Suggestions for what to do with "free" formula in mail?

[KiraMisu1999]

I got this stupid can of free powdered formula in the mail. I have no idea how they got my name...it's uniquely misspelled too. I'm two months post-partum.

I was just going to donate it to the food pantry, but thought I could give them a piece of my mind first and get my name off their mailing lists. How many other moms got this "gift"? IMO, this is corpo-America's way of trying to get moms not to breastfeed. Urg!!!

WWYD? Letter to the editor of our local paper? Nastygram to Enfamil? Suggestions?

[wholewheatmama]

Yeah, I've gotten them too, even long before my LO was born. Who knows where they buy your name from. Wouldn't hurt to email the company and ask to be taken off their mailing list.

I donated mine to a local teen mother group. I hesitated, obviously not wanting to encourage FF, but one of the directors said most of the teens already FF anyway.

[Sugermama]

I just donate (the few times I got any) all of mine to the local battered women and children's shelter. Other then writing the company and requesting they stop sending you things I wouldn't do anything else.

[acannon]

I haven't gotten any formula samples.

And, FWIW, I'm 19 and I breastfeed. Just wanted to put it out there that there are young moms who do breastfeed. I know people know that, just reinforcing the fact that there are some young AP moms out there, and that I'm one of them.

[SumnerRain]

I gave mine to the food bank. I have also donated some on Freecycle and given coupons & trials to my neighbors who were already FFing. I was so mad, I probably was given a dozen large cans and I am not sure where they got my name.

I breastfed my son when I was 18, but I agree it is not the norm.

[MarcyC]

A couple suggestions:

Donate it to the customer service counter at the airport. You don't know what it's like to have a 2 hour layover turn into a 6 hour layover and know you don't have enough formula. I got stuck at the airport with DS and I'm an EP'er who has to supplement with formula. CS had baby food and diapers but they were out of formula. Fortunately, I had enough because I had planned for "just in case"...

But in my 6 hours at the airport, I noticed that several of the shops sold baby bottles, but not one sold formula. If you were stranded with a baby, the only options were to buy a baby bottle and you could buy whole milk or apple juice.

Second suggestion: Call your local LLL and see if the leaders are working with a low supply mom (maybe an SNS-using mom).

Third suggestion: Lots of SNS and Lact-Aid using moms on the "Breastfeeding Challenges" forum...not sure what the rules are here at MDC about giving formula, but you might be able to PM a mom or something.

Other suggestions: Donate it a shelter, your county's foster care program or an adoption agency.

[KnitLady]

Originally Posted by MarcyC

A couple suggestions:

Donate it to the customer service counter at the airport. You don't know what it's like to have a 2 hour layover turn into a 6 hour layover and know you don't have enough formula. I got stuck at the airport with DS and I'm an EP'er who has to supplement with formula. CS had baby food and diapers but they were out of formula. Fortunately, I had enough because I had planned for "just in case"...

But in my 6 hours at the airport, I noticed that several of the shops sold baby bottles, but not one sold formula. If you were stranded with a baby, the only options were to buy a baby bottle and you could buy whole milk or apple juice.

Second suggestion: Call your local LLL and see if the leaders are working with a low supply mom (maybe an SNS-using mom).

Third suggestion: Lots of SNS and Lact-Aid using moms on the "Breastfeeding Challenges" forum...not sure what the rules are here at MDC about giving formula, but you might be able to PM a mom or something.

Other suggestions: Donate it a shelter, your county's foster care program or an adoption agency.

Thanks! These are really good suggestions. I'm going to keep them handy in case I get more formula samples when/if I finally get pg again. Last time I gave them to a homeless shelter that didn't really want them since I guess the moms get formula free on WIC. I don't really know how all that works.

[kittywitty]

I threw them away unless I was already heading out to donate a bag of baby stuff.

[2shy2post]

Throwing away formula doesn't *force* an otherwise capable mother to nurse. (If only it were that easy... )

Shelters are an excellent idea! My mom works for a Family Violence shelter. They are pro-bfing and encourage expectant moms to nurse. However, if someone comes in and is already FF ~ (and sometimes women have escaped with absolutely nothing and are not yet receiving any type of benefits like WIC or such) those babies need to eat.

[nevaehsmommy]

Give the formula away on freecycle ...women do use fomula even if we dont, and many dont have the fund to support the cost of it.

[Mrs-Mama]

I gave mine to Social Services.

[Nitenites]

I marked mine, "Return to Sender, Nice try!" and put it back out by my mailbox.

[Ackray]

I always give ours to the local food pantry. The airport is a good idea though. I've never thought of huge delay mishaps.:

[janasmama]

I agree, it shouldn't be thrown away..that is a huge waste of resources. Give it to someone.

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by janasmama

I agree, it shouldn't be thrown away..that is a huge waste of resources. Give it to someone.

Wouldn't it be great if the formula industry was as concerned with not wasting resources as we breastfeeding mothers are guilted into? Imagine the gas saved in transport, the packaging materials sent in mailing, all the time and energy that could be save if only they would stop sending the "free" unsolicited samples in the first place.

[Teyu]

I mix it in with cow's milk & Hershey's chocolate syrup to make milkshakes. It has DHA & long chain fatty acids in it which are pretty good for you and hard to get. I don't know how to cook fish and eating fish out every night gets expensive. :P Plus the milk shakes taste good. Just don't put too much powder in & you can barely taste it.

Although I recently was put on an Enfamil mailing list. I was so angry. I called them up and demanded to know where they got my name from and they said that I probably signed up for a sweepstakes through them. Right. Then they said they sometimes "buy mailing lists." Assholes. So I requested to be taken off because I am exclusively breastfeeding and the woman told me not to worry if I got something else in the mail -- that that was sent before the phone call. Sure enough a week later another Enfamil thing. That just went in the trash.

Anyway I would drink it or donate it.