Should Baby Formula Be Free?
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Do you think Baby Formula should be free?
Danone has said they are going to reduced the price of formula sold to retailers by 7%. But prices have already gone up by around 24% in the last couple of years.
comriegold I'm glad you could but I couldn't I didn't want anything to do with her 12 years later I still feel guilty that I even felt that way postnatal affects people in different ways
Leannexxx dont ever feel guilty. None of us know the entire story of why you feel that way. Human emotions are the most powerful, baffling, dangerous, odd and terrifying thing we all have to deal with x
suevernon1968 I can't help it think it's because I wanted her so much I just didn't expect that to happen after giving birth my doctor says my labour didn't help it was bad that's why I didn't have another child for 10 years out of fear it will all happen again and it did lucky wasn't as bad as first time round
Leannexxx you gave her life - that is the most precious gift any mother can give to a child x always remember that x
Leannexxx I don't have the best relationship with my son either because of postnatal depression. I'm really sorry you're still going thru that. PND is NOT your fault. You didn't do anything to make it happen. It's a hormonal inbalance. There is such scant support for women and babies who experience what we have. Not too late to get help. Talk to your child too. My son is aware of what happened with us
Leannexxx sounds like you maybe need trauma treatment. A near death experience giving birth would most certainly make you feel that.
Leannexxx I regret writing this. I was wrong. You were not being sarcastic. Please accept my sincere apologies 
comriegold thank you I have a good relationship with both my kids now thank god after to bad labours I decided to get a hysterectomy didn't think I would be having that done at 35 but since then in myself I feel alot better
comriegold agree with you on that one and yet some mothers have it all easy like my sister 
Don't want to pay for baby formula? DON'T HAVE KIDS.
I don't expect the government to pay for my drinking and smoking, so why should I pay through my ridiculous taxes to pay for people who have had a kid (typically single mothers).
If you can't afford children, keep your legs shut and your c*ck in your pants.
No. But I do think for low income families, there should be some sort of voucher to reduce the price. Not everyone who has a baby, planned on having a baby.
HappyComperZoe Surely not every mother needs baby formula. Breastfeeding is so beneficial to the health of the baby and mother. That should be encouraged where possible.
www.nct.org.uk/baby-toddler/feeding/early-days/benefits-breastfeeding
BonzoBanana no we shouldn't fact is woman don't breast feed for a number of reasons and it shouldn't be forced on any new mother I wanted to breastfeed but I couldn't because of the postnatal it's not just as simple as you want it to be
Leannexxx No one is forcing breastfeeding on mothers. The issue is some mothers expect baby formula to be free or heavily subsidised for them meaning others have to pay for it for them. I've also seen mothers state they have the right to steal baby formula if they can't afford it and wouldn't expect to be prosecuted and thrown in Jail because they should have the right to do that. So basically the message is give it to us free or nearly free or we will steal it anyway.
The UK is in a very poor financial state with £150k of debt and liabilities for every single person or you could say about 1/3rd of a million of debt and liabilities for every household. We need to understand we have a huge financial emergency that the politicians are pretending doesn't exist. We are basically getting a lot poorer and people need to understand that. Services are reducing or disappearing as the government is facing crippling interest payments. It's a horrible situation but expecting the government to keep paying out for services when they are basically bankrupt is not realistic.
www.taxpayersalliance.com/picture_real_national_debt_hits_143_000_per_person
BonzoBanana they don't think it should be free at all but it should be more affordable they are putting the price up knowing full well they mothers need it some baby can't use shop on brands of milk so have no other option but to pay for branded ones there ripping people off
BonzoBanana Not every mum can breastfeed- or not for long- and often theres medical reasons that they cant as well.Or some babies just wont take to it.Or if baby is in neonatal and nurses give any bottles they just make it harder to continue with breastfeeding
No it should not be free but more affordable. If they can lower it by 7% thus means they have been profiteering for however long if they can reduce it by 7%?
tscebraz It doesn't mean they have been profiteering it maybe it was at the industry standard margin before but have responded to pressure from mothers to reduce their margin as a goodwill gesture because no company wants to be unpopular and hated.
BonzoBanana fair enough companies don't want to be hated, bit neither do companies run at a loss.
It DID used to be free in baby clinics- a couple of tins for every milk token and you got 2 milk tokens per week per baby- and free babies vitamins, for those on benefits or low incomes- Dont they do those any more? I know they can use the tokens towards the vegetables & normal milk i think in supermarkets though, but i assumed that was for when theyre past babymilk stage.But certainly in general i think there should be a lower price on it.or at least sell for a fiver a tin if you give proof of benefits etc.
Well then thats something isnt it, they can get as many tins as £34 gets you? Is that per week or per month Leannexxx?
Also though if they lowered the cost by more than 7%(which isnt much) then parents could afford more tins for their £34.
Yes there should be more allowance because theyre all branded really- or at least lower cost by half for people on low incomes.Babies with dietry requirements used to get it on prescription by the dr- and collect it at pharmacy for free of course.(lactose free or soya milk etc)
Leannexxx yes shes right- it doesnt make much difference- but i meant the ones for babies with food allergies who need dairy free or lactose intolerant etc.(i used to call it my sons 'milk-free' milk) But to anyone with concerns about if their baby is allergic or intolerant to milk go to your gp first.
Though if you actually needed extra you'd have to buy it as well and the cost of those 'special' milks is even higher than the ordinary ones.Not all mums can breast feed for varying reasons so baby milks should be much cheaper or subsidised at least.
MrsCraig FDA regulates commercially available infant formulas, which are marketed in liquid and powder forms, but does not regulate recipes for homemade formulas. Great care must be given to the decision to make infant formulas at home, and safety should be of prime concern that's what i meant i did see the difference in the Aldi one i did try it for a while but it just wasn't agreeing with her
I don't think it should be free but it should be cheaper than it is. I can understand why the more specialist milks are more expensive but the standard milks shouldn't be.
I just had a look on boots website- good grief ! The anti- reflux milk is £18 a tin- goats milk is £19!- cheapest 'normal' milk seems to be £13-£15. What is wrong with these companies making a profit from a babies food!- Time to rally your councilers & members of parliament parents!
caztoo a friend of mine has aa prescription for a particular kind of formula- I think it’s soya as her baby has allergies
And years ago for those ladies who couldn’t (or wouldn’t) breast feed there were ‘wet nurses’
No.
A woman gives birth to a child, it's her responsibility and the father's to take care of the child, not someone else.
Does anyone think that the price of baby milk will encourage parents to wean their babies too early?
I remember reading an article (i dont know if there is any truth to it) that the reason more children are getting gastrointestinal problems are because we are weaning them too young before their bodies are ready.
Now - don’t shoot the messenger- this is just an article i remember reading.
suevernon1968 it could do I know you can get foods from 4 months old for 49p I started at 6 months but still had milk till 12 months old then cows milk now none of them drink milk no matter how much I try 
Leannexxx dont worry about it. My youngest breastfed perfectly, weaned brilliantly and would eat anything i gave her. Then at about 2.5 years old she refused to eat anything but coco pops and milk. I was so worried i took her to the doctors. If course she was a normal 2.5 year old - getting into everything, climbing on everything. My GP just said - does she ill or tired or malnourished?
I just started taking her shopping and choosing what she wanted to buy. She’s 30 now and eats spicier food than i can tolerate. If you want your kids to drink milk - mix it in a liquidiser with ice cream and fruit. Or buy those straws that have milk shake powder in them.
But milk isnt the be all and end all. There are loads of ways to get calcium and protein into them. Buy yogurt and tell the kids not to eat them cos they are yours. You can bet they wont be able to resist but to eat them.
If you are really worried go see your doctor- they can put you in touch with a nutritionist. If you just want a few tips on how to get kids to eat stuff they wont then pm me. I fostered teenagers for 20 years and currently have 11 grandchildren- there isn’t a trick invented that I haven’t tried. But most of all stop worrying- a lot of kids dont like just drinking milk ! Xx
The problem with making things free is its not actually free its a cost to the tax payers. I think the most important thing which is free at the point of use is the NHS. We need to focus on that before we add more to what is 'free'
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