To be really annoyed you can't get points on formula?

[Jengnr]

Due to 'Government legislation'

How about the Government fuck off? I've made the decision (actually, it was made for me but that's neither here nor there), I'm spending the bloody money, why should I not be able to collect advantage points on that?

Wankers.

[RattyRoland]

Yabu. The formula companies are unethical and untrustworthy. I wish they weren't allowed to promote/discount/give points on follow on milk either.

[RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief]

IC I agree- it depends on the ratios involved

[ReallyTired]

Tbh, I would like to see a massive investment in milk banks throughout the UK. I would've chosen to feed dd donor milk over ff had the choice been available

I expressed milk for 6 months for Queen Charolotte's Hospital. The milk I expressed was given so some of sickest babies in the country. Many of the mothers were very ill and unable to express enough milk due to the stress of having a baby in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Its a lot of work being a milk donor. I would not want donors to be paid because then you get people being milk donors for the wrong reasons. Breastmilk is literally liquid gold and costs a lot to produce in testing of milk, donors, storage and pasturisation.

I think that genetically modifying cows to produce breastmilk is the way forward.

www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/geneticmodification/8423536/Genetically-modified-cows-produce-human-milk.html

Admitally it is cruel from an animal welfare point of view. Prehaps one day will be able to artifically produce human breastmilk without needing cows or humans.

[JoanByers]

Infant formula doesn't cost the price it does because of the government.

If the formula companies wanted to cut the price, across the board, by 20%, they could, with no fear of censure.

There is no VAT on formula.

If the products are too expensive, it is because of profiteering by greedy formula companies.

Why do you think they charge more for first stage milk than follow-on?

Because it costs more to make?

Or because follow-on milk competes with regular cows' milk, which cost pennies per pint, and therefore if they ripped parents off to the degree they do with first milks, nobody would buy it?

Fact is points on ANY product are not free, they just come out of the cost.

Formula companies are in the business of exploiting babies and parents, don't blame that on the government. The government do NOT set the price of formula - the unethical formula companies do.

[PaellaUmbrella]

YABU. The reason you can't collect points on formula is down to the WHO code on marketing, which is there to protect babies. It's completely right.

Instead of getting annoyed about points, get annoyed about how the cost of formula is grossly inflated by the billions the companies spend on promoting their follow on products. If ALL formula advertising were banned, then the cost would come down and you'd be less likely to care whether you could collect points on it or not.

[Ponderingonaquandry]

I feel really strongly about the exploitation of families who are already being overly squeezed. Is there room for this to be taken seriously and turned into a bit of a mumsnet 'thing' and have us lot fight it out properly? Or are we all just hot air?

[JoanByers]

I think you need to distinguish the price from formula from the ban on promoting it.

I have been in poorer countries and the formula companies sell different brands of formula, cheap ones in boxes for the poor and expensive ones in the tin and pseudo-scientific bollocks on the tin. I don't believe there is any difference.

The fact is they will take what they can. In this country it's quite a lot, as we are wealthy by global standards.

Please don't blame the formula companies' decision to sell their product at a high price on the government. All promotions are paid for out of the year-round price. It's a zero sum game - issue points and have promotional price cuts and that just means higher sticker prices year round.

[amirah85]

Yanbu.I don't think anyone decides to ff based on formula price etc,we could do with more support with bf,formula price/points don't really make much difference in my opinion.I'm for bf,breastfed my 2,but penalizing those who already choose to ff...its not like they can change their mind is it?once u stop bf u stop.

[Tailtwister]

I certainly agree that formula is very expensive. It adds a major cost onto mothers when they are likely to be short on money anyway due to maternity leave. The loyalty points thing is annoying, but there's not really anything the individual shops can do about it.

I do however really object to the use of the word 'nazi' in relation to people who support breastfeeding. It's unnecessary and doesn't strengthen anyone's argument. Why do these things need to get nasty time after time? I'm surprised anyone bothers to help support breastfeeding mothers any more considering all the abuse aimed at them!

[Ponderingonaquandry]

Surely you could classify formula as a specialist medical diet and therefore it could be subject to more rigorous pricing limitations? Although that could backfire and hike the price up, I'm simply thinking in terms of if you can get ibuprofen ranging in price from 19p to £6 for the same product can't you do the same for milk?

[galwaygirl]

YANBU, I remember having a really low day topped off by not being able to pay with my Boots points for a load of stuff I'd picked up because I was buying infant formula - as if you don't already feel shit enough if you've tried to bf and it hasn't worked out. I think bf-ing promotion is so over the top, they don't even give you information on how to make up bottles etc which is why you get people mixing formula with water that's not over 70 degrees.

[sleepyhead]

but that's not true Chunderella. Your formula costs the same in Asda where there would be no points as it does in Tesco where you are missing out on 1 point per £, as it does in Boots where you're missing out on 4p per £.

You could argue that since they aren't allowed to inflate the price to cover the cost of the points, Tesco et al would have to subsidise your formula if they gave you reward points.

[sleepyhead]

That's what they do, Pondering.

Think of Aptamil as Neurofen, and Cow & Gate as (well, not generic as you don't have the choice of buying low cost, generic formula - I think you should have that choice) brand name Ibuprofen but without the premium marketing of Neurofen.

And they absolutely do sell it as a special, medical, highly scientific product when it's really just whey powder with some vits, which is perfectly adequate for a baby to thrive on without the marketing millions and the premium price.

[Ponderingonaquandry]

Then something needs doing surely? I can't be the only person whose baby got ill with aptamil? (Yes my mw pushed that onto me as 'closest to breast milk' which when you medically can't bf you jump at!) and was better off on 'generic' cow and gate?

I would have thought what aptamil do to push their brand on the medical profession is akin to advertising so either all brands should be able to advertise or aptamil should be penalised for their actions?

I just don't feel comfortable that an essential medical and nutritional product such as formula can basically name a price and double it and we all blindly agree to paying it.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Ponder - which is precisely why formula milk shouldn't be advertised, marketed or otherwise promoted. These companies would be totally hamstrung if their markets started drying up.

The thing that needs doing, is that people need to breastfeed. And we need to ban advertising to help give people a chance.

[Losingexcessweight]

My newbornish dd is on formula, i buy it from tesco.

I never knew my clubcard never had points on it from the milk

Until i read this thread.

But yes you should be able to get points on it

[Ponderingonaquandry]

Then what do people like me who need impartial nutritional advice do? not the 'you must breast feed' line which is no good if biologically you can't.

[PolkadotCircus]

I agree op I think it's appalling particularly when you consider the utter shite which actually causes damage to children's health that you get bogofs on,in your face advertising,points and often extra point vouchers on top.

Formula in this country is a great alternative to bm and sadly one of the healthiest foods many kids consume.

It's time for a change.

[TarkaTheOtter]

chunderella you can be annoyed at whatever you want, but the reason it doesn't make sense to be annoyed about the high price of formula AND not being allowed points is that if you were allowed points the price would be higher.

This isn't just because the retailer would increase the price to cover the cost of formula but because it would make prices between retailers more difficult to compare, so fewer people would shop around, so there would be less price competition, so prices would increase. This happens on other products too of course, but it is particularly shit when it happens on something important as infant nutrition. If you can't breastfeed there is no choice but buy formula so it needs to have a special protected status - hence no points, bogof etc.

[JoanByers]

A change to promote further formula feeding?

I'm afraid I've witnessed the damage caused by formula companies' promotional activities firsthand, and I am still very bitter about it.

It doesn't need promoting. If you want to buy it, buy it.

[sleepyhead]

Well your beef should be with Boots then, because all the supermarkets sell formula at the same price, so I assume Boots are hiking up the price by a few pence to cover their amazing 4 points per £ (I wonder if all items are a few pence more expensive to cover the points - maybe).

So, don't buy formula in Boots if you can help it. They are ripping you off.

[Tinyflutterby]

I'm not bothered about points, but the price of formula is ridiculous and heartbreaking for those of us who were desperate to breastfeed and couldn't and didn't get enough support in a busy hospital to overcome the difficulties. Now as well as feeling like a failure we have to spend a fortune on this stuff and are made to feel guilty about using it.