Free formula in hospitals - Page 3

babycrazy1706 · Apr 13th, 2012, 17:39 PM

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The tactic of not providing formula to encourage bfing even when that encouragement is not wanted or not useful due to medical conditions etc. is another bullying mechanism in my opinion.

this ^^^

andella95 · Apr 13th, 2012, 19:47 PM

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Originally Posted by sg2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by readytotry

I don't know if anyone can confirm this but I think unless your baby is admitted to nicu or scbu they are not technically a patient at the hospital.

Bf is really tough at first and I can see how readily available formula might cause some mothers to switch. The only reason I continued bf was that my oh knew how important it was to me and refused to go get me some formula when I was at a low point with it.

Yes but if a mother chooses to make the switch because she finds it difficult then that is clearly her "choice". Maybe the real issue here is not the free formula but the possibility that there is not enough effective support for mothers who are having difficulties bfing while in the hospital. The fact is that every new mom needs support regardless of how she is feeding her baby and that seems to be in short supply the majority of the time. The tactic of not providing formula to encourage bfing even when that encouragement is not wanted or not useful due to medical conditions etc. is another bullying mechanism in my opinion.

I have to say that I haven't heard of the baby not being counted as a patient at the hospital unless they are under special care. That seems a bit odd to me.

Couldn't agree more.

I actually have a story here...don't think I've posted it yet.

On the same day I had my baby, I was proudly breastfeeding her when the nurse came in to check on me and was holding some ready-made formula in her hand. My husband asked why she had brought the formula and she said that it was for another patient across the hall.

I admit, at the time, I felt a twinge of judgement at the mother for not even trying to breastfeed.

I found out later that the mother was a teenager, had been diagnosed with brain cancer, chose to stop treatments to save her babies life, and then died a few days after the baby was born as the cancer had progressed too much during her pregnancy.

Okay, so that was slightly off topic, but I think the previous poster already said everything I wanted to say, and I wanted to tell my little story, because I'm ashamed now of what I felt when I found out a mother wasn't even trying to breastfeed. We never know people's stories.

sg2011 · Apr 13th, 2012, 22:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andella95

Quote:

Originally Posted by sg2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by readytotry

I don't know if anyone can confirm this but I think unless your baby is admitted to nicu or scbu they are not technically a patient at the hospital.

Bf is really tough at first and I can see how readily available formula might cause some mothers to switch. The only reason I continued bf was that my oh knew how important it was to me and refused to go get me some formula when I was at a low point with it.

Yes but if a mother chooses to make the switch because she finds it difficult then that is clearly her "choice". Maybe the real issue here is not the free formula but the possibility that there is not enough effective support for mothers who are having difficulties bfing while in the hospital. The fact is that every new mom needs support regardless of how she is feeding her baby and that seems to be in short supply the majority of the time. The tactic of not providing formula to encourage bfing even when that encouragement is not wanted or not useful due to medical conditions etc. is another bullying mechanism in my opinion.

I have to say that I haven't heard of the baby not being counted as a patient at the hospital unless they are under special care. That seems a bit odd to me.

Couldn't agree more.

I actually have a story here...don't think I've posted it yet.

On the same day I had my baby, I was proudly breastfeeding her when the nurse came in to check on me and was holding some ready-made formula in her hand. My husband asked why she had brought the formula and she said that it was for another patient across the hall.

I admit, at the time, I felt a twinge of judgement at the mother for not even trying to breastfeed.

I found out later that the mother was a teenager, had been diagnosed with brain cancer, chose to stop treatments to save her babies life, and then died a few days after the baby was born as the cancer had progressed too much during her pregnancy.

Okay, so that was slightly off topic, but I think the previous poster already said everything I wanted to say, and I wanted to tell my little story, because I'm ashamed now of what I felt when I found out a mother wasn't even trying to breastfeed. We never know people's stories.

Absolutely! We can never know the reasons behind the decisions that people are required to make based on their circumstances but it seems like women are being conditioned more and more to judge those who are not bfing. I understand that bfing women get judgment too but it isn't quite as nasty as the labels applied to ffing mothers....such as not wanting the best for their baby or not being responsible or that they are somehow damaging their children by giving formula or that their children will be less in every possible way (fat, stupid etc.). It is quite heartbreaking really especially when that ffing mom might have truly struggled with their decision in the first place (like me for example...I have chronic pain and need to go back on meds desperately to control my symptoms).

vintage67 · Apr 13th, 2012, 23:59 PM

AMEN! Why jump to lazy and stupid at the sight of a bottle? But that's where we are and increasingly where we are headed. No one knows what journey a mother has been on when she uses formula. And here in the US with 6 weeks of unpaid maternity leave, not every woman is a business executive with a private office and flexible hours when she goes back to work.

vintage67 · Apr 14th, 2012, 00:02 AM

sg, I understand the medication thing. I stayed off my heart medication for my pregnancies and was willing to stay off them for at least a while for breastfeeding both times. Sadly, so, so many other complications led me to formula both times. When a doctor and a pharmacist say a drug is too dangerous for breastfeeding, I'm not going to expose my child to it because "some woman on the internet" said it was safe, or some mysterious Dr. Hale.

queenlavera · Apr 14th, 2012, 00:49 AM

To me the main error in this who gets free formula and who doesn't - who will judge and by what standards? Just like every woman's birth, everyone's reasons for their feeding choice are different. Who gets to decide who genuinely tried and who didn't, whose medical conditions truly make bfing not a possibility and whose doesn't. The free formula samples will not make the feeding decision for a any mom because you still have to buy it when you leave the hospital. I know bf is hard work I did it for as long as I could until I dried up, but shoot ff is hard too. Who the heck wants to get up to make bottles and my son is very demanding and doesn't want to wait a second for his food, it would be a thousand times more convenient and cheaper to have him on the boob.
It sucks that I have to pay for formula when I would rather bf for free.

andella95 · Apr 14th, 2012, 01:09 AM

I don't think it should matter what the reasons are - if a mother wants formula for her child - let her have it while they are in the hospital! At the same time, of course, I think hospitals should offer a lot more help to those who want to breastfeed, and be a lot more respectful of breastfeeding mom's choices.

I've mentioned this before, but the hospital I delivered at was absolutely amazing when it came to breastfeeding support. I was told I could come back at any time for help with anything breastfeeding related. The lactation consultants helped me with before & after weights, latch, herbs, tips- just everything really. When I was rehospitalized a week after Breanna was born, a doctor - the head internist- sat in my room with me to watch Breanna (who wasn't a patient) so my husband could go get a breastpump to keep my supply up as I couldn't BF with he medications I was on. I wish that ALL women could have had a great experience like I had with the hospital staff.

queenlavera · Apr 15th, 2012, 22:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andella95

I don't think it should matter what the reasons are - if a mother wants formula for her child - let her have it while they are in the hospital! At the same time, of course, I think hospitals should offer a lot more help to those who want to breastfeed, and be a lot more respectful of breastfeeding mom's choices.

I've mentioned this before, but the hospital I delivered at was absolutely amazing when it came to breastfeeding support. I was told I could come back at any time for help with anything breastfeeding related. The lactation consultants helped me with before & after weights, latch, herbs, tips- just everything really. When I was rehospitalized a week after Breanna was born, a doctor - the head internist- sat in my room with me to watch Breanna (who wasn't a patient) so my husband could go get a breastpump to keep my supply up as I couldn't BF with he medications I was on. I wish that ALL women could have had a great experience like I had with the hospital staff.

Totally agree, reasons do not matter, I was just letting the other posters know that 'technically speaking' the choosing who gets and who doesn't wouldn't work.

kanga · Apr 16th, 2012, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sg2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by kanga

If you plan to ff then you will have bought the bottles, steriliser etc, so why not supply your own formula for those first few hours in hospital? You will have a supply already no doubt and have chosen your formula so I don't understand why someone planning to ff would pack bottles etc but no milk.

Not to be argumentative but that logic doesn't make a lot of sense to me. So, a mother intending to BF doesn't bring bottles and sterilizer to the hospital for obvious reasons yet it isn't guaranteed that she will be able to bf for all kinds of reasons once baby arrives...so it's ok for the hospital to hand out free formula to her? Why not just tell her she will have to have someone run out and bring her all the supplies she needs or else tough luck, baby won't get fed. What is good for one surely must be good for any patient in the hospital whether they choose to BF or not.

Ultimately, a woman will make her own decision about how she wants to feed her baby whether formula is available or not for free at the hospital. BFing women should not be entitled to more support than one who has to FF for whatever reason and by not supplying formula (which is no different then the hospital providing you with food to eat) it perpetuates the idea that FF mothers are somehow less than those who are BFing and that simply is not true.

Good point.

I suppose for me I didn't think about it as deeply as most. For me its not a FF vs BF thing - it's more of an expectation thing. I would never expect to be given something and disappointed when it wasn't forthcoming. So if I'm pregnant and have had a lovely time kitting out my babies nursery, buying a pushchair, my bottles and steriliser etc, I would pack some bottles and milk to be able to feed my kid when it arrived. If a nurse offered me some free milk when I was in there, then great, bonus. But if not, bovvered?!

I packed 3 packs of maternity pads in my bag even though these were readily available in the hospital. And don't get me started on the sandwiches they served up compared to the dominos pizza my husband sneaked in.

sg2011 · Apr 16th, 2012, 19:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kanga

Quote:

Originally Posted by sg2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by kanga

If you plan to ff then you will have bought the bottles, steriliser etc, so why not supply your own formula for those first few hours in hospital? You will have a supply already no doubt and have chosen your formula so I don't understand why someone planning to ff would pack bottles etc but no milk.

Not to be argumentative but that logic doesn't make a lot of sense to me. So, a mother intending to BF doesn't bring bottles and sterilizer to the hospital for obvious reasons yet it isn't guaranteed that she will be able to bf for all kinds of reasons once baby arrives...so it's ok for the hospital to hand out free formula to her? Why not just tell her she will have to have someone run out and bring her all the supplies she needs or else tough luck, baby won't get fed. What is good for one surely must be good for any patient in the hospital whether they choose to BF or not.

Ultimately, a woman will make her own decision about how she wants to feed her baby whether formula is available or not for free at the hospital. BFing women should not be entitled to more support than one who has to FF for whatever reason and by not supplying formula (which is no different then the hospital providing you with food to eat) it perpetuates the idea that FF mothers are somehow less than those who are BFing and that simply is not true.

Good point.

I suppose for me I didn't think about it as deeply as most. For me its not a FF vs BF thing - it's more of an expectation thing. I would never expect to be given something and disappointed when it wasn't forthcoming. So if I'm pregnant and have had a lovely time kitting out my babies nursery, buying a pushchair, my bottles and steriliser etc, I would pack some bottles and milk to be able to feed my kid when it arrived. If a nurse offered me some free milk when I was in there, then great, bonus. But if not, bovvered?!

I packed 3 packs of maternity pads in my bag even though these were readily available in the hospital. And don't get me started on the sandwiches they served up compared to the dominos pizza my husband sneaked in.

It's funny....my hospital supplies formula but doesn't supply pads, diapers (after the initial diaper put on babe when he/she is born), wipes or even a box of Kleenex! I can definitely say that I'm not looking forward to the hospital food!

I definitely don't have a problem supplying what I need to supply for myself and baby! I think it came down to more of the political aspects of a hospital not readily supplying formula to those who choose to feed their baby that way rather than not wanting to pay for it (which would be silly given that I'll be paying for it for the next 12 months!

).

Apr 13th, 2012, 23:59 PM	#24
vintage67 Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Kentucky Posts: 2,399	AMEN! Why jump to lazy and stupid at the sight of a bottle? But that's where we are and increasingly where we are headed. No one knows what journey a mother has been on when she uses formula. And here in the US with 6 weeks of unpaid maternity leave, not every woman is a business executive with a private office and flexible hours when she goes back to work.

Status: Offline

Apr 14th, 2012, 00:02 AM	#25
vintage67 Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Kentucky Posts: 2,399	sg, I understand the medication thing. I stayed off my heart medication for my pregnancies and was willing to stay off them for at least a while for breastfeeding both times. Sadly, so, so many other complications led me to formula both times. When a doctor and a pharmacist say a drug is too dangerous for breastfeeding, I'm not going to expose my child to it because "some woman on the internet" said it was safe, or some mysterious Dr. Hale.

Status: Offline

Apr 14th, 2012, 00:49 AM	#26
queenlavera Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: PA, USA Posts: 1,144	To me the main error in this who gets free formula and who doesn't - who will judge and by what standards? Just like every woman's birth, everyone's reasons for their feeding choice are different. Who gets to decide who genuinely tried and who didn't, whose medical conditions truly make bfing not a possibility and whose doesn't. The free formula samples will not make the feeding decision for a any mom because you still have to buy it when you leave the hospital. I know bf is hard work I did it for as long as I could until I dried up, but shoot ff is hard too. Who the heck wants to get up to make bottles and my son is very demanding and doesn't want to wait a second for his food, it would be a thousand times more convenient and cheaper to have him on the boob. It sucks that I have to pay for formula when I would rather bf for free.

Status: Offline

Apr 14th, 2012, 01:09 AM	#27
andella95 Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 2,023	I don't think it should matter what the reasons are - if a mother wants formula for her child - let her have it while they are in the hospital! At the same time, of course, I think hospitals should offer a lot more help to those who want to breastfeed, and be a lot more respectful of breastfeeding mom's choices. I've mentioned this before, but the hospital I delivered at was absolutely amazing when it came to breastfeeding support. I was told I could come back at any time for help with anything breastfeeding related. The lactation consultants helped me with before & after weights, latch, herbs, tips- just everything really. When I was rehospitalized a week after Breanna was born, a doctor - the head internist- sat in my room with me to watch Breanna (who wasn't a patient) so my husband could go get a breastpump to keep my supply up as I couldn't BF with he medications I was on. I wish that ALL women could have had a great experience like I had with the hospital staff.

Status: Offline

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