler as a mini diaper bag too.
*smooch* on the sleeping issue.
i'd get the phone card, too.
i loved the little cooler bags--irony--they didn't give them away when five was a baby and he's the one that i used formula with the earlist--i had three or four of them with sam and he never had a drop of forumla--went straight from me to milk, which was only possible because i took a year's leave of absence.
what was my point? oh, yeah, free is GOOD.
Frodis: I thought of you tonight as I was cooking dinner. Conner walked into the kitchen to get himself a cup of water, and it hit me how much he grows up each day. And I had a flashback, and then I thought of you with Lauren.
I can't remember at the moment just how old she is, but I'm thinking that maybe she's around 3 months or so. I don't want you to beat yourself up over the sleeping thing right now with her being so young. I don't think she really gets it yet.
We established a routine and stuck to it - even if that meant leaving a gathering early, etc. There were many nights he cried, and I went back in, etc. And there were times when I just gave in and picked him up.
In the end it really works itself out. And they really do grow up so so so fast. So it's okay to indulge her, and it's definitely okay not to beat yourself up.
I detest all surveys and rarely fill them out. I also think it is stupid to base someone's salary & bonus on them. If I got a simple postcard asking if I had received an item I would probably return it. But a 4-page survey? Not likely!
I am not sure I have an accurate memory of putting my kids down for the night or naps. I nursed them all so they usually fell asleep nursing and then I put them down verrrry gently so they would stay asleep. I think when that didn't work I just picked them up again. But then regular sleep times were not that important to me. Except for night time. Life is so much easier when nursing kids start to sleep for at least a 6 hour stretch! I think all of mine just did that, starting at around 4 - 5 months.
Post a Comment