Formula feeding no discounts

[CommanderShepherd]

Due with pfb any day now. I'm planning to breastfeed but I have discovered that baby formula isn't allowed to be discounted. I've tried to find out why but not having much luck with Google. I'm curious as to why supermarkets etc aren't allowed to

Because it would be too tempting for parents to chop and change their babies milk if they can get it cheaper week to week for starters. Of course only a total idiot would do that but it would happen.

And secondly, they (being manufacturers and retailers) aren't allowed to do anything to encourage parents to choose formula over breastmilk.

www.babymilkaction.org/

I breast fed anyway.

I imagine not discounting formula is a government ruling of some kind to try and get more mums to breastfeed.

I think it's so that parents can always afford to purchase formula. If they were allowed to discount it could increase in price dramatically after promotions had ended. If they can't discount the stuff then it's always the same price (or at least the price won't have changed significantly) so it's easier for people to budget for it.

What KP said. Same reason you can't get supermarket points on it

Stage two milk onwards gets discounted, as the others said it's not allowed on 0-6 months formula due to.encouraging more mums to breastfeed.

It's one of the rules of the international code of marketing of breastmilk substitutes which was made by the world health organisation.

Because it would be a promotion, and it is illegal to promote first milk. That's why follow-on milk exists.

Nothing wrong with chopping and changing brands of formula. It's not unsafe to do so. The no discounts rule has nothing to do with that.

Permanent low price would be permitted.

Really.. So one size suits all babies then?

Can anyone tell me why breastmilk storage bags are so expensive? And breastpumps? Why aren't these heavily discounted to encourage women to choose pumping over formula when so many women have latch issues?

It's about not trapping people into formula feeding who can't afford it. If they could give you a token in your bounty pack to give you 3 weeks' supply of formula powder for only £3 - and you say "bargain!" and choose to formula feed, then 3 weeks later when your own milk has dried up it can be suddenly £30 which you don't have but now you have no choice. No special offers means no one can be under economic pressure like this.

Gamerchick, yes, really . It is a big myth that it would be wrong to change a baby's formula milk once they are on one particular brand. It's not unsafe to do this. Sometimes babies seem to react differently to different types. It's fine for them to switch. It is also fine for babies to switch for no reason. But generally speaking this doesn't happen. If it did, no big deal.

I personally think it's disgusting that it isn't allowed, something else to beat women round the head with, like we can't make decisions on how to feed our children without paternalistic intervention.

Said as someone exclusively breastfeeding my son, so not a guilty conscience.