Do you think that hospitals should provide formula milk?

[Raggydoll]

I would also like to point out that not all BFers use lactation specialists etc. Just because you BF does not mean that you are using all these services.

yeah, I didn't use any either.

me neither, what's one of them?

I didn't realise you could have one? Could of done with one of them.

 

[iceylou]

it seems to have calmed down abit now.

while i was pregnant and attending hospital appt i kept asking about BF to the mw's and all i got was leaflets handed to me - "here read these". i would have liked to know more info on it (sorry if i seem a little dumb not knowing about BF). i rang 2 numbers and i still remember what they said:

well its quiet natural, every baby luvs it, u wont have any problems. and most importantly its great for getting ur figure back after the baby!!! i FF both my kids, it was offered free at the hospital. if i had to pay so be it. if they start charging at the hospital for it that would be fine for me.

 

[DanielleM]

But its not about whether the NHS supplies meals for mothers and other patients and therefore should supply a meal for the baby. It's about you as the mother, bringing in all the supplies that you know you will need for your baby, hat, vest, sleep suit, mittens, nappies, wipes, and (oh yeah, as I know I'll be FF from birth as thats what I've decided to do), formula.
No one has said that it shouldn't be available if medically needed, or in the event of a mother who is intending on BF'ing, having problems and her baby needing feeding.
But lets face it, there are hundreds of women who make the choice, while they are pregnant, that for whatever reason, they DO NOT WANT to BF. You see it on this forum alone almost every day that some mothers never had the intention of BF'ing. or after struggling with BF'ing for a first baby, won't bother trying with a second and will go straight to FF.
So WHY should the NHS (or any other countries medical system) foot the bill for those people?

The whole argument about bringing in all other stuff why can't you bring in formula aswell is to me stupid when they provide formula there. If they provided nappies, wipes, cotton wool, etc I would not have brought that either, but they don't, so I did. Just as I would of done with the formula if it wasn't provided.

And to other posters who say they took formula in with them when they were in hospital is a bit pointless, just because the odd few people take in formula will not make any difference to the NHS.

To be honest if the NHS did stop providing free formula in hospitals it would hardly make a dent in the budget, more like putting a plaster on a bit massive gash!!

 

[Lightworker]

I wonder is the issue here really about saving money for the NHS or is it about formula?

As no one seems to be opposed to the idea of everyone else recieving meals in hospital? Just formula

Makes no sense to me...unless this IS a FF v's BF debate after all....

Speaking for myself, it is about saving money. If you can make a cut, then why not do it. The NHS should be viewed just like a person. If I am broke, I will adjust my spending to accomodate the reduced income, eg I may stop having meals out, I may not go shopping for clothes for a while. If the NHS can identify an area where a cut can be made, then it should. And more than that, if it identifies areas where there policies are in direct contravention of one of their fundamental agendas as set by the DH then surely it stands to reason that that is where cuts should be made.

In an ideal world equality would not be compromised with regard to FF and BF, but for now the system is barely standing.

It is unreasonable and thoroughly short-sighted to say "well then ALL patients should bring in their own food." The cuts are not being made because they want them to, they are being made because they have to, and it is only logical to cut areas where the need can be easily fulfilled by another source i,e parents.

 

[Mummy2Angel.]

My hopsital provided milk, nappies, cotton wool.....i had planned to breastfeed but due to high blood pressure medication making my LO's blood sugar levels dangeroulsy low after birth FF was the only option to bring his levels up enough as he is tounge tied and was having trouble sucking. So the hospital having milk was a god-send as i hadnt thought about taking my own. I think they should supply it, but thats just my opinion x

 

[Lightworker]

wow, I am glad this moved to News and Debates, if it had been posted here originally, it would have been much shorter, and perhaps with more actual debating.

 

[lolababes]

Wow not reading it all

Personally yes I think they should, for the benefit of all those out there who cant bf. I chose to ff so took my own (didnt know my hospital provided it) as it happens I bf'd while in hospital so didnt need it

Why should that be taken away when essentially it is feeding the PATIENT??

Don't go there - apparently babies arn't patients

perhaps I should of read it then

 

[xnmd1]

It boggles my mind that people think if your LO was a patient in the hospital, that it should still be the mothers responsibility to supply their food.

What if you had a 10 year old child who was hospitalized. No one would think it should be the mothers responsibility to feed the ten year old.
I fail the see the difference .. age should not matter. A baby is not JUST a baby , they're also a human.

If all humans, black, white, asian, indian. 10 years old, 15 years old, 30 years old, 100 years old. All have their meals supplied to them while they are a patient in the hospital why not a BABY?!

mind blown.

I suppose the next time I need a stay in the hospital I should ring my mom and have her go to the shops and get some food for me to eat during my stay.

 

[lolababes]

I suppose the next time I need a stay in the hospital I should ring my mom and have her go to the shops and get some food for me to eat during my stay.

I would probably do that anyway coz the food I got was horrendous

 

[xnmd1]

I suppose the next time I need a stay in the hospital I should ring my mom and have her go to the shops and get some food for me to eat during my stay.

I would probably do that anyway coz the food I got was horrendous

we actually have a 24/7 menu. You get 4 meals a day and its amazing.

After LO was born I had the "all you can eat breakfast" - pancakes, toast, eggs, bacon, and sausage. For lunch I had ceasar salad and grilled chicken breast, for supper I had lasagne and garlic bread. Then I had yogurt and fruit salad as a snack before bed.

Can't complain about that! eh?

 

[lolababes]

I suppose the next time I need a stay in the hospital I should ring my mom and have her go to the shops and get some food for me to eat during my stay.

I would probably do that anyway coz the food I got was horrendous

we actually have a 24/7 menu. You get 4 meals a day and its amazing.

After LO was born I had the "all you can eat breakfast" - pancakes, toast, eggs, bacon, and sausage. For lunch I had ceasar salad and grilled chicken breast, for supper I had lasagne and garlic bread. Then I had yogurt and fruit salad as a snack before bed.

Can't complain about that! eh?

Bloody hell that would do nicely, all I got was 2 slices of cold toast when I got back on the ward!!! Then I had a 'bowl' of ceral with room temp milk an omlette that could have stuck to the wall for lunch, needless to say I was home 2hr later

 

[aliss]

I suppose you could look at it this way.

Yes, a baby is a patient and should be fed - however the initiatives that are trying to encourage breastfeeding state that breast milk is the best food for baby and should always be the first option. If you CHOOSE to FF, then you are choosing to forgo this.

When I was in the hospital, I didn't want the food they served (sandwich, yogurt, etc). So I told OH to go buy me some spaghetti, and I ate that instead. It was my choice to forgo the choice that the hospital layed out as my meal and paid for my own alternative. I guess FF can be seen as the same way. If you don't want to use the nutritional option (BF) then I suppose you should pay for the alternative.

I actually don't care if they provide formula or not, I really don't. But I can see both sides of the issue and why hospitals would not be expected to provide formula.

 

[lolababes]

And as it does all come down to costs, although I think they should supply it, I would rather they stopped and could afford that extra bed for example IYKWIM

 

[Sarah&Ady]

arguing over it isnt going to change the fact that the NHS are phasing out supplying formula! I would suspect that by the end of the year there wont be a hospital in the UK supplying formula!

Except in SCBU of course.... so not quite phasing it out.

 

[Boony]

arguing over it isnt going to change the fact that the NHS are phasing out supplying formula! I would suspect that by the end of the year there wont be a hospital in the UK supplying formula!

Except in SCBU of course.... so not quite phasing it out.

yes but thats not what i meant

 

[bumpy_j]

this is STILL GOING?????
flubdub what have you done! it's like a gaping abyss of never endingness

 

[twinkle1975]

I need to get out more - I've just read 60 pages of this & I don't even have a baby!!

 

[ttc_lolly]

The whole argument about bringing in all other stuff why can't you bring in formula aswell is to me stupid when they provide formula there. If they provided nappies, wipes, cotton wool, etc I would not have brought that either, but they don't, so I did. Just as I would of done with the formula if it wasn't provided.

And to other posters who say they took formula in with them when they were in hospital is a bit pointless, just because the odd few people take in formula will not make any difference to the NHS.
To be honest if the NHS did stop providing free formula in hospitals it would hardly make a dent in the budget, more like putting a plaster on a bit massive gash!!

It's attitude's like the bolded part that doesn't help the country when it needs it!

Somebody's got to do something and cut back on the NHS's resources, I was one of the ''pointless'' ones that took my own formula in!

More hospitals should follow suit of mine IMO - they clearly told us beforehand they didn't supply formula so to bring your own if you intended to FF. I intended on BF'ing but bought formula just incase. The hospital did in fact have formula, but they weren't advertising the fact as it was kept for special cases.

 

[GossipGirly]

I suppose you could look at it this way.

Yes, a baby is a patient and should be fed - however the initiatives that are trying to encourage breastfeeding state that breast milk is the best food for baby and should always be the first option. If you CHOOSE to FF, then you are choosing to forgo this.

When I was in the hospital, I didn't want the food they served (sandwich, yogurt, etc). So I told OH to go buy me some spaghetti, and I ate that instead. It was my choice to forgo the choice that the hospital layed out as my meal and paid for my own alternative. I guess FF can be seen as the same way. If you don't want to use the nutritional option (BF) then I suppose you should pay for the alternative.

I actually don't care if they provide formula or not, I really don't. But I can see both sides of the issue and why hospitals would not be expected to provide formula.

Im sorry but you cant say ff is not nutritional its been carefully put together to be just as nutitional...

 

[Blah11]

Formula is fine but its no way just as good. idk why people say it is?!