Do you think that hospitals should provide formula milk?

[mumtobeplus1]

Ours provide cow&gate or SMA & I think they should, just for pure convienience,
so the mothers dont have to bring bottles/formula ect aswell as everything else.
The little bottles they do provide are perfect for newborns, 3oz bottles with
sterilised teats ready to use. Imagine all the babies screaming the postnatal
wards down whilst the knackered mothers drag themselves out to sterilise
their bottles and prepare the formula, and what happens if you've had a section
and cant get up, do the midwives go and prepare your formula for you?
I tried to breastfeed both of mine, but it just didnt work out, i dont think you
should be penalised for that, or even if you made the concious decision not
to BF from the start, that the mothers choice.
Also i was in for 24hrs with both of mine, I used about 5 bottles for each
of them, they really arent that expensive as obviously the NHS buys them
in massive bulk.

 

[ShanandBoc]

This argument that keeps cropping up of "they provide meals for us, why not babies" is silly. There is a huge difference between an adult, who is ill and probably in there unexpectedly and a newborn. The biggest difference being food IS supplied free for babies. It's called BREAST MILK!! if you choose not to use what nature has provided for FREE thats your bad not the NHS'

Again I have highlighted the word choose as this is about making a conscious decision on how to feed your baby NOT because baby is ill/unable to feed or you are physically unable to breastfeed

How is it silly? Its EXACTLY the same thing!! You have your own food at home, you could bring your own food / drink so it would be FREE in the sense that NHS wouldnt foot the bill, but you dont. Its part of the service when you are admitted to hospital. Your age shouldnt even come into the equation

I think we are all quite aware that nature provides breast milk free of charge btw

Most of the people I know actually do provide their own food, more because the food on the NHS is awful but still. And no it's not exactly the same is it, an adult in there ILL and often UNEXPECTED is different to a perfectly healthy baby who is only there because of the process of birth

Well thats their choice but its still on offer, as well as drink. And a mother who is not ill and is only there because of the birthing process gets her meals provided if need be, same should go for baby.

And what about babies that are in hospital because of illness? whether they be newborn, 6 months whatever?

 

[Wobbles]

This argument that keeps cropping up of "they provide meals for us, why not babies" is silly. There is a huge difference between an adult, who is ill and probably in there unexpectedly and a newborn. The biggest difference being food IS supplied free for babies. It's called BREAST MILK!! if you choose not to use what nature has provided for FREE thats your bad not the NHS'

Again I have highlighted the word choose as this is about making a conscious decision on how to feed your baby NOT because baby is ill/unable to feed or you are physically unable to breastfeed

Because you said so.

No, I had a choice my choice was formula THAT IS NOT MY BAD thats my right of choice.

Ignorance

 

[GossipGirly]

its not just about the maternity unit though, what about an ill child on the ward? a single parent or a parent who is there alone who wants to stay by the bedside and not go off and make up bottles?

I think milk should be available in hospitals for those who have not brought any in...

 

[flubdub]

I cant remember who it was that asked earlier, but if I DID ff, and my LO was admitted to hospital now, for whatever reason, I would take my own formula. If it was an emergency, obviously not, but I would get some bought as soon as I could.

Maybe we should take a leaf out of Finlands book, and provide donated milk to mothers who are struggling.

 

[Lightworker]

NG09- Please don't take this the wrong way I only wish you well but it seems to me that the only person judging you is you and its why you are highlighting the efforts you have gone through for your LO. I don't think anyone else is judging you and this is not a FF vs BF debate at all, but you seem to constantly be on the defensive for FFing, when what we are on about here is the economics (and the ethics of not providing it) of it. Hugs to you xxx

 

[mumtobeplus1]

I wouldnt accept donated milk, sorry i wouldnt feel comfortable feeding it
to my lo.

I also agree if you are formula feeding and your lo gets admitted to hospital
you should take your own, as obviously your lo will want his own bottles ect
that hes used to. However, they should have supplies there for emergencies
ect.

 

[Lellow]

Here is the generally jist that im getting from some of the posts on this thread:

If hospitals offer formula then your less likely to give BF'in a good go and if you can't be 'bothered' to BF then you dont deserve an alternative i.e formula!

In probably 99% of cases, the mother has every intention of attempting BF'in and it doesnt always go to plan for various reasons, so mother has no formula on her - Is she expected to just nip down Tesco and pick up some SMA and bottles?!

In the main, not being able to BF is a really hurrendous time for a new mother and to be begrudged a few bottles of milk to tide her and baby over isnt too much to ask for!

 

[Wobbles]

Ours provide cow&gate or SMA & I think they should, just for pure convienience,
so the mothers dont have to bring bottles/formula ect aswell as everything else.
The little bottles they do provide are perfect for newborns, 3oz bottles with
sterilised teats ready to use. Imagine all the babies screaming the postnatal
wards down whilst the knackered mothers drag themselves out to sterilise
their bottles and prepare the formula, and what happens if you've had a section
and cant get up, do the midwives go and prepare your formula for you?
I tried to breastfeed both of mine, but it just didnt work out, i dont think you
should be penalised for that, or even if you made the concious decision not
to BF from the start, that the mothers choice.

It would be crazy and unsafe to make bottles up in a hospital ... A majority of people just get silly about it with the breastfeeding comments imo

I would certainly make no issue if I had to pay for these little bottles for the fact they are sterilised and it makes the baby ward safer but the situation being slammed down for it being available is mental. Either way would suit me just like I said I don't feel bad for it being available.

 

[ShanandBoc]

I would question if donated milk supply would be able to keep up with demand too? As lovely as the idea is....

 

[dani_tinks]

I don't think it's an advertising ploy? midwifes werent even allowed to ''suggest'' a brand of formula to us!

So isn't a company supplying a hospital with there formula free of charge all in the name of free advertising?

It certainly isn't out of the goodness of there hearts!

Yep it most definitely is advertising given that they are not allowed to advertise stage 1 milk via mass media.

They really do not advertise it though! You don't see formula posters all over the ward, you don't see them trying to supply you with it? forcing it upon mums? I know in my hospital they were very reluctant to hand it out, that doesn't cry advertising to me. It's simply there as a back up for when Mums like myself were really struggling after birth.

 

[Wobbles]

I cant remember who it was that asked earlier, but if I DID ff, and my LO was admitted to hospital now, for whatever reason, I would take my own formula. If it was an emergency, obviously not, but I would get some bought as soon as I could.

Maybe we should take a leaf out of Finlands book, and provide donated milk to mothers who are struggling.

That's just not how it works. My Megan was admitted to scbu for a week and you were not allowed to bring your own milk in! There's reasons for this, obviously!

 

[smelly07]

Why dont the BF's who have a problem with newborns getting 'FREE' formula milk, just give yourselves a pat on the back that you have helped reduce costs to the NHS. well done!

 

[ttc_lolly]

I cant remember who it was that asked earlier, but if I DID ff, and my LO was admitted to hospital now, for whatever reason, I would take my own formula. If it was an emergency, obviously not, but I would get some bought as soon as I could.

Maybe we should take a leaf out of Finlands book, and provide donated milk to mothers who are struggling.

That's a really good idea but what if there is a shortage of donated BM? Also it literally is liquid gold, it is sooooo expensive! On that programme the other day called ''Is Breast best?'' by Cherry Healey a MW was saying how they are more than often very short of donated BM and so have to buy it from milk banks at £100 per litre!!

 

[kawaiigirl]

This argument that keeps cropping up of "they provide meals for us, why not babies" is silly. There is a huge difference between an adult, who is ill and probably in there unexpectedly and a newborn. The biggest difference being food IS supplied free for babies. It's called BREAST MILK!! if you choose not to use what nature has provided for FREE thats your bad not the NHS'

Again I have highlighted the word choose as this is about making a conscious decision on how to feed your baby NOT because baby is ill/unable to feed or you are physically unable to breastfeed

I wasn't ill in hospital and they provided me with all my meals!

 

[Lellow]

I don't think it's an advertising ploy? midwifes werent even allowed to ''suggest'' a brand of formula to us!

So isn't a company supplying a hospital with there formula free of charge all in the name of free advertising?

It certainly isn't out of the goodness of there hearts!

Yep it most definitely is advertising given that they are not allowed to advertise stage 1 milk via mass media.

They really do not advertise it though! You don't see formula posters all over the ward, you don't see them trying to supply you with it? forcing it upon mums? I know in my hospital they were very reluctant to hand it out, that doesn't cry advertising to me. It's simply there as a back up for when Mums like myself were really stuggling after birth.

Your taking advertising in the literal sense! I dont mean posters, billboards, nurses pushing a specific brand on to you.
Im talking more, they have a couple of brands, they offer you them as your in need and you choose which one to take.
If SMA for example is giving that hospital lotsa free formula and when a mum is in diar straights and needs the milk, then they'll offer you what they have, which is SMA.
If you use SMA in the hospital, then the likelyhood is that you'll probably stick with that!

 

[Rhio92]

I think they should. I mean,they feed the mum's and other patients, why not the babies?
Plus, what if a mother genuinely wanted to breastfeed? I was trying toBF Connor, but he struggled at first, and needed formula for a few feeds. Luckily the hospital provided it, because I don't know where I'd have bought it from at 3am monday morning, in the middle of nowhere x

 

[Lightworker]

Dani_tinks - maybe I didn't word my post clearly I meant formula companies are NOT allowed to officially advertise the first stage milk and by providing it for free to NHS (if this is true) they have effectively taken advantage of a loophole because if a certain brand FF milk is avaliable the mother is most likely going to continue with that brand of milk postnatally. Successful business don't do things for free without the intention of profiting somehow.

 

[Blah11]

Why dont the BF's who have a problem with newborns getting 'FREE' formula milk, just give yourselves a pat on the back that you have helped reduce costs to the NHS. well done!

thats not fair. there are both ffers and bfers on both sides of the fence. its not a them vs us thing.

 

[mumtobeplus1]

My Midwife actually told me it doesnt matter which brand you choose because
they are basically the same, i asked her if i need to stick to whichever i choose,
she said no, you can use whatever you want when you get home. So i agree, i
dont believe it is advertising, and anyway, there are only a few brands of
1st stage milk available anyway, its not as if they could use brandless milk.
SMA & C&G are the two most widely available formulas so it makes sense
to provide something that mothers are able to get hold of should they want
to after leaving the hospital.
You will make the decision which formula to use anyway, so does it matter
if that decision is made in hospital or afterwards when you get home?

I chose SMA this time, purely because its what i gave my daughter, so them
offering me SMA or C&G wasnt advertising, i knew what i wanted already.