To start a thread about boots not giving "points" for formula

[Kab13]

Saw someone complaining about how she had breasted for 10 months and went into boots to buy some formula and couldn't collect points on her boots card because boots don't allow it (when buying formula for under 2's I believe).
I'm breastfed for 12 months then moved onto formula & it never really bothered me that boots didn't give points out for buying formula for children under two.
I kind of get it but can't help but feel if you really struggled to breast feed and chose to move on to formula for whatever reason this could make a new mum feel ridiculously guilty (even more than she did before)
What about mums that CANT breast feed? I do think it's a little unfair on them... Someone who worked at boots commented on this lady's status saying that they can not promote formula use (give rewards for buying it) by LAW. Really ?

I would not be too fussed about not getting Boots points.

However it does infuriate me people who try to guilt trip women into BFing.

When I was pregnant I was advised by doctors that I could not BF unless I came off my meds and they thought coming off the meds would cause more damage to baby and I than formula.

The midwives at the hospital were brilliant. One senior midwife, who was a bit of a dragon, said "don't you dare listen to ill-informed people who tell you breast is best. Breast is not best for you two"

I still got a lecture off a neighbour though that I was letting ds down, told her doctors had said no and she just kept going on and on about how I was letting him down. I verbally disengaged by just turning my back and walking off and have not spoken to her since.

I don't class BF as free as I still had to pay out for a breast pump, steriliser, sterilising tablets and equipment. I also had to pay for breast pads, nursing bras and some clothes that made BF easier. It cost me a lot of my personal time, my social life, it drained my energy and it put a strain on my marriage. It caused me to spend night after night in tears due to exhaustion and days in tears too because of how difficult I found it at first. It nearly cost me my emotional and mental health in the early days. It also cost
me a lot of my time when I was on the phone to breast feeding helplines, spending time at Breast feeding cafés and also meeting up with Peer Supporters for help. Tube after tube of nipple cream didn't come cheap either. Nor did the many car parking tickets I acquired at my local A&E where I had to go numerous times for reviews of DS's prolonged breast feeding jaundice.

However, I'd still rather all those costs than formula.

DS is still BF now at 8.5 months and it's still causing me issues but BF is important to me and so I make the sacrifice of all the 'costs'.

Breast milk may be free, yes. If you're not imbibing any extra calories to produce it, or if you are but you have a way of getting them for no extra cost. Breastfeeding, the process of getting the milk into the baby, is not free unless you think the time of the person dong it is worthless. It was not free when I did it, because my time is of value.

Everybody's time is of value, regardless of how they feed their baby. Which brings us back to the cost of the milk.

The extra calories you would get points for.

All writer's story made me think was that in hindsight, I have no regrets about formula feeding, really.

Child benefit is to support your children with, not a reward for you parenting not that it matters as your point is ridiculous

I expect feeling you are helping to protect your child from illness is reward enough for most breastfeeding mothers.

I can totally understand that moomin - I imagine a few people would read my post and think was a hassle BF had been and why did I continue etc but it's all down to individual perspectives as to how much crap you are willing to put up with. When you read my post it reinforces to you the decision you made to FF but when I read my post I think that yes, I'd had a really shitty time but I would have felt worse if I'd given up and gave formula instead.

Feeding choices are very personal decisions and as another poster said I doubt very much that whether Points are available have any bearing on a woman's decision to either FF or BF

Oh for goodness sake chunderella. Nobody ever talks about the time anybody spends feeding as having a monetary value because it doesn't.

They talk about bf being free and formula not because breastmilk is free and formula isn't.

Chippy,

Switzerland has a ban on all formula

Explain please? I live in Switzerland, my kids are too old for formula but their cousins were formula fed. You can look it up, I've just looked at leshop.ch (doing my shopping) and there's Hipp stage 1 on there. Hang on I'll add it to the basket and see if there's a knock on the door. Police are really efficient here.

Also, Switzerland with its great maternity leave? Swiss maternity leave is usually only 4 months (albeit well paid, as all work related benefits are, the employment insurance being quite expensive).

Maybe you meant Sweden?

Why would not getting points make a 'failed' breastfeeder feel more guilty? I remember just feeling vaguely thankful DD1 wouldn't starve.

toomuch that should have read 'formula advertising'. And I think I actually meant Finland (crap memory)