What to do with Formula sample?

[faithfulmama]

I don't even know how these people find out you are having a baby...we are using a midwife. But I just got a box in the mail from Similac and am wondering what the best thing to do with it is. I want to send it back with the most impact. Any thoughts on who to direct the box and a letter to?

[guestmama9904]

i personally donate these smaples to a local food shelf. the fact is that lots of poor moms do use formula, whether its the best or not, so i see it that i am helping to ease a financial burden on people who have already made the choice not to breastfeed. but writing a letter to the company is great, tell them they need to stop encouraging moms to not breastfeed and tell them you gave away the formula to a mom who unfortunately has already made this choice but inform them that you wont be making that chocie yourself.

[alegna]

Personally I would have problems donating it. I would only donate it if I knew it was going somewhere that breastmilk was not an option for whatever reason.

-Angela

[mamadelbosque]

I'm struggling with this too atm... Enfamil sent me a can of 'toddler formula' uke: and its sitting on our counter still in the box. I'm thinking its probably going to get junked here soon... just feel bad doing that, yk?

[RileysmamaNM]

Im still wondering myself. I dont want to donate it and I dont want to trash it.

[RileysmamaNM]

Im still wondering myself. I dont want to donate it and I dont want to trash it.

[josh&davesmomme]

i donate it to the local women's abuse shelter...women fleeing an abusive partner often leave with nothing but the clothes they are wearing and their children.

[Pernwebgoddess]

Let me second the women's shelter. Once the horse is out of the barn, you can't put it back, and there's no point in playing high-and-mighty over making sure breastfeeding isn't an option when the deed is done and there's a baby's health at stake.

Whether we like it or not, there are babies who will be breastfed. Better to see that the formula goes to someone who needs the help that throwing it in the trash... which doesn't hurt the formula company, and doesn't help anyone else, either.

[MarcyC]

I agree with Heather. There are a lot of bottle-fed babies. And there are very few moms willing to try relactation. The sad fact is, if a mom is on WIC or some other program, and she runs out of formula before she can get it again, those babies sometimes get kool-aid. You cannot blame the babies for the poor choices their mother's made. I'd rather see the baby get formula than kool-aid.

[MissK23]

Originally Posted by alegna

Personally I would have problems donating it. I would only donate it if I knew it was going somewhere that breastmilk was not an option for whatever reason.

-Angela

It could make its way to shelter for babies that were left at the hospital by their mothers or taken away by DYFS. I used to work for an agency that had a shelter for little ones while they secured placement with a foster home or another relative. We obviously had to use formula. Try your local children's shelter to see if they accept it.

[pantufla]

I donated infant formula to a food bank (much to my MIL's dismay, "What if you don't make enough milk?!" , but the "toddler" formula I plan to make into dog biscuits.

[APmomto3boys]

I throw them away.

[lacysmommy]

Give them to your congressperson telling them about how this aggressive marketing undermines breastfeeding, especially how they only give this many freebies to women who plan to breastfeed. I saw that suggested here a long time ago, and it seemed like a good idea.

[annettemarie]

Hey mamas-- just a gentle reminder that MDC is a strong adherent to the WHO Code. Because of this, we ask that you please refrain from advocating reselling formula samples. I've removed a few posts that do this. Thanks!

[lanamommyphd07]

I found a couple of moms on freecycle to send off the checks and samples to. They were so very grateful--and I didn't have the heart to throw away something someone else needed. I never did ask them why no breastfeeding but I figured there is such a range of reasons, who was I to judge....

[sharon71]

The formula samples i got when I was pregnant and after birth sat in my pantry until my DD's 1st B-day and then i ceremoniously dumped them out to celebrated 1 year of no formula.

[mommyddeville]

Please consider donating formula samples to Child Protective Service, or whatever the organization is called in your area. I'm a foster parent, and I've had children come into my care in the middle of the night. No matter what I think about formula, I have to feed the babies I receive (I only take babies). I've spent SO much money on formula for times when WIC isn't open, or it's the weekend or the middle of the night, or I have a baby who's somewhat malnourished and drinks much more formula than is given by WIC.

Foster parents would gladly take formula samples. . . .and that's somewhere that there's really no other choice than formula. Every single mother of a baby I've gotten in foster care has been a meth addict. . . .they can't breastfeed their babies due to their continued use of meth.

Thank you!

[G8P4]

I think that, because "free samples” of formula have the potential to permanently displace breastfeeding, anyone who “gives away” samples has a moral obligation to provide formula for the entire duration of feeding for the baby that receives the donated formula. If you are not willing to do that, I say, return the formula to the sender. You may think it’s a kind thing to give away formula, but in my opinion, it is not. Nothing is “free”, least of all “free” formula samples.

[Maluhia]

Originally Posted by mommyddeville

Please consider donating formula samples to Child Protective Service, or whatever the organization is called in your area. I'm a foster parent, and I've had children come into my care in the middle of the night. No matter what I think about formula, I have to feed the babies I receive (I only take babies). I've spent SO much money on formula for times when WIC isn't open, or it's the weekend or the middle of the night, or I have a baby who's somewhat malnourished and drinks much more formula than is given by WIC.

Foster parents would gladly take formula samples. . . .and that's somewhere that there's really no other choice than formula. Every single mother of a baby I've gotten in foster care has been a meth addict. . . .they can't breastfeed their babies due to their continued use of meth.

Thank you!

GREAT idea - thanks for the info/input/idea!

[maine06]

I was going to toss all the ones I got, or send them back with a note. BUT, there’s a woman I work with, who BFd for 6 months, then came back to work and just wasn’t able to produce much from pumping. She tried herbs, etc, but, to no avail. So, her Mom FFs her baby while she’s working and she nurses in the am pm and weekends. SO, I give her the samples and checks.