Do you think that hospitals should provide formula milk?

[Cloberella]

I think the hospital should provide formula; like others have said the hospital should provide its patients with food no matter what their age.

My little boy had to be given formula for 12 hours after there was a problem with his feeding tube and they threw out 12 hours worth of the colostrum I had spent hours expressing. I don't for one second think we should have had to go out and buy formula in that situation; so why would a woman with a newborn?

 

[jstarr]

off topic but kala - i love your av pic it always makes me smile its so cute

 

[ttc_lolly]

I took in my own formula and those throw away pre-sterilied bottles

Interesting Where did you get them? I could only find them on ebay and I refused to buy them .... x

they sell them in boots and some supermarkets x

Oooo never seen them. I recall the convo on here before and nobody could get any either. Maybe more available now.

Yep I brought mine from Lloyds Pharmacy but Boots sell them too My hospital told me they didn't supply bottles OR formula so I went prepared! Turns out they did anyway they just don't tell people!!

https://www.lloydspharmacy.com/wcsstore/LloydsPharmacyScripts/images/catalog/otcMed/3461050_l.jpg

£3.19 for 5 bottles - not bad! https://www.lloydspharmacy.com/weba...Id=1008&storeId=90&productId=343437&langId=-1

 

[Wobbles]

I found these ones hun:
https://www.boots.com/en/SMA-First-Infant-Milk-Starter-Pack-12-x-100ml_955186/

Never had them online last time I looked. But looks like only SMA is available.

 

[whoops]

Myself I think that they should provide formula for the 1st 6 hours.

this is the usual discharge time for most people. but if you have to stay in longer you have plenty of time to send somebody out, or if you know your staying in longer you know to bring extra with you.

havnt read all the posts, so dont know if anybody else has suggested this.

Thats a good idea.

The only people who are turnint this in to a ff vs bf debate are the oned who have exclusively formula fed their babies... and its quite often the case that if you even try to discuss anything to do with formula with ff mums they get uppity and annoyed.

hospital is hospital... not hotel. If you go in to have a baby its not the same as most of the other wards, patients on other wards can be dying and extremely ill. Labour and birth isnt an illness.

If youre admitted unexpectedly due to pre eclampsia or pre birth problems or premature labour then maybe yes formula should be provided until you can get your own brought in, but if you go in knowing youre due, have your baby and expect bottles of formula then i think that shouldnt be allowed past the initial 6 hours.

I also think we should have to pay for food if youre a non emergency admittion to the maternity unit. (you have 9 months to prepare to pay for your food so its not a shock outlay!!!) and the hospital should have a shop good enough to cater for all the needs of a new mother including food, nappies, milks, baby suits (rather than balloons and junk food they currently sell!!!) doing thinsd this way would not only save money but also ensure the hospital food is up to a standard as some people say hopsital food is poor.

I breastfed last time and this time im planning to but i will still pack a few cartons of formula and 2 bottles in to my bag, just in case.

If by 'discuss', you mean berate them for their choice...

I don't think we should be encouraging people to buy formula beforehand 'just in case' either. If every mother who's struggling with breastfeeding has formula in her bag, then do you not think that more will turn to formula quicker because they're tired and it's more readily available?

 

[ttc_lolly]

I found these ones hun:
https://www.boots.com/en/SMA-First-Infant-Milk-Starter-Pack-12-x-100ml_955186/

Never had them online last time I looked. But looks like only SMA is available.

I'm sure I saw C&G one's like those (bottles with formula in). I just took the TT steri bottles and the ready made cartons of Aptamil in with me! x

 

[smelly07]

i dont have a problem with paying (out of my national insurance contributions) for newborn babies to have formula milk provided at the hsopital but i do have a problem with money i contribute going towards someones boob job

just for you special_kala.........its all about the BOOBS.

 

[ttc_lolly]

If by 'discuss', you mean berate them for their choice...

I don't think we should be encouraging people to buy formula beforehand 'just in case' either. If every mother who's struggling with breastfeeding has formula in her bag, then do you not think that more will turn to formula quicker because they're tired and it's more readily available?

I don't think it's up to you or anybody else to try and discourage someone either

I was one of those that took formula in with me ''just incase'' and thank goodness I did! BF'ing was hell for me and my LO was also low birth weight AND had dangerously low blood sugar levels and needed to feed ASAP. Turning to formula wasn't an easy choice for me, or because I was tired and it was just readily available

 

[Boony]

I planned to breastfeed both of my kids but i still took in the little ready made bottles just in case. I dont expect the NHS to pay for me to feed my baby.

If you know your going to formula feed then you have 9 months (most of the time) to prepare so i'm sure in 9 months you can find the time to go to mothercare/boots/lloyds pharmacy etc to get some bottles!

 

[krissy1984]

Sorry, I haven't read it all but whenI gave birth the woman opposite was FF and just had to ask the nurses for a bottle, they asked which one and she told them..

I have no problem with it, they are babies who need food, thats all I care about. FF/BF as long as the baby is fed xx

 

[justlove]

thanks for posting link ttc_lolly I now know that I can buy these when visiting parents as my little arms can only carry so much on the train.

Wobbles first time I have ever seen those bottles from link you posted. I've yet to find Cow & Gate ones I've been looking since before I had my LO. none of big supermarkets near me sell them either.

 

[mumtobeplus1]

Sorry, I haven't read it all but whenI gave birth the woman opposite was FF and just had to ask the nurses for a bottle, they asked which one and she told them..

I have no problem with it, they are babies who need food, thats all I care about. FF/BF as long as the baby is fed xx

I totally agree, when u see primary school children there is no difference between those
who have been fed either which way, they all look, move, talk and learn in more or less
the same ways so i really dont see why there is such a big deal made out of whether
mums bf or ff, as long as the baby is fed, thriving and healthy on whatever the mother
chooses i dont see the problem

 

[ShanandBoc]

Here in Aus, ready made formula is hard to come by. One bran make it here and the brand is known for being notorious for constipation.

We would literally have to take in a tin of formula and make it up.

That would be easy after a c section.....Not!

We were supplied with formula when i had my DD, it was made up and brought to us (for the 24 hrs she had formula and not breastmilk) They had it premade in big jugs i a fridge. So if each mum had to bring her own, well u could just imagine the chaos....

 

[whoops]

If by 'discuss', you mean berate them for their choice...

I don't think we should be encouraging people to buy formula beforehand 'just in case' either. If every mother who's struggling with breastfeeding has formula in her bag, then do you not think that more will turn to formula quicker because they're tired and it's more readily available?

I don't think it's up to you or anybody else to try and discourage someone either

I was one of those that took formula in with me ''just incase'' and thank goodness I did! BF'ing was hell for me and my LO was also low birth weight AND had dangerously low blood sugar levels and needed to feed ASAP. Turning to formula wasn't an easy choice for me, or because I was tired and it was just readily available

I'm not trying to discourage anyone - I think you're misunderstanding me.

I had the exact same situation with my LO and the hospital provided me with formula after nearly 5 hours of trying to get her to latch on the night she was born. I didn't want to either, but she couldn't afford to lose much weight.

I'm thinking more about the mothers who genuinely do want to breastfeed, but are having problems getting feeding established in the early days - problems that can be worked through.

I'm not saying they shouldn't switch to formula if BFing is too hard, but there are mothers who make the switch and go on to regret it or feel guilty. I just think that's more likely to happen if they've already bought formula.

When I was pregnant, I'd planned on BFing exclusively so I didn't buy formula beforehand. I knew that if it was sitting in my cupboard, I'd be tempted to make up a bottle if we were having difficulties, but if I had to go out and buy it especially, then I'd be more likely to try and get breastfeeding sorted.

 

[ttc_lolly]

I'm not trying to discourage anyone - I think you're misunderstanding me.

I had the exact same situation with my LO and the hospital provided me with formula after nearly 5 hours of trying to get her to latch on the night she was born. I didn't want to either, but she couldn't afford to lose much weight.

I'm thinking more about the mothers who genuinely do want to breastfeed, but are having problems getting feeding established in the early days - problems that can be worked through.

I'm not saying they shouldn't switch to formula if BFing is too hard, but there are mothers who make the switch and go on to regret it or feel guilty. I just think that's more likely to happen if they've already bought formula.

When I was pregnant, I'd planned on BFing exclusively so I didn't buy formula beforehand. I knew that if it was sitting in my cupboard, I'd be tempted to make up a bottle if we were having difficulties, but if I had to go out and buy it especially, then I'd be more likely to try and get breastfeeding sorted.

Ok - apologies for my misunderstanding you I see what u mean completely. I still think though that sometimes it is better for the mother/baby to switch, even if she might not have tried to BF as hard as others, everyone's different

 

[Foogirl]

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

You were either a pregnant woman for whom food was supplied, or a mother who had just given birth. You required medical treatment in both those cases. Therefore you fit the definition of a patient.

 

[whoops]

I'm not trying to discourage anyone - I think you're misunderstanding me.

I had the exact same situation with my LO and the hospital provided me with formula after nearly 5 hours of trying to get her to latch on the night she was born. I didn't want to either, but she couldn't afford to lose much weight.

I'm thinking more about the mothers who genuinely do want to breastfeed, but are having problems getting feeding established in the early days - problems that can be worked through.

I'm not saying they shouldn't switch to formula if BFing is too hard, but there are mothers who make the switch and go on to regret it or feel guilty. I just think that's more likely to happen if they've already bought formula.

When I was pregnant, I'd planned on BFing exclusively so I didn't buy formula beforehand. I knew that if it was sitting in my cupboard, I'd be tempted to make up a bottle if we were having difficulties, but if I had to go out and buy it especially, then I'd be more likely to try and get breastfeeding sorted.

Ok - apologies for my misunderstanding you I see what u mean completely. I still think though that sometimes it is better for the mother/baby to switch, even if she might not have tried to BF as hard as others, everyone's different

Oh absolutely! And formula suits some people much better - myself included. When you find yourself getting angry at a 4 week old baby because you're exhausted from expressing and they 'refuse' to latch, you know it's time to switch...

I was only talking about the people who would go on to regret it or who could potentially get through the problems. I remember there was someone here a while ago saying the only reason they stuck with breastfeeding was because the snow made things too difficult to go out to the shop to buy formula, and now they're delighted they persevered.

 

[Nibblenic]

If ready made formula wasnt availble at my hospital. Lo wouldhave been put on a drip and taken away from me and put on the special needs ward.

We had a extreamly traumatic birth, she couldnt breast feed without being drugged up on paracetamol. It was literally a choice beween chane wards put a drip in and leave her or bottle feed her and have her on a light bed in my room. Just to get liquids into her body which simply wasnt coping with the amount of damage done to it during birth. That was all that mattered and when the consultant in her mean NOW as her urine had gone black

SO what if that formula wasnt just in another room, what if OH had to go out and buy everything needed. She would have been hooked up to all sorts of machine we would have been seperated and tbh I dont htink we would have bonded. As I didnt get the chance of the 'rush of love' in between me being knocked out and her having to be revived.

So yes ofcourse hospitals should have formula available. Yes of course it should be free. All paitents are fed in our wonderful NHS these babies are just the same!

 

[Janidog]

I took in my own formula and those throw away pre-sterilied bottles

Interesting Where did you get them? I could only find them on ebay and I refused to buy them .... x

I bought some from Boots but was grateful when the hospital would rather provide the bottles themselves. When i got home i decided to try one out and it comes with a fastflow teat so the milk ended up all over lo face (he wasn't amused)

 

[Maman]

Myself I think that they should provide formula for the 1st 6 hours.

this is the usual discharge time for most people. but if you have to stay in longer you have plenty of time to send somebody out, or if you know your staying in longer you know to bring extra with you.

havnt read all the posts, so dont know if anybody else has suggested this.

Thats a good idea.

The only people who are turnint this in to a ff vs bf debate are the oned who have exclusively formula fed their babies... and its quite often the case that if you even try to discuss anything to do with formula with ff mums they get uppity and annoyed.

hospital is hospital... not hotel. If you go in to have a baby its not the same as most of the other wards, patients on other wards can be dying and extremely ill. Labour and birth isnt an illness.

If youre admitted unexpectedly due to pre eclampsia or pre birth problems or premature labour then maybe yes formula should be provided until you can get your own brought in, but if you go in knowing youre due, have your baby and expect bottles of formula then i think that shouldnt be allowed past the initial 6 hours.

I also think we should have to pay for food if youre a non emergency admittion to the maternity unit. (you have 9 months to prepare to pay for your food so its not a shock outlay!!!) and the hospital should have a shop good enough to cater for all the needs of a new mother including food, nappies, milks, baby suits (rather than balloons and junk food they currently sell!!!) doing thinsd this way would not only save money but also ensure the hospital food is up to a standard as some people say hopsital food is poor.

I breastfed last time and this time im planning to but i will still pack a few cartons of formula and 2 bottles in to my bag, just in case.

If by 'discuss', you mean berate them for their choice...

I don't think we should be encouraging people to buy formula beforehand 'just in case' either. If every mother who's struggling with breastfeeding has formula in her bag, then do you not think that more will turn to formula quicker because they're tired and it's more readily available?

Cant see where i berated anyone.


i mix fed so i used breast milk AND formula but over my years of being on various parenting forums i have noticed that quite often (and this is a generalisation) mums who ff tend to take offence a lot more easily. its just an observation ive made

i think personally that its up to you how you feed your baby, i dont beleive that as many women 'cant' breastfeed as statistics show, i just think some of us need more guidance and support than others and its not always provided. (it shouldnt get to the point where your nipples crack and bleed before someone tries to help you and i think many women who try it get neglected) I also applaud any mother who makes the decision fo use formula as it is a really hard one to make. My son had severe reflux and because of it spent literally hours at a time on my breast (it all came to a head when he spent 4 hours on my breast between sickness) And i was advised to use formula as my body couldnt produce that much milk. gut wrenching as it was i knew my doctor was right. So all mothers have their reasons. I dont understand mothers who dont even try bf though, if im honest.

Still i dont think formula should be provided, i didnt know it was a case of formula being the easy choice because its in your bag...