Dear Similac,

[jillc]

Leave me the he11 alone! I have never used formula & I do not have any intention of ever using formula. Somehow you found out that I recently had a baby & now you are compelled to send can upon can of formula to my home. As well, you continue mailing me coupons & other junk.

Please stop trying to force your product into my home, and please stop creating so much waste with your mailings.

Sincerely,
Jill

[bubbaray]

Would you consider donating what they send you to a local food bank? I register with every formula co I can find and if I don't end up using it (for example, DD#1 never did take a bottle of any sort), I just donate it. Coupons I usually give to friends or random people I see shopping for formula at the store.


Melissa

DD#1: 04/2004

DD#2: c/s 01/2007

[ErinMC]

I agree with the PP - donate them to a food back or women's shelter, teen pregnancy center, etc. I did this after DS1 was born, and they were excited to receive the formula cans. I always leave the coupons on top of the formula in the formula aisle for the next shopper to find.

Erin

Mom to Chase 2/2004 and Logan 5/2006

[nov04]

They would make a great donation as pp's have stated.

[buddyleebaby]

Congratulations on your new arrival!

BTDT with the formula companies. Cans got donated and checks got traded for diaper coupons. Annoying nontheless.

[maestramommy]

ITA. I always give the formula checks and cans to friends in my group that have FF babies. They always appreciate it. Or you can donate it. Of course, I think as long as the checks get cashed you will continue to get this stuff, but just keep passing on the wealth.

[Melanie]

Why don't you try calling them and telling them that. I think it's insurance companies and/or MD offices that sign us up for all that new mom crap. I hate that my children's due dates are floating around out there like that. Books, spoons, insurance, formula, diapers, etc. etc.

[DrSally]

Annoying, I agree. I too give away formula checks to people here or on craigslist. I didn't know to do this at first and threw away several $10-$11 checks, which I know could've helped someone. I should just leave them in the store by the cans like pp, less work.

[DrSally]

Annoying, I agree. I too give away formula checks to people here or on craigslist. I didn't know to do this at first and threw away several $10-$11 checks, which I know could've helped someone. I should just leave them in the store by the cans like pp, less work.

[Pennylane]

You can also donate them to your pediatricians office. They give them out as Samples or to women that might need the financial help.

Ann

[Pennylane]

You can also donate them to your pediatricians office. They give them out as Samples or to women that might need the financial help.

Ann

[lisams]

Their marketing strategies are unethical, and up until recently they haven't been called on it too much. They will always have mothers choosing to use formula, but that isn't enough for them. They want to convince moms who choose to breastfeed that they might need their product. And, by sending out tons of formula samples and other junk mail (oh how I love their "educational" material on baby feeding, especially their solid food advice) they jack the price of their product up. Grrrrr.

I gave my checks and sample cans to friends, but still it bothers me. I understand!

[lisams]

Their marketing strategies are unethical, and up until recently they haven't been called on it too much. They will always have mothers choosing to use formula, but that isn't enough for them. They want to convince moms who choose to breastfeed that they might need their product. And, by sending out tons of formula samples and other junk mail (oh how I love their "educational" material on baby feeding, especially their solid food advice) they jack the price of their product up. Grrrrr.

I gave my checks and sample cans to friends, but still it bothers me. I understand!

[Radosti]

I sent a huge case of *Free* formula (that arrived on my doorstep) to my friend in Russia who was not producing enough milk, so had to start supplementing. By the time it arrived, she had gotten on track with the breastfeeding. Plus, I sent a couple of Ameda handpumps and bottles and she had really good luck with those pumps. So, I told her to take the whole case of formula to a local orphanage. She did and they were soooooo grateful.

I ended up with $47 in Enfamil checks in the first month. I posted them on Ebay and the whole lot sold for $30 (which I used to buy accessories for my pump). Any checks I've received since then, I've given away either here or on Freecycle or Craigslist.

My son is over 13 months old and I still have 4 cans of free formula in the cabinet. I gave 4 cans to a teacher in DS's daycare when she decided to FF. And I kid you not, Enfamil sensed that my cupboards did not contain formula, so I got a package of 4 cans within a week of giving away the previous set of cans. All in all, I must have gotten 20 cans of free fomula over the course of my breastfeeding career (last 13 months). I also just received 2 cans of NextStep Enfamil last week.

[Radosti]

I sent a huge case of *Free* formula (that arrived on my doorstep) to my friend in Russia who was not producing enough milk, so had to start supplementing. By the time it arrived, she had gotten on track with the breastfeeding. Plus, I sent a couple of Ameda handpumps and bottles and she had really good luck with those pumps. So, I told her to take the whole case of formula to a local orphanage. She did and they were soooooo grateful.

I ended up with $47 in Enfamil checks in the first month. I posted them on Ebay and the whole lot sold for $30 (which I used to buy accessories for my pump). Any checks I've received since then, I've given away either here or on Freecycle or Craigslist.

My son is over 13 months old and I still have 4 cans of free formula in the cabinet. I gave 4 cans to a teacher in DS's daycare when she decided to FF. And I kid you not, Enfamil sensed that my cupboards did not contain formula, so I got a package of 4 cans within a week of giving away the previous set of cans. All in all, I must have gotten 20 cans of free fomula over the course of my breastfeeding career (last 13 months). I also just received 2 cans of NextStep Enfamil last week.

[jillc]

Thanks for your sympathy & suggestions, Ladies. It felt great to get that out.

Yep, my plan is to donate them somewhere, but with Ryan being so little, I'm still not getting much sleep & not a lot is getting done around our house. So getting the formula donated is low on the priority list right now & it's adding to the ever-growing areas of clutter. ;) And I'm getting a bit stir-crazy & grouchy, I guess.

I am considering calling Similac, but I'm envisioning a long time spent on hold, and again, that might annoy me more...

Ooh, I need to get out of the house. :)

[jillc]

Thanks for your sympathy & suggestions, Ladies. It felt great to get that out.

Yep, my plan is to donate them somewhere, but with Ryan being so little, I'm still not getting much sleep & not a lot is getting done around our house. So getting the formula donated is low on the priority list right now & it's adding to the ever-growing areas of clutter. ;) And I'm getting a bit stir-crazy & grouchy, I guess.

I am considering calling Similac, but I'm envisioning a long time spent on hold, and again, that might annoy me more...

Ooh, I need to get out of the house. :)

[Sillygirl]

If you bought anything at Motherhood Maternity, I would bet money that's where they got your name. Amazon.com has also clearly sold out the info that I have a baby, but not to the formula companies. I have a strict cash-only and Groucho-glasses-and-a-mustache policy when I'm forced to shop at MM, and I managed to stay off the formula companies lists. I actually got very little baby-junk mail at all, and it all came from amazon when I bought some diapers from them.

[Sillygirl]

If you bought anything at Motherhood Maternity, I would bet money that's where they got your name. Amazon.com has also clearly sold out the info that I have a baby, but not to the formula companies. I have a strict cash-only and Groucho-glasses-and-a-mustache policy when I'm forced to shop at MM, and I managed to stay off the formula companies lists. I actually got very little baby-junk mail at all, and it all came from amazon when I bought some diapers from them.

[DrSally]

Every once and awhile the boy scouts pick up bags of food for the food shelter, and all you have to do is leave it on your front step. I got rid of some baby food DS couldn't have this way.

[DrSally]

Every once and awhile the boy scouts pick up bags of food for the food shelter, and all you have to do is leave it on your front step. I got rid of some baby food DS couldn't have this way.

[Bean606]

I can relate. Until you stop the onslaught, you may wish to consider asking your pediatrician if they will take it to give to someone who wants it (that's what I did), or someone told me about a website called freecycle, where you can list it and someone might take it away from you.

[snowflake20]

I guess I am the odd man out. I love getting free things! Even though it is useless (I exclusively BF, but had to supplement since DD was a preemie). I use my free cans of formula to mix with cereal. I also horde coupons even though I have no intention of using them. I think I get it from my grandmother, who was a young mother in China during WW II.

I also love the free diaper bags that Similac and Enfamil gave me while I was pregnant and in the hospital. I use them to pack extra stuff when I visit my parents.

[TaChapm]

I wish I had your problem. We have actually signed up for the coupons with the past 2 kids and have received NOTHING! Tyler is STILL (hoping to get him off soon) on Alimentum which is so expensive and Jaci rotates between Alimentum and Nutramagin. I have called twice and told that I would start receiving checks in 6 weeks and still nothing (months later). I think it is just totally random who gets what.

Tara
Mommy to Jackson 11-10-02
Tyler 6-9-05
& Baby Jaci 8-10-06

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[Melanie]

Trying making a fake baby registry a few places. I'll bet that does the trick. And ITA with a PP, it MUST have been Motherhood! I ended up on the list twice with Ds. Probably once from them and once fromthe useless "maternity management" program I joined with our health insurance company.

[lifeintheslowlane]

I'm sure that would be totally annoying. I agree with the others-- donate it when you get a chance. Or do you have a friend that is formula feeding who would appreciate it? I know that I would love it if a friend gave me her extra formula! I'm currently TTC and I really hope that as a FF mommy I am able to get on the right list to get the freebies!

[ShanaMama]

Welcome to the BBBs!