Celebrities back campaign to make baby formula more affordable

Katherine Ryan, Ashley James and Michelle Heaton are among just a few famous faces supporting our campaign for the government to review their infant formula legislation and give retailers the green light to accept loyalty points, all food bank vouchers and store gift cards as payment for infant formula.

Government regulations prohibit retailers from using loyalty schemes to buy formula, which has since rocketed in price and therefore leaving many cash-strapped families in turmoil about being able to keep their children fed and healthy.

Comedian Katherine Ryan is mum to three children: Violet, 13, Fred, two, and seven-month-old Fenna Grace. She believes more needs to be done to make feeding young children affordable for families who may be struggling.

‘I may have breastfed as a mum but I support all mums whatever their feeding journey,’ she tells Metro.co.uk. ‘Times are hard enough and the cost of formula is going up and up. The fact that there’s no way for families to make formula cheaper or work with their budget with loyalty rewards, price promotions or even vouchers just isn’t okay.

‘I don’t think this policy promotes breastfeeding, I just think it makes formula expensive and hard to access. It’s 2023 and no baby should go hungry.’

‘I breastfed both Rae and Bodhi and I loved the journey but I know breastfeeding can be difficult for many mums for many different reasons,’ she says. ‘The wellbeing of both mum and baby is what is important and I am a firm believer that fed is best.

‘We have to support Mums in making the right decisions for them and their child. No parent should ever have to worry about whether they can afford to feed their child, especially at the start of their life. 

‘Formula feeding mums and caregivers should of course be able to use their loyalty card points or vouchers on formula.  Anything to make the weekly spend go a little further. I can’t believe this campaign is even required!’

Made in Chelsea star and DJ Ashley James, who has welcomed her second child Ada back in March (a little sister to her two year old son, Alfie) agrees.

‘No baby should go hungry, just as no parent should be in a position where they are left with no baby food – especially when we live in a country where breastfeeding support is so poor and the costs of formula are spiralling,’ she says. ‘Families continue to face endless hurdles with getting access to baby formula and it’s important we stand together and help make formula milk more accessible for all.’

Meanwhile, singer Michelle Heaton argues that not every mother is able to breastfeed her children. The 43-year-old, who is mum to 11-year-old Faith and nine-year-old AJ, has had a double mastectomy after being found to carry the BRCA-2 gene, which means she is more susceptible to breast cancer.

‘Many women can’t – or do want to – breastfeed for lots of reasons and we shouldn’t be quick to judge them,’ she says. ‘I had a double mastectomy, as I had an 85% chance of getting breast cancer in my thirties, which meant when my son AJ was born, I physically couldn’t breastfeed him. 

TOWIE star Lydia Bright also chose to bottle feed. In a candid Instagram post back when three-year-old daughter Loretta was born, she revealed she wanted to ‘exclusively breast feed’ her little one for the first six months. However, ongoing difficulties saw Lydia turn to formula feeding.

‘As a mum that relied on formula milk to help feed my baby, it really saddens me,’ she says.

‘Firstly, to read that prices are soaring, times are tough for many families and this is a bare necessity for our next generation. 

Secondly, to see that parents aren’t allowed to try and ease the financial burden through a very simple but effective scheme. I don’t understand why formula is being singled out as every mother should have a choice on how they feed their child

‘I made the decision to formula feed my son Brody because it was the right journey for me. You have to do what works for you but a lot of women feel judged for formula feeding and that’s not ok. 

‘I’m all about supporting mums in whatever choice works for them. And it breaks my heart to hear how the rising cost of formula milk has been so damaging for mums and families. No family should have to resort to watering formula down or skipping meals themselves to feed their babies. I was shocked to hear that there is a policy in place that stops you using loyalty points to purchase formula. 

‘It doesn’t make sense to me and I think it only makes formula feeding mums feel guilty – plus make formula even harder to budget for. I think we need to review this policy and work out a better way for all mums and their feeding journeys to be supported.’

‘Until now I assumed points and vouchers could be used on anything a supermarket sells. Baby formula is literally food for babies, it’s scandalous that it’s restricted at all,’ she says.

‘I mixed fed my son and remember in lockdown being so afraid I couldn’t feed him as everything was so restricted. It really affected my mental health. No parent should be worried that they can’t feed their baby and no parent should be excluded from using vouchers or points to help – especially during the cost of living crisis. 

‘I fully support this campaign and urge the big companies, earning millions in profit, to change their rules. Let parents use points and feed their babies!’

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