Mothers and fathers told the BBC that the high price of infant formula makes parents feel “punished” for not breastfeeding.

The price of infant milk has increased in recent years, while retailers in the UK are not allowed to advertise or discount infant formula as this could discourage breastfeeding.

Parenting site Mumsnet says the rule has driven up the price of formula rather than breastfeeding rates, while the competition watchdog has recommended The ban on value addition should be removed,

Claire Smyrel, who was unable to breastfeed for medical reasons, says she spends £30 a week on milk for her baby and resorts to online marketplaces to try to keep costs down.

Her son is now eight months old and she is quitting formula feeding but Claire says she felt “like a failure” because she couldn’t breastfeed and then had to pay the extra cost of buying formula. Had to face.

“You have offers on unhealthy adult food, but you can’t have offers on infant formula which is completely healthy. “It seems a bit trivial,” says Claire, of Wolverhampton.

“It almost feels like people who don’t breastfeed are being punished.”

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that formula prices in the UK rose between 18% and 36% depending on the brand in the two years between December 2021 and December 2023.

Only three companies – Danone, which makes Aptamil and Cow & Gate, and Nestlé, which makes SMA, and Candamil – control 90% of the UK market.

Natasha Kurzeja, of London, says the price of the formula is “extortionate”.

When Natasha’s 12-week-old son was born, she required an extended hospital stay, which, she says, made breastfeeding untenable.

“It’s frustrating when you give up on certain formulas because you think, ‘Oh my God, how much did it cost me?'”

She agrees with Claire about feeling punished for not being able to breastfeed.

“For babies under 12 months you don’t have to pay for a prescription because medicine is something they need. So if I have to formula feed my baby, why should we pay through the nose Is it happening?

“Formula feeding is definitely not an option for some of us, but even if it is, formula feeding is best, and moms don’t need any more embarrassment for them.”

However, a former director of an infant formula manufacturer, who wished to remain anonymous, told the BBC that the introduction of an NHS-branded product would create a “race to the bottom”, with companies reducing the quality of their formulas in order to compete. Will give. cheapest price.

He said that as with any other product, supermarkets would play “a tough challenge on margins” with suppliers. But in the case of baby milk, parents have a strong loyalty to their favorite brand, so if a supermarket demands too low a price, the supplier will take the product elsewhere, he said.

They also claimed that some infant milk products were branded and priced differently despite being made from the same ingredients in the same factory.

Meanwhile, the boss of parenting site Mumsnet said the Government is treating baby milk like tobacco by banning advertising.

“The way it has been regulated, we completely believe it is an effort to increase breastfeeding rates. But, quite frankly, it didn’t work,” Justin Roberts said.

“Breastfeeding rates in the UK are among the lowest in the world… and all that has done is increase the cost of formula for some parents.”

James Gilmartin, from Manchester, has nine-month-old twins, one of whom was born with fluid in the lungs.

“It was quite challenging for her to get enough breastmilk. “She needed to gain enough weight to get her off the hospital machines, so it was suggested we use formula,” he says.

Her partner took a mixed approach using breast milk and formula and eventually switched to formula only.

“As many newborns have digestive issues that affect their bowel movements, we were asked to choose a superior infant formula – Cow & Get Comfort – which is easier to digest. Is.”

An 800g tub cost £14 and to feed two children, James and his partner were eating two and a half tubs a week, which was costing more than £100 a month.

“I find the ban on value addition completely disgusting and discriminatory,” says James.

Nelson Dean of London was also surprised by the high cost of the formula.

Their son was born in September and is fed a mixture of formula and breast milk.

Family friends recommended Candamil, which costs £15 a tin and lasts about a week for their son.

If anything, rather than not allowing promotion on formula, Nelson thinks parents should be given assistance with the cost.

“With the price of everything rising, I was hoping there would be some support for essentials like baby milk,” he says.

Additional reporting by Bernadette McKeague and Rosina Cini.