We provide free infant formula milk, feeding equipment, and emotional support to help families give their baby the best start in life.
Breast /chest feeding
The British HIV Association (BHIVA) says that people living with HIV who have an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL) and take their HIV treatment as prescribed can choose to breast/chestfeed their baby. If they decide to do so, they should be supported by their local HIV clinic.
Free infant formula milk
BHIVA recommends that parents who cannot or choose not to breast/chestfeed should receive support from their HIV clinic, including free infant formula and feeding equipment, to reduce the risk of HIV being passed to their baby.
Infant formula can be expensive, and depending on the brand, powdered formula can cost between £30 and £60 per month. There are also additional costs for bottles, teats and sterilising equipment.
To help remove this financial barrier, Waverley Care provides free infant formula milk for babies from birth until their first birthday for all new parents living with HIV.
What we provide
Our free infant formula feed programme provides the following:
• infant formula milk for the first 12 months of your baby’s life.
• A starter pack which includes an electrical steamer steriliser, 2 feeding bottles and 1 cleaning brush.
In addition to practical support, we also offer emotional support during pregnancy and early parenthood, flexible and confidential delivery options, and signposting to other services that can help meet your family’s needs.