Baby Milk Price Hike!

SusanC_2

Triggles wrote: »

Well, straying back to the original post, as a mum who is FF her little one, I am greatly annoyed that the price of formula has recently risen about £1 per container. I get just as annoyed when anything else at the supermarket is driven up in price, so obviously this is the same thing to me. The price of something I need to buy has gone up, and there's little I can do about it.

I will admit to being bored to tears with the constant resounding cries of "breast is best" that always seem to surface when formula is discussed. It would be nice just to see a thread in which the poster simply was frustrated over a price increase on a necessary product (for that particular household) be allowed to run without the BF v FF controversy. *sigh* People can bang on about the whole advertising ban and such regarding formula, and how people need to step back and not get emotional about the issue, but it would be so nice if those who were FF'ing didn't have to get the whole BF'ing mantra thrown in their face for deigning to discuss an aspect of formula feeding. It is wearing and a bit condescending, IMO.

The OP brought up the debate about FF v BF. The OP seemed to imply that it was the "breast is best" idea that makes formula so expensive and that this is unfair. While not deliberate this is inevitably going to result in people who BF defending their position and since many people say, "I had to stop BF because of such and such" inevitably people are going to start talking about how if proper support was provided more (not all) people would continue BFing. I don't think people were saying that people should continue if they don't want to but the point is that those who do want to are often let down by a poor support system and then end up using formula out of an avoidable necessity rather than through choice. Feelinggood repeatedly said that people who end up FF for whatever reason shouldn't feel or be made to feel guilty and I have repeatedly talked about how hitting people over the head with "breast is best" is unhelpful whatever your situation. One person told MrsTine that her reason for switching to FF "wasn't good enough" but other than that I think the breastfeeders have tried to be reasonable - indeed a number of breastfeeders have explicitly stated that they don't care how anyone else feeds their baby.

got-it-spend-it

One of the things I have realised since I had my DS is that a lot of bringing up a baby is down to luck! I had bad luck at his birth, in that nothing went to plan and I had a long, long labour, an epidural and an EMCS, but good luck that he was born healthy and fighting fit.

I planned to BF, and I am lucky that he took to it immediately, depsite the fact that I had an EMCS and no skin to skin as I'd planned. Three months down the line we've had relatively few problems and I really love BFing, but I don't kid myself that if he hadn't latched on, or I'd had thrush or any number of things, I probably would have switched to FF.

My little boy pretty much sleeps through the night, and while we have tried to get him into a routine I don't kid myself that his good sleeping is anything other than good luck.

Of course the choices that we make are important and have an impact, but I really believe that a lot of this parenting lark is down to luck and I try to remember that when things don't seem to be going as I'd hoped!

csh_2

SusanC wrote: »

The OP brought up the debate about FF v BF. The OP seemed to imply that it was the "breast is best" idea that makes formula so expensive and that this is unfair.

Formula was previously subsidised, now it isn't because the Dept of Health/Government/Nanny State/Whatever you want to call it push Breast is Best and will not be seen to promote FF, therefore formula is more expensive for me to buy now than it was in 1996(in relative terms obv) because of this Breast is Best stance they have now which didn't exsist then.

Therefore in simple terms Breast is Best has caused me to have to pay more for formula.

I'm not getting into right/wrongs of the milk being subsidised I'm simply saying that the OP as well as myself have older children and when they were babies the rules were different.


For example if you previously had a tax break that you no longer have due to a change in the law, you are entitled to be a bit peeved are you not? Even if you agree in principle with the change it still hurts your pocket.

MrsTinks

csh - but then you could argue that they also upped the child benefit (non means tested) in the last year so that should cover this latest price hike?

I'm not disagreeing btw - just that technically the rise is covered by another rise IYSWIM?

PrincessPlaty

MrsTine wrote: »

csh - but then you could argue that they also upped the child benefit (non means tested) in the last year so that should cover this latest price hike?

I'm not disagreeing btw - just that technically the rise is covered by another rise IYSWIM?

What are the rules on who can claim healthy start vouchers? *confused smily*

BeenieCat

You gotta be on a means tested benefit, so Income Support, JSA income based - i think??
I'm on IS atm and i get £6.20 a week, but i'm bf;ing so i spend it on veg, fruit and cows milk

MrsTinks

I love google:

You may qualify if you’re pregnant and/or have at least one child under four years old and your family gets any of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit unless your family is receiving Working Tax credit run-on only) with an annual family income of £16,040 or less (for 2009/2010)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

or

• if you are pregnant and under 18 years old

PrincessPlaty

MrsTine wrote: »

I love google:

You may qualify if you’re pregnant and/or have at least one child under four years old and your family gets any of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit unless your family is receiving Working Tax credit run-on only) with an annual family income of £16,040 or less (for 2009/2010)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

or

• if you are pregnant and under 18 years old

Thanks for that hands are limited Kaden is asleep on my lap :eek::rotfl:
Wasnt sure exactly who qualified for them and how available they were.
To me surely the government isnt completely pushing the breast is best if they are handing these out? Ok they dont hand them out to everybody but there has to be a fair few who do qualify for them but maybe they dont realise that they do.
I get them now as im on IS im getting £9.20 a week but thats because i get them for DD2 aswell, same as beenie i use them on milk, fresh fruit and fresh veg.
But i had no idea i was entitled to them until my MW told me to apply for them!

MrsTinks

It's in your half rainforest of leaflets you get during your pregnancy - think I got the leaflet 3 times in total to my irritation - I don't qualify - stop telling me of all the things I don't qualify for - it's annoying!

And whilst they can be used on formula the idea is that it's to make sure the baby gets enough food (ie not watered down fomula) I think

Do I agree with them... different debate probably

PrincessPlaty

MrsTine wrote: »

It's in your half rainforest of leaflets you get during your pregnancy - think I got the leaflet 3 times in total to my irritation - I don't qualify - stop telling me of all the things I don't qualify for - it's annoying!

And whilst they can be used on formula the idea is that it's to make sure the baby gets enough food (ie not watered down fomula) I think

Do I agree with them... different debate probably

Baby number 3 i didnt read any of that rubbish :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I think that could be another interesting debate For another time maybe

Its a shame really that they cant be passed on i still have 6 in my bag i think that expire on sunday they wont get used, i do my shopping online and you cant use them like that and only end up using them when i pop to the little shop when i run out of milk or potatoes!