Annoyed with the price of formula

[pigletmania]

I am mixed feeding, after a rocky start bf and ds not latching found myself having to express and supplement with formula. The formula is over 10 pounds a tin, and the tin is never full up. This is an essential product if a mum is not able to bf, or chooses not to. There should be an upper limit on price, and formula should be unbranded.

The way I looked at it was that it was for only 6 months, follow on milk is much cheaper and my DD dropped to 3x7 ounce bottles in a day, she was having 5-6 bottles before she was introduced to solids!

"The point is that babies need milk to survive (or a milk substitute), and companies should not be making a huge profit from it."

That logic applies to all humans and food.

Is the argument that we should limit the profit that can be made on food?

Or just food for babies?

For children?

Formula milk for babies is just a type of food.

The NHS doesn't prescribe food except in very specific circumstances.

Obviously it is a worry if people genuinely can't afford to feed their families, but I'm not sure general griping about something being considered too expensive is a reason to subsidise it.

What's interesting to me is that the perceived unfairness here seems to be that formula milk has to be paid for while breastmilk is free.

I suppose though in some ways breast milk isn't actually free. You still need to buy nursing bras, pads etc and you need to feed the mum more to provide the milk.

Anything, did you see my post about advertising?

I didnt eat that much more while I breastfed my dc though. That did mean that I was far too skinny though and you only really need 2 bras and some shells and some washable pads - its hardly that expensive.

Felix - sorry to her you werent supported in hospital - I hope you complained about that? I had to fight to bf my dd in hospital against all advice, even the so-called bf counsellor but people shouldnt be put in that position when they are so vunerable.

Thank you. No I didn't complain. Probably should have done but I had so much else going on in my head at the time. With the csection/labour etc.
So glad things were better 2nd time around.
I must admit its only other people who have said about extra food. Never really occurred to me at time.

I am always starving when I start feeding, it def costs more in food in our house!

Absolutely, felix, but the argument here seems to be

"it's not fair that I should have to pay (so much) for formula, because if I were breastfeeding I wouldn't have to buy it.

It's not my fault I can't breastfeed, so therefore I should not be "punished" by having to pay for formula."

Costs associated with feeding children are expected to be met by their parents.

If parents are struggling to meet those costs, then there's a bigger conversation needed about how we deal with that.

Absolutely, felix, but the argument here seems to be

"it's not fair that I should have to pay (so much) for formula, because if I were breastfeeding I wouldn't have to buy it.

It's not my fault I can't breastfeed, so therefore I should not be "punished" by having to pay for formula."

Costs associated with feeding children are expected to be met by their parents.

If parents are struggling to meet those costs, then there's a bigger conversation needed about how we deal with that.

I know that all humans 'need' food, and so the logic applies to all.

But adults can eat any food, we can eat utter crap and still survive, our bodies are more capable of digesting different foods. (Granted, we won't be the healthiest person alive)

Small babies need particular foods in order, not only to survive, but to actually thrive.

Think I'm bowing out of this, I can't bear being misquoted and then ignored when I expllain

Fair enough Bear - I'm feeling the same way, but am bored today.

Not sure about other posters, but my point is not that it is not fair for me to have to pay for it, but more that it is not fair that different stores can charge considerably more for it, and it can be more expensive depending on where you live. The fact that it is a lot cheaper in some stores suggest there is a considerable mark up. To me, this thread started as a discussion, not general griping, and some of the initial responses were very useful, in terms of where you can get the formula cheaper, and the differences, or not, between different brands. Its also worth remembering that the majority of ff posters on this thread had planned to breastfeed, and budgeted accordingly, then are not only disappointed not to be able to exclusively bf, but are also now subject to more cost. In my case, I had already purchased nursing bras and tops, breast pads etc before having to give up. Some people would have also bought a pump (I already had one from before). So formula is a cost on top of this, as is the equipment.

Also, this isn't a thread by someone who decided not to breastfeed because 'its just not me'. The ff contributors as far as I have read, had all tried their hardest or have been in some way let down by the medical profession.

I resent some posters who believe this thread has been contributed to by naive people who do not understand the costs of having children. Believe me, with a two year old toddler, I fully understand as I am sure others do.

And breathe

different stores have different costs though, Tescos in Central London is going to have much higher costs per metre than one in rural Wales.

Different shops charge different prices for the same things, even within the same chain, thats simple economics.

Ok. Whatever.

whether you like that or not, its a simple fact of life, its a thing everyone needs, shops and manufacturers are their to make a profit, you could have the same arguement about every medicine/treatment that there is.

and children get medicine and treatment free of charge

The cost of living does vary from region to region. It's not just formula.

I am an accountant, so I think I understand thanks.

Do they?? Because an awful lot of fundraising for overseas treatment goes on. They get the treatment the govt deems necessary.

And formula isnt treatment, its food. I was merely pointing out, the we need it arguement, can be applied to lots of other things.

You could then argue the govt should provide clothes, roofs, and so on and so forth.

I have done both, FF and BF, for me, FF cost formula, BF cost in food.

Either way, its my responsibility to ensure baby is fed, no-one elses.

RealityIsNotWarren who is your post aimed at?

So why could they mnot also get the food the govt deems necessary free or subsidised?

you could argue that anyone receiving any sort of benefit, is getting their food subsidised couldnt you, that the cost of having children is included in those benefits/tax credits/HB, etc.

Whether benefits provide enough for this, is a whole thread of its own.

Yes, fair enough. Really am leaving this now, not up for anothr bunfight (not aimed at you btw) :)