Baby formula - moral predicament

[Skeeter2020]

Hi all,

I'm in a bit of what I would consider to be a moral predicament.

I haven't been to the shops over the weekend as I wanted to avoid the mad crush. I'm planning to go either very early tomorrow morning or very late tomorrow night.

I've been told by friends and family that locally most supermarkets have been COMPLETELY swept of baby formula. Panic buying seems to be particularly prevalent in our area.

At the moment we have two tubs, which is how many we tend to make sure we have at any one time. I really don't want to 'panic buy' and am so conscious of the potential implications of doing this for retailers and for other more vulnerabl people, but I'm really considering stocking up, at least a little bit.

I would sit and eat plain rice for a month if I had to but the thought of my baby going without just feels incomprehensible.

Ugh, this whole thing is making me feel really conflicted

Assuming not on solids at all I would have 3-4 weeks in hand and did when my kids were young and I stopped breast feeding. I don't remember how much that is now in tub turns though. But I've always been like that with all essentials though. I honestly think though when thing get bad no one will go without essentials . There are the odd selfish bad eggs but most of us will help each other out. Good luck and remember if you get one or two more than normal and you hear of someone struggling you can always give one to someone else.

OP I’m in a similar boat. I’ve found that the large supermarkets have run out but the smaller local shops (coop, Tesco express etc) have plenty. Also don’t forget that boots and chemists stock baby milk. I would buy a couple extra and have done so for my daughter.

@WaitingInTheBushesOfLove I think supermarkets introducing restricts is such a good move and hopefully will help even out this chaotic and uncertain situation for everyone

My baby is 7 months old, for everyone asking

@ComeAlive thanks for the tip re Boots - I don't know how that hasn't occured to me. If I can't get any in our supermarket (which I'm unlikely to be able to if all of this weekend's horror stories are true) I'll head to Boots - thanks

I was judged like hell this morning when I did my usual monthly shop. DS is a great big hungry boy, only 3 months old so exclusively milk fed. I buy 4 tubs a month as he gets through a tub a week. I didn't panic or over buy I bought what I always buy from a full shelf. I was actually tutted at. I didn't buy much else and I didn't buy anything out of the ordinary. I can't get his milk online it has to be bought in store. Not usually an issue.

Order online for collection in boots

Nappies is the only thing I have brought extra of and that was one extra pack.
I’m in a bad area for panic buying and actually need more loo roll. I went to 3 different stores today, no luck.
At the beginning of this I was laughing at the stupidity of people buying loads of toilet rolls, now I wish I had too.

Buy the formula is what I was trying to say.

Buying one more than usual.. fine
Leaving the shelf like a wasteland.. twat.

Isn’t it 6months that they go over to stage 2 milk too? It seems easier to get, seriously I could fill a bath with 2 or 3 from my supermarket but there wasn’t a tub of stage 1.

Seen some one selling 6 cartons of stage one milk on eBay for £250.. nothing short of evil.

Ds1 is fortunately almost weaned and on prescription milk.. but I’m hours away from having dc2 and seriously considering trying my hardest to bf for as long as possible even after how much we struggled with ds. Just so I don’t have to travel for hours on buses in the hope someone’s left a tub of milk.

@Lunafortheloveogod infant first stage milk is all they need (except solids at 6 months plus obv). No need to ever go onto stage 2 milk.

Buy enough to last 2 weeks. Keep that amount to one side then continue to buy and use as you usually do (obviously rotate the tins). That way you have enough if your household gets ill, but you aren’t hoarding loads.

My baby is EBF but if I was FF I’d do that.

Please don't buy more than you usually would. Our local supermarkets (3 in total) have none in, I had to ask my mum to buy me one from another town because we don't have a car so can't drive around looking for some. We have 1 tub left and the reserve at my mum's now and I'm starting to panic that if things don't improve in a couple of weeks, I'm not going to be able to feed my 3 month old.

DP went to Sainsbury's earlier and the woman working said someone had bought 6 early morning, with no restrictions there was nothing she could do but serve her!

Your post has made me so anxious and angry. I’m due to give birth fairly soon and am terrified that I won’t be able to feed my baby if breastfeeding doesn’t work out. Why are people so selfish? If everybody just shopped as they normally do then there would be no issues and plenty to go round for everybody.

@inselfisolationnow with ds being prescription milk his was changed by the dietician at 6months. More of a suggestion if stage 2 is suitable and easier accessed in this situation though.. better to have something to give them than nothing.

Just buy formula and toilet paper if you find it Your baby needs fed and bums need wiped.just dont go mad.

Always have 1 unopened box (or at least a weeks supply).
That’s not stock piling. It’s just plain sensible stock management at home!!

Just buy one. Then you e got 3 tins which will last a 7 month old ages.

To the poster who said "buy a tin every time you go out" get a grip

Just buy enough to keep you going for a few weeks. Honestly, you're not the utter twat bastard who was stopped from buying 23 tins of baby powder (different brands and ages) at my local Asda today

@justarandom1, find out as much as you can about breastfeeding now so you know what is normal, and look out where to get breastfeeding support when your baby is here. You might consider antenatal expression of colostrum so you have colostrum available if for whatever reason your baby does not feed well at first

@justarandom1 please don't worry. Check out the support in your area if you are planning on breastfeeding. The midwives will hopefully be able to help you too. Either way, you will be able to feed your baby as hopefully this manic panic buying will slow down soon.

Guidance from UNICEF, hope everyone is now getting everything their baby needs

I would have 1 open tin and a two week supply of closed tins at all times just to be sensible.

I have a four month old on Aldi Mamia milk, there was none on the shelf yesterday but when I asked when there would next be stocks in they said they had some out back so I was able to buy. It is always worth asking if they have any im stock. (Nappies and wipes are another thing altogether but I am happy to go reusable for them).

It might be worth looking at approvedfood.co.uk , in the health and beauty section there’s a baby department with various nappy and formula brands, plus wipes. It’s all short dated stuff. They sell food, drink, cleaning stuff. I’ve only used them a could times years ago but it could help someone out. Just an idea.