Campaign to permenantly reduce the cost of formula

[Kaede351]

It's not just the milk that is overpriced, nappies are too. Baby stuff is expensive because it's "essentials" that people cannot do without. It's mainly just a money making boon. Although, honestly, I'd rather pay £7.99 for C&G than £9.50 for Aptamil! It may be the cheapest, but it's been around a looong time. My nan used to get C&G milk for my mum and uncle!

It would be nice to see he price lowered at east a bit though. I tried breast feeding for 4 weeks, but I was a complete failure at it. My baby boy wasn't gaining weight, so I switched to formula. It's a bit unfair to say put the price of formula up to make people want to BF more. it's not always a case of "wanting" to FF rather than "having" to FF.

XxX

 

[dgirllamius]

Formula is a rip off here, I think the top brand for a tin/box is about €16 (about £14) and there's only about 600g or so in there. I get a cheaper brand with the same amount of gramms in it and it lasts me about 4 days or so, maybe 5. I can actually get the same formula from Amazon for 2€ less than in the shop, not much I know but it soon adds up over time and they deliver for free too. Worth looking into if you have the option to order in bulk online.

 

[dizz]

Aaaah I see the "make formula feeding even MORE expensive and arkward and that'll make those rotters breastfeed" crew are out in force.

I would say - go see the FF guilt thread on that respective forum, but I'd actually prefer it if you stayed away since we get bullied enough.

But yes, let's use this warped logic to punish me a bit more huh? Let's make it just a little bit MORE arkward and financially painful to formula feed (and yes, we're struggling financially - come above the cut-offs for any help, I get no maternity pay, no maternity allowance, no benefits whatosoever, we fall just above the tax credit threshold - it's not pretty)...because obviously everyone who feeds formula does it through choice - not through having a premature baby with a poor suck reflex and difficulty latching (can't say I blame her having trouble with my astronomical post-pregnancy assets with the mouth of a 4lb sized baby), and despite pumping my backside off - my supply dried up and my breastpump died... but yep, I must have immediately rushed to the supermarket, looked at the aisle and thought "cor that's cheap - let's feed the baby that instead"... when in fact I actually apologised to my husband because the failure of my body (coupled with the failure of the appalling hospital care and lack of support we received) was going to cost us a heck of a lot of pain financially - and I felt crap enough about the added financial strain my inability to breastfeed was going to put on the family.

But yeah - whack it up to £15 a carton, or £20 or whatever - that'll make my boobs work again, that'll make my daughter go back up my vagina and come out as a term baby, and that'll make my appalling hospital develop a clue beyond "lob norks at baby - hope they stick" as a method of breastfeeding support. Label everyone who bottle feeds as doing so through badly-motivated choice, ignore the dreadful stories many women have of the tears they've shed and how awful they already are made to feel - and just grind them further and further into the ground - because that'll make someone with no supply miraculously develop one, that'll make someone mentally at breaking point suddenly become well and emotionally able to deal with breastfeeding that's stressing them out, it'll make my girl miraculously be able to latch, repair tongue ties, it'll solve everything won't it?

I will NOT be criminalised and treated like some shameful little secret because of how I feed my baby. I will NOT be punished because of how I feed my baby and I will NOT allow her to be punished because of the consequences of her birth and how choices were removed from me. The bullying of formula fed women HAS to stop. It's "breast is best" not "batter the formula feeders".

 

[omfgski]

.

 

[staralfur]

I didn't see anyone in this thread insult people who feed their babies formula...

I think everyone can understand that sometimes breastfeeding just doesn't work out. When people are saying it might encourage more women to breastfeed, I think they're referring to ladies who don't try it out to start - not those who did give it an effort and had it not work out.

Even still, I'm not sure formula companies jacking up the prices is the way to encourage it. But I honestly don't think anyone was trying to offend FF moms.

 

[jenniferttc1]

I don't see the prices going down. But in the US I know they have much cheaper store brand formula and stuff like enfamil and silminac (sp?) when I was pregnant I looked at the price of formula and it was like 25.00 for a small can of enfamil and targets brand was the same as enfamil and like 20.00 for double the amount of powder. And people in the US that can not afford formula (low income) have wic which pays for all forumla and from what I hear they give like 10 cans a month.

I think that WIC drives up the cost of formula. There are two stores in my town that sell formula, one that accepts WIC checks and one that doesn't. The one that accepts WIC checks charges $19 for a can of formula, while the other store that does not accept WIC checks charges about $10 for the same can... hmm!!

Would not suprise me, and thats sounds really shitty. I do not shop at stores that are like that
But I heard great things about target brands formula. And its VERY cheap compared to the others.

 

[jenniferttc1]

It's not just the milk that is overpriced, nappies are too. Baby stuff is expensive because it's "essentials" that people cannot do without. It's mainly just a money making boon. Although, honestly, I'd rather pay £7.99 for C&G than £9.50 for Aptamil! It may be the cheapest, but it's been around a looong time. My nan used to get C&G milk for my mum and uncle!

It would be nice to see he price lowered at east a bit though. I tried breast feeding for 4 weeks, but I was a complete failure at it. My baby boy wasn't gaining weight, so I switched to formula. It's a bit unfair to say put the price of formula up to make people want to BF more. it's not always a case of "wanting" to FF rather than "having" to FF.

XxX

Diapers really are ridiculous! Atleast with feeding you can try to breastfeed for free, but even reusable diapers are outrageous in price!

 

[NewlyMarried]

Aaaah I see the "make formula feeding even MORE expensive and arkward and that'll make those rotters breastfeed" crew are out in force.

But yeah - whack it up to £15 a carton, or £20 or whatever - that'll make my boobs work again.

Are you reading a different thread? This is about reducing the cost.

Sorry you and LO had a hard start being pre term but dont think anyones bullying. Hope your LO is doing well now x

 

[jenniferttc1]

Aaaah I see the "make formula feeding even MORE expensive and arkward and that'll make those rotters breastfeed" crew are out in force.

I would say - go see the FF guilt thread on that respective forum, but I'd actually prefer it if you stayed away since we get bullied enough.

But yes, let's use this warped logic to punish me a bit more huh? Let's make it just a little bit MORE arkward and financially painful to formula feed (and yes, we're struggling financially - come above the cut-offs for any help, I get no maternity pay, no maternity allowance, no benefits whatosoever, we fall just above the tax credit threshold - it's not pretty)...because obviously everyone who feeds formula does it through choice - not through having a premature baby with a poor suck reflex and difficulty latching (can't say I blame her having trouble with my astronomical post-pregnancy assets with the mouth of a 4lb sized baby), and despite pumping my backside off - my supply dried up and my breastpump died... but yep, I must have immediately rushed to the supermarket, looked at the aisle and thought "cor that's cheap - let's feed the baby that instead"... when in fact I actually apologised to my husband because the failure of my body (coupled with the failure of the appalling hospital care and lack of support we received) was going to cost us a heck of a lot of pain financially - and I felt crap enough about the added financial strain my inability to breastfeed was going to put on the family.

But yeah - whack it up to £15 a carton, or £20 or whatever - that'll make my boobs work again, that'll make my daughter go back up my vagina and come out as a term baby, and that'll make my appalling hospital develop a clue beyond "lob norks at baby - hope they stick" as a method of breastfeeding support. Label everyone who bottle feeds as doing so through badly-motivated choice, ignore the dreadful stories many women have of the tears they've shed and how awful they already are made to feel - and just grind them further and further into the ground - because that'll make someone with no supply miraculously develop one, that'll make someone mentally at breaking point suddenly become well and emotionally able to deal with breastfeeding that's stressing them out, it'll make my girl miraculously be able to latch, repair tongue ties, it'll solve everything won't it?

I will NOT be criminalised and treated like some shameful little secret because of how I feed my baby. I will NOT be punished because of how I feed my baby and I will NOT allow her to be punished because of the consequences of her birth and how choices were removed from me. The bullying of formula fed women HAS to stop. It's "breast is best" not "batter the formula feeders".

Agree with previous poster. I think you are reading this totally wrong. And I think only 1 poster said anything about breastfeeding instead of forumla? I've very rarely can across a poster that was anti formula feeding.

 

[Wiggler]

I'm 50/50 on this.

I think formula is very expensive and in an ideal world it would be cheaper. BUT...

Formula companies like money, they do not care about babies, or parents struggling for money, they only care about their profits. If they were forced to lower the price of formula you can guarantee they would find a way to claw back some money, so they would most likely make the formula tubs smaller, so you pay less, but you also get less, or they would change something along the prodution line to cut costs which means the formula may not be of the same quality as before. They will do anything to keep their profits high.

x x x

 

[Sarah lo]

Aaaah I see the "make formula feeding even MORE expensive and arkward and that'll make those rotters breastfeed" crew are out in force.

I would say - go see the FF guilt thread on that respective forum, but I'd actually prefer it if you stayed away since we get bullied enough.

But yes, let's use this warped logic to punish me a bit more huh? Let's make it just a little bit MORE arkward and financially painful to formula feed (and yes, we're struggling financially - come above the cut-offs for any help, I get no maternity pay, no maternity allowance, no benefits whatosoever, we fall just above the tax credit threshold - it's not pretty)...because obviously everyone who feeds formula does it through choice - not through having a premature baby with a poor suck reflex and difficulty latching (can't say I blame her having trouble with my astronomical post-pregnancy assets with the mouth of a 4lb sized baby), and despite pumping my backside off - my supply dried up and my breastpump died... but yep, I must have immediately rushed to the supermarket, looked at the aisle and thought "cor that's cheap - let's feed the baby that instead"... when in fact I actually apologised to my husband because the failure of my body (coupled with the failure of the appalling hospital care and lack of support we received) was going to cost us a heck of a lot of pain financially - and I felt crap enough about the added financial strain my inability to breastfeed was going to put on the family.

But yeah - whack it up to £15 a carton, or £20 or whatever - that'll make my boobs work again, that'll make my daughter go back up my vagina and come out as a term baby, and that'll make my appalling hospital develop a clue beyond "lob norks at baby - hope they stick" as a method of breastfeeding support. Label everyone who bottle feeds as doing so through badly-motivated choice, ignore the dreadful stories many women have of the tears they've shed and how awful they already are made to feel - and just grind them further and further into the ground - because that'll make someone with no supply miraculously develop one, that'll make someone mentally at breaking point suddenly become well and emotionally able to deal with breastfeeding that's stressing them out, it'll make my girl miraculously be able to latch, repair tongue ties, it'll solve everything won't it?

I will NOT be criminalised and treated like some shameful little secret because of how I feed my baby. I will NOT be punished because of how I feed my baby and I will NOT allow her to be punished because of the consequences of her birth and how choices were removed from me. The bullying of formula fed women HAS to stop. It's "breast is best" not "batter the formula feeders".

sorry to hear you've had such a tough time xx

 

[ellie27]

Dizz, I am not sure who your post was aimed at.......I do hope it is aimed at the formula manufacturers rather than someone on the thread?

Sounds like you have had a tough time, like most of us on here who have tried their hardest to breastfeed.

 

[Natasha2605]

Dizz Im not sure who your post was aimed at but if it was at someone on the thread I don't think anyone said anything that would warrant the strength of your reply. I'm sorry you've had a tough time. Xx

 

[Sideways 8]

I'm not really in support of any legislation that is set out to regulate prices in the commercial world. Government controls way too damn much as it is.

Like a PP said, this is a free market, and there are many brands out there to choose from (Enfamil, Similac, Gerber Goodstart, Target's up-and-up, Walmart, Costco, etc). The consumers choose what they want, and that determines the success of a company in the long run. If a company's profits are low because no one's buying their product, they'll lower the prices.

The only product out there that seems to be exempt from the above convention is gasoline and other fossil fuels


And, I only briefly visited the site linked in the OP, so it appears to be UK-based (correct me if I'm wrong) and maybe isn't set out to seek legislation but instead just appeal to formula manufacturers.

 

[mrs.amillian]

I'm in a lucky enough postion to only need to buy a tub of formula once very 3 or so weeks as we combi feed, and I did switch down to Cow and Gate cause it was cheaper and LO has been fine. No difference noticed.

I gotta say things like formula are essential and they are gonna be expensive, look at petrol for an example. In the UK we are lucky enough to have child benefit and this sort of thing is what it's for.

Dizz - I think you need a but I gotta say I don't think anyone was argueing breast over bottle, and actually for Baby Club this has been a very calm discussion. Doesn't happen very often lol!

XjessicaX - I agree if for medical reasons the Mum is physically unable to breast feed, it should be on perscription, but I don't think thats ever gonna happen

 

[babyblog]

A couple of posters did say if it was more expensive it may encourage more people to bf and they clearly saw that as a positive. I think it should be cheaper, or at the ver leas be able to be included in deals at supermarkets ( but that is a whole other thread !). We get through a tin and a half each week , so £60 a month, and tha to me is expensive.

I also think it's dangerous to have the costs so high. My husband works in a college and knows of a few of his students who water down the formula to make it las longer, and some give the 6month + milk to their newborns as it's cheaper and can be included in supermarket deals

 

[megangrohl]

We go through 1 tin per week, which has 640 grams in it. So it works out to 4.5 tins per month at $30 per tin (Candian) so it is quite expensive. It would be nice if it were cheaper, but what can you do. You can't force them to lower their prices.

I'm also a mom that was not able to breastfeed even though I tried very hard. I wish I could, but I was not able to so we basically have to suck it up and pay the price of formula.

 

[summer rain]

The link in the original post is a petition calling for manufacturers to be made to lower the price of formula and abolish their marketing activities, which despite being illegal for infant formula in the Uk things like 'carelines' and 'mum and baby clubs' are a way of taking advantage of legal loopholes. These marketing and promotional activities cost the formula companies millions of pounds to run every year, plus they tack on the costs of advertising and doing special offers on follow on and toddler milk onto the price of the infant formula so mums using infant formula are paying over the odds twice. I welcome this petition I do think these marketing activities should be banned and the price of formula permanently lowered. In the US they are allowed to advertise and promote infant formula yet even with promotions and coupons in most areas the price of a supermarket infant formula is more expensive than here, let alone the branded formulas at full price. Special offers and promotions are a con to keep prices artificially high and make it seem like a good deal. I do agree though with the other poster who said if the formula companies had to make their prices lower they'd probably cut corners or just make a smaller tin as it would affect their profits xx

 

[tina3747]

I think the cost of formula is about right here. I used a tin every 6 days, so around £10 per week, I wouldn't call it extortionate. We're lucky to have child benefit in this country so basically it's free!!
I do agree with pp's that lowering the price would tempt companies into cutting more corners which would do more harm than good.
I'm pretty sure that any advertising by manufacturers has no bearing and the majority of women deciding to breast or formula feed. Now the 'next best thing to breast milk' has gone (which needed to go IMO) all that's left is a company peddling it's wares. It should be against the law if it ever gets underhand with its claims but there's companies competing to sell against each other which they should be able to do, the basis of adverts is just awareness anyway.
On a side note, it's celebrities that have the biggest impact in advertising, people like beyonce ect showing girls/women that breast feeding is normal is probably one of the best ways to get the rates up amongst the groups where numbers are lacking.

 

[bubbles123]

I think the cost of formula is much more in the states though than it is here. As others have said, I spent £9.50 a week with my son at the height of his milk drinking (just before weaning) which worked out at just over £1.30 a day which is less than I would be spending on food once he was on solids and I bought the most expensive brand. Although I'm sure formula is marked up considerably (how expensive can powdered milk be to make?) it is a commercial product and some sort of commercial mark up is to be expected. One thing I always wondered though is why we don't have own brand formula in the UK. Often, competition is the best way to drive down prices, not legislation which the companies will jut try to get round. How about Tesco own brand formula? More competition for the big UK brands is what we need I think.