To think formula feeding parents are bent over a barrel?

[inpixiehollow]

Just been discussing this with a friend and interested to know peoples thoughts.
Am I being unreasonable to think that the NHS/govt should manufacture a nutritionally complete formula for babies, sold at cost price to families? Not disputing the importance of real access to proper breastfeeding support but we have to acknowledge that some women cannot/don't want to breastfeed and instead are victim to formula companies turning over huge profits. If people want fancy formulas/special additives then the option should be there but with rising cost of living I don't think its acceptable that something so necessary for many babies is getting to the point of unaffordable.
I am a massive advocate for breastfeeding so please don't take this as an attack or downplaying the massive lack of help for bf in the UK, I just wish both options were made more accessible for whatever feeding choices people make.

I agree something needs to be done. I just didn’t produce milk - I tried and tried, but even after 8 weeks of attempting to breastfeed then attempting to pump, still nothing was coming out. The cost of feeding formula was something I hadn’t factored in, and I was shocked at how much it was. It really does sting. It definitely wasn’t a choice.

Please understand my post.. I didn't say free formula provided by the government. I said formula manufactured by and then sold to parents for a cost price, removing massive profits most companies get to make on something essential for some families.

Sometimes it isn't a choice though... my milk never came in so I had no milk. If I didn't use formula my baby would have starved.

Not being able to breast feed my baby was horrendous. I was devastated. And then the absolute kick in the teeth was the extortionate cost of the baby milk formula.

And as for the awful woman on the till in Sainsbury's who delighted in telling me that I'd got X amount of nectar points for my food, but obviously none for the formula as I should be breastfeeding... she's very lucky to be still breathing.

Agree. Not all mothers can bf: I was intense in my desire to bf but guess what, the (she was breech) section op left placenta behind & the hospital insisted it was an infection for weeks til baby & I both nearly died. So, yeah, accessible formula is essential as is much better bf support.

I hope you put a complaint into sainsburys! What an awful comment when she had no idea of circumstances! I doubt she would have passed judgement on someone buying cigarettes or booze!

My youngest child had a milk allergy and I was so surprised that I got him milk free! I think it would be a really great idea to give out free baby milk but it’s a far way down the list I’d rather the money to be spent elsewhere to help vulnerable children and babies.

It's a good idea, making formula more accessible for those that need/want it but also removing the incentives for big companies (making huge profits) to advertise formula and push formula/undermine breastfeeding. The public health impact could be huge and positive.

@JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn that's appalling: so many smug, judgemental people who have no idea what many new mothers go through. Solidarity 💐

I think it should be sold at cost. The majority of the cost is going into marketing and advertising.

www.who.int/news/item/28-04-2022-who-reveals-shocking-extent-of-exploitative-formula-milk-marketing

And cot manufacturers should sell cots at cost. And nappies should be sold at cost. Etc etc.

Having a child costs money.

It would be better for it to be available on prescription for those who can’t BF.

As it’s free for the first year post birth.

Tell that to my son - who not one single midwife in Liverpool Womens could get to properly breastfeed.
Thank God I had a sensible community midwife who told me he was doing what her second child had done (she bf her first and third) and to bottle feed him.
Option 1 - accept that bf will be extremely difficult, express what you can but generally get on with ff as well as you can. Outcome - happy baby and mum, and very healthy 23 year old in the future.
Option 2 - as some folks I know went for: determination to bf if it almost kills you, stressed out mum and baby- and guess what - no discernible health advantages, so it would appear, judging by how often their kids are ill.

Yes, OP - there should be support for formula feeding. It should not be refused out of some weird view that to do so gives people an easy way out of bf. I fully intended to bf - had no bottles etc in the house. My son had other ideas - and any ‘support’ I was likely to have received could have made him quite ill. mw made it clear that if I battled on trying to bf with him screaming and pulling away and refusing to even attempt to latch (he never rooted) he would lose weight and become ill.
No bloody way was I doing that.
My two are walking adverts for Cow & Gate - hardly ever ill. Do I regret not battling on? Not at all.
Eat healthily in pregnancy and wean healthily. The months in between? Either way is fine.

Centrally manufacturing and selling at cost price I mean. Making it free (paid for by taxes) I think is a non starter in the current climate.

And of course BF is in no way free and it (in most family circumstances) involves the mother losing ability to earn an income.

That's shocking. I think I'd have lost it.

Wow she really said that! In my case my reply would be "well you can't breastfeed if you have no fffing breasts from cancer!"

If you can't afford a cot you can buy one secondhand, get one from friends/family. Buy one on credit and repay etc etc. Its not an ongoing, absolutely necessary cost like formula is for some families.

Exactly! And that’s the cheap end of parenting… wait until all their friends start wearing £300 North Face puffa jackets and £100 Airforce trainers…

People choose to have children knowing that they have a responsibility to feed them and that’s pretty much the most basic responsibility a parent can have

FF is still feeding your child 🙄

How does BF mean a mother loses the ability to earn an income?

Ive seen some tosh on her before but this is something else!

Why? As OP said some women don’t want to. Do you also think it isn’t the government’s job to provide free school meals, or healthy start vouchers etc?

Why not extend to the government manufacturing and providing profit free food to all children under 18? 🤔

Having children is a choice and when you make that choice you are responsibile for them and the associated costs.

This.

It could definitely be a way for formula companies to not profit so much and/or claim that their formula is best because of x, y & z.

I wouldn't want it on prescription though, even if it would be free for the year. It sounds difficult enough for those with babies who have allergies, I don't trust that it would work with all families who use formula.

@inpixiehollow and the same for all NHS drugs

How does bf make the mother lose the ability to earn an income in most cases? Absolutely no one I know who breastfed lost an income because of bf. They’re all still employed and earning money. No difference my ff friends. I guess if you make it an issue maybe…