Milk Tokens While Pregnant



It is important for a baby to receive all of the necessary vitamins in order to aid growth and development. At a very young a baby develops features which will impact upon the future growth throughout their lifetime. One of the biggest sources of vitamins which babys require is Vitamin A and the best source of this vitamin is milk. Full fat milk from cows is not suitable for babys under the age of one. As well as parents being aware of the nutritional needs of delivered babyƕs it is also important to be aware of the vitamin requirements during pregnancy.

Mothers are advised to drink milk whilst they are pregnant so that they pass on the nutrients and vitamins to the undelivered baby. It is for this reason that the government has created a scheme which provides milk tokens to certain pregnant women. These milk tokens can be exchanged for milk within participating retailers, therefore even those who can not afford regular supplies of milk are able to purchase the milk and ensure that their baby receives all of the nutritional value which it requires.

A pregnant woman can claim milk tokens from the tenth week of her pregnancy. In order to claim the tokens the pregnant woman must complete an application form and then send it to the relevant department. Milk tokens can also be claims over the phone. Pregnant women must prove that they are pregnant and this requires the confirmation from a registered medical professional. Milk tokens cannot be back dated and therefore pregnant women are advised to claim the tokens as soon as they can.

As well as consuming milk pregnant women are advised to have a healthy diet and lifestyle. For example this includes eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Meals should have a main substance such as bread, potatoes, rice or pasta. Pregnant women are also advised to consume a good portion of protein each day for example lean meat or fish, other useful foods are eggs, cheese, beans or pulses. Several servings of dairy products should be consumed each day, although these should be low fat equivalents where possible. Women should cut down on sugar, sugary foods, fat, fried and fatty foods.

Milk tokens will continue once a baby has been born and up until the child is four years old, unless personal circumstances change which means that the claimant is no longer entitled to the milk tokens.