Babies are going hungry as food banks are advised not to give out formula milk

[stumbledin]

This is from the Mirror www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/babies-going-hungry-food-banks-22977474 althought the Times also had an article but behind paywall www.thetimes.co.uk/article/food-banks-ban-on-formula-leaves-babies-to-go-hungry-tcghd25gm

From posts I have seen on facebook this is because of advice (directive) from Unicef published last year www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Provision-of-formula-milk-at-food-banks-Unicef-UK-Baby-Friendly-Initiative.pdf

I know there is enourmous pressure to persuade mothers that "breast is best" and that certainly companies like Nestles have behaved disgracefully in some developing countries.

But at a time of a pandemic and more and more familes depending on food banks is this really the time for hard line purity?

What about the women who for whatever reason cant breast feed?

I'm sure there's been some threads about this already

It’s shameful food banks are effectively judging others.

I’ve seen increasing numbers of people on our local Facebook site offering cartons of formula for free as a result of this. There have been some great examples of communities working together during this pandemic.

There have been at least 2 other threads on this with many posts. You might find them interesting.

There was already a thread on this, and it's not true.

Food banks can't store formula safely because of the use-by dates.
There are milk vouchers already for people that can't afford formula.

This has been the way for years. We always passed any formula to the health visitors to avoid babies being chopped and changed across different brands. Nothing to do with judging or not wanting to encourage FF. Ideally if all other food is provided it is easier for the family to pay for the required brand.

If you want to be angry, get angry with the fuckers in charge not the independent charities trying to keep people afloat.

Read the other threads on this subject.

I think you need to do a bit more research...
People get referrals from their health visitor for help with formula.

@dementedpixie

I'm sure there's been some threads about this already

Not on FWR. I saw it in the Times.

@TurnOffTheTv

I think you need to do a bit more research... People get referrals from their health visitor for help with formula.

Do they? It was a long time ago but my health visitor refused to give me any advice at all on how to make an easy switch from bf to ff.

@AnneLovesGilbert

There have been at least 2 other threads on this with many posts. You might find them interesting.

On FWR? I Don't recall seeing them.

On mumsnet there have been other threads
I dont know what FWR means

There was a long thread about this already. It’s not about judging people.

@dementedpixie

On mumsnet there have been other threads I dont know what FWR means

You have just posted on the FWR sub- forum.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4073147-No-formula-milk-available-from-foodbanks

Not in this section but there was another thread covering the same topic in which two of us who run/work at food banks explained this. Nothing to do with "hard line purity".

[quote borageforager]www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4073147-No-formula-milk-available-from-foodbanks[/quote]
So none on FWR- Short for Feminism and Women's Rights.

It seems a perfectly reasonable topic to be discussed. It's hardly out of the ordinary for a topic to be discussed in more than 1 sub- forum.

So FWR is the one I see as Feminism Chat?

@borageforager

There was a long thread about this already. It’s not about judging people.

From the Times article it was more about rigidly sticking to a doctrinaire belief with little thought of how it applied in real life.

Food banks can't store formula safely because of the use-by dates

Use by dates on unopened formula are usually a year.

@dementedpixie

So FWR is the one I see as Feminism Chat?

Yes- what brought you here?

The Active threads

It wasn't just about the use by dates. It was about getting the right formula for each baby and demand within each locality not being sufficient for each brand leading to wasted stock.
Plus this should be done by health visitors etc who are much better placed to support mothers of infants.

You sound like you have an axe to grind Dido but really, it's not relevant to this situation.

Suppose that depends on whether a health visitor is available when needed. Formula is so expensive too especially if you've been duped into buying an expensive one because it has good marketing. Healthy start vouchers may go towards infant formula but you wouldn't have much left from them to buy any other healthy food

This isn't correct, and food banks are not making any judgements re. BF and FF. The issue is that even when formula is donated, it isn't always in the brand needed. It's my understanding that it is not advisable to change between brands. What the food banks do instead is purchase the formula directly for the parent once they have requested it, or they provide vouchers for formula. They are not depriving children of food, quite the opposite.

I also didn't know what FWR means, that doesn't mean we shouldn't be here. Your suspicion is uncalled for, Dido.