Does your baby clinic sell formula? Ours has just stopped

[Lucy1977]

Hi

I'd just like to say that I don't mean any offence to anyone, I am just interested in points of views on this.

Our local baby clinic used to sell formula at around £2 a pot cheaper than the supermarket, they have recently stopped this now and rather than giving milk tokens they are now giving vouchers for food (I don't know exactly what but I presume food for the mum).

I think this is a really positive step to help encourage breastfeeding but I realise some people who use formula and are on benefits receiving the milk tokens will be annoyed.

So I was wondering, is this just a local thing here or is it the whole of Scotland or the whole of the UK?

Lucy

[3andnomore]

In the end if you receive the food vouchers, which will be generally for healthy foods I assume, the mum, even if Formula feeding will be able to buy good quality fresh food, that is better for her and her family and which they wouldn't usually be able to afford, and it will cut down , hopefully, on some of the crap that is bought, so, if they do FF then surely it will break sort of even!
I think it's a fab idea

[PeachyClair]

here

seems to include formula milk, which is fair enough if that's what you use, but I know when we were on welfare foods we dreaded weaning becuase your food bill shoots up you want to give healthy stuff- such a sensible idea.

Now they should extend it.

Everyone with a disabled child, getting WTC at all, on benefits (not necessarily with kids) or over 65 should get access to reduced price healthy fruit and veg, perhaps in a box style scheme- bet it would pay for itself in NHS admissions etc, and if you gave say £5 worth of fruit in place of a £2 planned rise in benefits....

[PeachyClair]

(just a thought though- does anyone know if these vouchers are easily cashable? I just wonder about the rural poor, who don't necessarily have access to Sainsburys etc, but can get to a weekly community HV clinic? Just wondering there- often these people have some of the worst diets simply coz they rely on The Spar for everything)

[loopybear]

No Andover hasn't since I've been going

[Koshka1984]

i know it sounds stupid but what is a baby clinic?
i see my HV ST MY gpS SURGERY.

oops caps... can you find out if you have one nearby, or do you have to be on benefits to go?

[terramum]

PeachyChair - people can check what local retailers accept them here . If your local shop doesnt accept them you can let them know about it & get them to sign up for them. I know someone who has already done that with theirs & apparently the paperwork isnt that bad (considering its a government scheme )

I for one will be very glad when I get my vouchers. The milk ones are totally useless for us. DS is still bf so drinks no cows milk at all & we barely get through 3 pints a week, even with DHs tea drinking, so 7 pints a week (which is what we can get with the old ones) for us would literally be poured down the drain. Luckily my milkman has accepted them for the (more expensive) organic milk & one bottle of OJ I get from him....but it will be much much better to be able to buy fruit & veg with them as thats what DS eats mostly.

[PeachyClair]

koshka, set ups vary- in Somerset they (used to- ds3 is 3 now) have the normal GP clinic and then you got welfare foods from the little shop by the hospital; sometimes places, especially rural ones, do a one stop baby clinic in a village hall where you could get baby weighed and get milk etc