Money for pregnant women to buy fruit and veg ....

[ComeOVeneer]

thoughts?

surely if a pregnant woman isnt only going to eat fruit/veg if she gets paid for it. she will want to do the best for her and baby regardless and giving her a few bob isnt going to change her stance that much IMO.

Now can i have a voucher for my teenagers sanitary protection each month?

actually i think having a fruit/veg kitchen a la soup kitchen would be the best idea as they will have to eat it then

ooo dont get me started on having to pay for sani pads

I think that it woulds be better to extend the already existing healthy start programme, so all women regardless of income received these vouchers while pregnant. That would remove any stigma for the vouchers as well, i know someone who has lived on benefits for years (for complex reasons) but is too embarrassed to claim rthese as she doesnt want the checkout girl to know! I'm not entitled but then i dont think i would mind usinfg them as free fruit has got to be good!

I did hear years ago of a newsagents taking milk vouchers for ciggarettes and chocolates but i think the regulations are a bit tighter now.

I must say though, it always says on here that veg and fruit is cheap but i honestly dont find that, now i have dd i buy tons for her and it is expensive mostly as it doesnt seem to fill yoou up i suppose!|

Think it will be linked to women having to attend a healthy eating workshop type thingie. Might be good if local veggie box schemes are publicised - not everybody knows about them.
Not sure that £200 will be spent on fruit and veg but there might be other things to buy.

supermarket fruit and veg isnt that good value IMO. I bought a pomegranate from tesco the other day for £1.28 and it was shite. I bought one from my local greengrocer which was lovely and 60p . Defin itely support your local grocer

For gods sake, is there nothing that a person cant get a free hand out for these days? What ever happened to hard work, common sense and self respect?

So this is on top of the £500 sure start grant as well (that I probably wont get again, but anyway)
And they wonder why getting pregnant is seen as a great way of making money by some people?!

If I had £120 at 7 months I would spend it on stuff for the baby, I already eat fruit and veg.

I don't get it.

What's to stop them spending it all on fags and chips?

What's to stop soemone getting up the duff for their £200 reward and putting it towards a plasma TV?

Daft idea. Would be better spent on healthy-eating education.

Agree. Will be spent on fags and phone cards.

stupid idea

I'm sorry but if that was me getting that grantI would spend it on stuff for the baby or the house or perhaps a nice family trip out. I already eat fruit and veg.

There would be nothing to stop this scheme from getting abused unless came in the form of vouchers or something.

Totally agreee with bubble99 they should spend it on more midwives

I dont get the grant so the £120 would be spent on baby things, i already eat my 5 portions a day, so pointless really. Spend money on more midwifes or better education.

When I was 7 months pregnant, all I could face was cucumber, cream crackers and sparkling water. Anything else was just too much (normally have humungous appetite )

Would have welcomed the money, but not spent it on food (unless it was cucumber etc)

29 weeks is too late IMO, and tbh maternity services are underfunded enough to make it rather irresponsible to be suggesting doling this out without any means testing. We are by no means rich but I would turn it down - we can afford fruit and veg.

Investing in teaching people how to feed their family good food on a budget would have been a much better way of spending the money.

give people a lifelong skill that'll benefit their own health and family for years to come.

I( have already said this - cooking lessons.

free to those who wish to attend. cheaper than silly £120 hand outs, and far more useful!

My local HV does cooking courses. A neighbour of mine went as she'd never learned to cook and said they were really good. They were free too as the local Primary Care Trust funded them. My neighbour took several cheap ingredients and came back with an evening meal (casserole) for the family.

...went several times and says that learning to cook has saved her a fortune

Now I dont like the idea much, I think extending the existing scheme (£2.80 aint gonna buy a lot is it?) would be much betteer BUT please could people stopa ssuming (here as well as teletext) that we'd spend it all on booze / fags? Coz nost of us wouldn't.

Our sureatsrt abck home ahd a garden where peole went to lern to grow their own- fabulous, had a really high 'carryt hrough' rate as well. kids got to taste all sorts of homne grown produce, much better than a handout.

Oha nd UD theyc ant spend it on a PLasma TV, dontcha know Camerons gonna ban them?

why not put the cash towards helping mums bf - that would benefit society & reduce childhood obesity as well as all the health benefits.

I think it's crazy, there is nothing to stop a mum to be from buying the fags, things needed for another child or being bullied to pass it over to their other half.. vouchers if the system must be introduced would be better.

Also is 29 weeks (apologies if repeating other thoughts!) a little too late to start eating healthily?

I read on another site, the aim is to close the health inequalities between rich and poor families. Hmm.. even if the poorer mums to be did buy fruit and veg etc, to be honest if I were given cash, I'd be more likely to go get a good pregnancy massage, as I already eat pretty well. Isn't this going to make my psychological state a lot better than those who buy the fags or the odd bit of fresh fruit?

Infact, I'd rather donate the money, if I got it right now to an elderly person who might be struggling to keep warm in the winter.

Where does it stop too.. shouldn't healthy eating continue after birth, so if mums BF, get another payment ;)

£2.80 if you go to the market and buy "loose" at the supermarket can get you a decent amount - unless you're wanting Sweet Potatoes and Leeks

In our area there are no free ante natal classes for first time mums. I think shows that the governant has got it priorities wrong somewhere.

Such an initative is a complete waste of money. Bright women already eat fruit and veg. (even if they are on benefits.) The stupid women will not change their ways.

I could have done with free gym membership after my first baby. Still haven't lost the weight 7 years on.

"I could have done with free gym membership after my first baby. Still haven't lost the weight 7 years on. "

Breastfeeding makes you lose all baby weight. I think the money would be better spent on employing midwives so that women don't fail at breastfeeding.