Mum not expanding family due to MILK CRISIS says rising formula cost is ‘heartbreaking’.
A mum has revealed the current ‘milk crisis’ and the rising cost of living has been a major factor in her decision to not have another child.
Kendall Platt, 37, made headlines at the start of the year after sharing that the increased formula prices had forced her to continue breastfeeding her then-eight-month-old daughter, Elora.
The mum, who had experienced issues breastfeeding her first daughter, Arwen, five, planned to ‘combifeed’ – a combination of formula and breastmilk feeding – but was struggling to afford formula as prices rose.
She stopped breastfeeding Elora around nine months ago once the tot was weaned onto food, though she still drinks a bottle of cow milk a day.
Now, Kendall, from near Reading in Berkshire, says the rising costs of essentials including formula have been a factor in them opting not to expand their family further.
“If I was having another baby I would be panicking,” she told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“Life is going up in all areas, financially, but this is baby food – it’s such a basic requirement If you are unable or choose not to breastfeed.
“It seems so wrong for the prices to be rising.
“[We will] absolutely not have another child.
“Cost-wise, it isn’t just the formula but it’s everything that is costing more.
“For us, having another child would also mean needing a bigger car and a house move.
“For women, having kids takes you out of the workplace and, whatever people say, it does have an impact on your career.
“If you’re not earning and just get statutory maternity pay, how do you then afford things?
“That [statutory maternity pay] isn’t going up at the same rate as formula is.
“We’re done [having children] from a financial point of view, as well as an emotional one.”
With reports of parents being pushed to desperate measures, including stealing formula, Kendall says she finds the news “heartbreaking”.
She said: “It makes me really sad that people are that desperate.
“As a mother, your innate need is to care for your baby.
“It’s really tragic and heartbreaking that people feel they have no other option.
“Not being able to feed a baby is heartbreaking and it makes me really angry – how is our country in this position where people have to steal food for their babies?
“I think there is a responsibility there with the government to enable people to feed their children.
“There are people at work or on maternity leave and they are struggling.
“Something seriously needs to be done, something needs to be put in place.
“If people are stealing baby formula, there is something seriously wrong.
“It makes me really sad.”
Kendall originally decided to begin formula-feeding baby Elora after running into issues with breastfeeding her first child.
She said: “I always knew that I was going to give her a bottle of formula because I knew that I wanted to share the load.
“Breastfeeding is very all-consuming, and I wanted her to be able to take a bottle, and for me not to have to pump in order to do that.
“So, once my milk came in, I was like ‘right, I’m ready to get her on some formula as well as on the boob milk.’”
While she was able to continue with combination feeds, she was forced to “pump” more often than she’d like – leaving her with less time and impacting her mental health.
The mindful gardening coach previously told NeedToKnow.co.uk: “While breastfeeding is seemingly free, it’s only free if you don’t work for a living, because ultimately, that’s your time.
“And because I had to pump so much with my first daughter because we really struggled to get feeding established, it felt like I almost had a bit of trauma from pumping so much the first time around.”
