Do you think that hospitals should provide formula milk?

[ellie]

oops cross post with the one above mine sorry! i can see your point, one mum (bf) gets free support and the next mum (ff) has to buy everything herself ... so it might seem unfair ... but again, surely if you choose to ff from the start you make the choice of everything that goes along with it, and lets face it the 'bf support/consultants' etc are pretty damn rare anyway, so they're hardly swamping the hospitals with their expensiveness... so its fairly ridiculous to start stressing about figures and salaries etc unless we also know accurate figures of what formula costs the nhs in the long term.

I doubt the NHS will be able to keep up free everything for too much longer anyway. I would agree it might be a good idea to have kind of like subsidised vending machines for maybe cartons or small packs of formula, maybe disposable bottles or teats, breast pads, maternity pads, that kind of thing. Anyone want to suggest it to the health minister ... ?

 

[Christine1993]

I think mother's should provide the formula milk.

Breastfeeding mothers do not expect breast pads, special creams etc, so why should a formula feeding mum, who is doing it out of choice, expect formula? I understand that some women cannot breastfeed, and in that instance I believe formula milk should be stocked, but only for the women who can't for example of medication that prevents them from doing so, or other reasons. I don't think it should be provided for mother's who don't want to from the start.

Hospitals, maternity units, midwives, doctors etc want you to breastfeed. Yes, at the end of the day if your baby is happy, healthy, loved & cared for, that is all that matters. But doctors, midwives etc need to promote breastfeeding and the nutritional value and benefits of it and by providing formula to all mother's is not doing this.

 

[louandivy]

See, I'm not even against free formula, but I'm not really for it either it doesn't bother me either way though.
The methadone/cancer treatment argument is ridiculous though. If you can't afford like £5 for formula for your hospital stay, you probably should be more concerned about paying for it for the next year of your child's life.

This whole reply is basically like reading my mind.

 

[smelly07]

https://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb75/lucillemclennan/yGFNa.gif

ha ha ha this made me laugh out loud!

 

[AP]

I agree with Windmills ^^
I do think it should be charged personally, but available, yes.

I'd have taken my own glass bottles in if that was my intention with Tori though.

 

[flubdub]

OMG.. dishng it out???? What are you talking about, dishing out food to babies??

Out of interest, when you were in hospital having your LO did you refuse the food provided so you could stand your moral high ground and pay for your own?

Erm, is that aimed at me? You need to calm down!

You will see under my post I actually APOLOGISED for not being able to think of a better way to put it and that I realise it sounded rude!!

I havnt attacked you ONCE on this thread, why are you having a go at me?! No I didnt refuse food, how ridiculous!

I'll just add to that, that Im a vegetarian. If they didnt have vegetarian food in the hosp, I wouldnt start kicking and screaming about how I have paid my taxes and demand some vegetarian food!
I'd think "Fair enough, they have hundreds of people to feed." and send OH to the canteen!

 

[Christine1993]

oops cross post with the one above mine sorry! i can see your point, one mum (bf) gets free support and the next mum (ff) has to buy everything herself ... so it might seem unfair ... but again, surely if you choose to ff from the start you make the choice of everything that goes along with it, and lets face it the 'bf support/consultants' etc are pretty damn rare anyway, so they're hardly swamping the hospitals with their expensiveness...

I doubt the NHS will be able to keep up free everything for too much longer anyway. I would agree it might be a good idea to have kind of like subsidised vending machines for maybe cartons or small packs of formula, maybe disposable bottles or teats, breast pads, maternity pads, that kind of thing. Anyone want to suggest it to the health minister ... ?

That's a good idea to have vending machines with all those different things in it.

I'd suggest it but don't know how to

 

[Kimmy25]

Wow, that took some reading!

Yes it should be provided a baby is a patient and should be fed like everyone else. The hospitals would have to buy sterilisers rather a lot of them id imagine, someone who has just given birth stood making bottles..As for midwives helping??! LOL..Your lucky to get a few paracetamol there so busy..

 

[freckleonear]

Regarding the cost of lactation specialists, that's a slightly different issue as breastfeeding actually saves the NHS a lot of money in the long run due to health issues. I can't remember how many millions it's estimated to be off the top of my head, but certainly more than enough to cover the cost of breastfeeding advice and support.

First before anyone suggests im saying this

im not saying we should get rid lactation specialists im just saying you have help available if needed and its funded by the nhs.
Ff mummys get no help other than a few bottles of formula.

Also, there it is again... if you ff your child will be ill and cost the nhs millions lol

I'm sorry, I'm aware that this is a sore point with many FF mummies but I'm certainly not saying that if you FF your baby will be ill. Unfortunately it is a statistical fact that formula does increase the risk of certain health conditions and does therefore cost the NHS money, which is relevant in this discussion.

However, I do agree that there should be better support for parents who have already made the decision to formula feed regarding making and storing formula safely.

 

[Lightworker]

Actually re FF mommies getting no support, I was in a ward where I was the only BFing mama, and the rest always had an infant feeding support worker that supported them with FF so thats not entirely true

 

[Sarah10]

See, I'm not even against free formula, but I'm not really for it either it doesn't bother me either way though.
The methadone/cancer treatment argument is ridiculous though. If you can't afford like £5 for formula for your hospital stay, you probably should be more concerned about paying for it for the next year of your child's life.

This whole reply is basically like reading my mind.

Thats what i can't understand, formula is bloody expensive (well it is to me ) and during our stay i used about 80ps worth, whats that to anyone who CHOOSES to FF? If a couple of cartons costs too much and you're FFing out of choice you're in for a shock..

 

[flubdub]

https://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb75/lucillemclennan/yGFNa.gif

ha ha ha this made me laugh out loud!

Me too!!!

 

[flubdub]

See, I'm not even against free formula, but I'm not really for it either it doesn't bother me either way though.
The methadone/cancer treatment argument is ridiculous though. If you can't afford like £5 for formula for your hospital stay, you probably should be more concerned about paying for it for the next year of your child's life.

This whole reply is basically like reading my mind.

Thats what i can't understand, formula is bloody expensive (well it is to me ) and during our stay i used about 80ps worth, whats that to anyone who CHOOSES to FF? If a couple of cartons costs too much and you're FFing out of choice you're in for a shock..

 

[Puddingpea11]

NG09, aren't you kind of contradicting yourself? Complaining about people's snf of entitlement and in the next breath demanding free formula..

Not really, no. I am no demanding anything. I don't drink formula, it's my son who needed it.

It's the principle of the matter.... as in yes it's the mothers free choice to BF or not however if you choose to FF you will be charged for your childs food. Totally wrong IMHO.

But they want you to BF. Dont you think that saying, "You should breastfeed. Here, have a bottle of formula." is a mixed message?

It isn't as simple as that. Yes all women are encouraged to breastfeed, but if they choose not to does that mean they aren't entitled to the same level of support for their choice? Does it make me a second class mother because I have done what I feel is right for me and my baby?

Yes I chose to FF and yes I think it should be provided free to mothers in hosptial who have just given birth just the same as anyone else in hospital is provided their meals.

I don't expect nappies, cotton wool, wipes, mitts, hats etc to be provided because I don't expect my own knickers, clothes, toiletries etc to be provided.

My first thought would be to say no they are not entitled to that level of support. Now before people jump down my throat i ff, but started off wanting and trying to BF.
When i was in hospital (was there for a few days due to c-section), i had no help from the mw for the first 2 days with breastfeeding which resulted in my with my nipples being covered in blood blisters and leaving me very emtional. Because of this i asked for some formula, which i would have happily paid for as i hadnt bought any with me....just my breast pads and nipple cream. An absolute saint of a mw helped me on my final night, and showed me different holds, comforted me and checked on me every 20 mins...even got me a tea in the middle of the night (she did this to all the mother bf or ff). I think just having the right mw (or one that is clued up and not condescending) is enough, dont necissarilt need a consultant.

Anyway after a week i had to give up on bf due to severe baby blues and an inability for me too eat...so i ff. Other than having to clean bottles and make up the feeds ff is far easier than BF. The toe curling experience i had with bf was horrible, tiring and emotional. But i would try again with next baby- if i decide to have one.

I guess support to ff mothers who feel that they are bad mothers for their choice need support...but i guess most people that ff from the start have made up their mind before the baby has been born and are, by then , happy with their choice?

I felt sad that i couldnt breastfeed anymore and that i was not providing important nutrients to my baby...but that is live. You have to do what you have to do.

I have to say the mw i had almost made you want to ff cos they were unhelpful and just seemed to criticize your efforts then help.

 

[emilyjade]

some people in this thread are like watching kids in a playground with their comments! as a mummy who has done both BF and FF yeah a charge for the formula in hospital wouldnt bother me one bit.
i dont understand how BF help and being given free bottles of formula can equally compare themselves
your body produces babies milk whereas formula is a factory made product so it costs, it isnt natural. You choose to FF and you know at home you have to pay so what make the difference paying in hopsitals?
some people think everything should be free and it dosnt work that way.

 

[freckleonear]

Regarding the cost of lactation specialists, that's a slightly different issue as breastfeeding actually saves the NHS a lot of money in the long run due to health issues. I can't remember how many millions it's estimated to be off the top of my head, but certainly more than enough to cover the cost of breastfeeding advice and support.

Could you find me the equation then???? As i can't quite believe this

Working on the assumption that each specialist gets paid £25,000.00 a year, each hospital might have 3 to cover certain amount of patients, holidays etc......, 1000 hospitals that might have them which gives you an estimate of £75 million

I don't really want to get sucked into an argument but I'll answer your question.

From Unicef and the Department of Health:

Breastfeeding babies and their mothers are at lower risk of certain illnesses. There are therefore potential cost savings for the wider health care system. It was estimated in 1995 that the NHS spends £35 million per year in England and Wales in treating gastro-enteritis in formula-fed infants and that, for every one per cent increase in breastfeeding at 13 weeks, £500,000 would be saved in the treatment of gastro-enteritis

That is just one single health condition of many that formula fed babies are at higher risk from.

 

[AP]

Tbh the money spent on formula could be better spent in areas such as neonatal
(but im typically gonna say that...)

 

[louandivy]

Regarding the cost of lactation specialists, that's a slightly different issue as breastfeeding actually saves the NHS a lot of money in the long run due to health issues. I can't remember how many millions it's estimated to be off the top of my head, but certainly more than enough to cover the cost of breastfeeding advice and support.

Could you find me the equation then???? As i can't quite believe this

Working on the assumption that each specialist gets paid £25,000.00 a year, each hospital might have 3 to cover certain amount of patients, holidays etc......, 1000 hospitals that might have them which gives you an estimate of £75 million

I don't really want to get sucked into an argument but I'll answer your question.

From Unicef and the Department of Health:

Breastfeeding babies and their mothers are at lower risk of certain illnesses. There are therefore potential cost savings for the wider health care system. It was estimated in 1995 that the NHS spends £35 million per year in England and Wales in treating gastro-enteritis in formula-fed infants and that, for every one per cent increase in breastfeeding at 13 weeks, £500,000 would be saved in the treatment of gastro-enteritis

That is just one single health condition of many that formula fed babies are at higher risk from.

Ohh this is a good time to ask as I've been wondering, does breastfeeding actually prevent gastro-enteritis or lower the risk?

 

[Windmills]

Lou I think poor hygeine when sterilising/making feeds can contribute to gastroenteritis.

 

[Janidog]

Regarding the cost of lactation specialists, that's a slightly different issue as breastfeeding actually saves the NHS a lot of money in the long run due to health issues. I can't remember how many millions it's estimated to be off the top of my head, but certainly more than enough to cover the cost of breastfeeding advice and support.

Could you find me the equation then???? As i can't quite believe this

Working on the assumption that each specialist gets paid £25,000.00 a year, each hospital might have 3 to cover certain amount of patients, holidays etc......, 1000 hospitals that might have them which gives you an estimate of £75 million

I don't really want to get sucked into an argument but I'll answer your question.

From Unicef and the Department of Health:

Breastfeeding babies and their mothers are at lower risk of certain illnesses. There are therefore potential cost savings for the wider health care system. It was estimated in 1995 that the NHS spends £35 million per year in England and Wales in treating gastro-enteritis in formula-fed infants and that, for every one per cent increase in breastfeeding at 13 weeks, £500,000 would be saved in the treatment of gastro-enteritis

That is just one single health condition of many that formula fed babies are at higher risk from.

My LO caught gastro-enteritis from his BFed cousin!!!! So clearly BF isn't all that cracked up to be!