Do you think that hospitals should provide formula milk?

[moomoo]

If you choose to formula feed then no it shouldn't be provided.

If you have difficulties with BF then they should x

 

[louandivy]

I don't think giving formula only to women who can't BF sounds very fair and I don't really see how they would decide which ones were worthy of free formula, if I had chosen to FF I'd be pretty pissed about that! Yes, I do think it should be provided.

 

[peanut56]

My mum said that in her day they provided nappies, cotton wool, lotions and potions to clean baby up AND even a wee hat and mitts...Also if im not mistaken a blanket too!

Ah the good old days

Our hospital provided diapers, wipes, a hat and a blanket! (A really nice one too!)

 

[louandivy]

The food in our hosp was fantastic though, I have to say!!

You're lucky, when I was preg and went on the hospital tour I had to walk out the canteen because it smelt so bad I thought I was going to be sick, and it wasn't just hormones because OH agreed Luckily there was an amazing chinese down the road!

 

[Becky123]

Our hospital provided formula

 

[LoraLoo]

If you choose to formula feed then no it shouldn't be provided.

If you have difficulties with BF then they should x

I planned on Breastfeeding, but I still took bottles and milk in, 'just in case'

I dont agree that Mothers who planned on Breastfeeding but couldnt, should be the exception. I think it should be one rule, either way, for everyone.

 

[summer rain]

I think it should be provided or sold for virtually nothing; I think though that the formula manufacturers should make 50ml glass bottles of it for hospital purposes as opposed to the 100ml ones, hardly any newborns can finish 100ml so half of the formula the NHS is buying is going in the bin, its massively wasteful both in terms of the environment (the unfinished bottles certainly don't get recycled plus its wasting food) and money wise as well....

 

[flubdub]

The food in our hosp was fantastic though, I have to say!!

You're lucky, when I was preg and went on the hospital tour I had to walk out the canteen because I thought I was going to be sick, and it wasn't just hormones because OH agreed Luckily there was an amazing chinese down the road!

Oh, it really was great! However OH went into the canteen while I ate, and there was nothing there He went to Subway over the road

 

[Sarah10]

I FF, bought my own, didn't really see the issue (our hospital stopped providing it in 2009) Most babies drink approx one carton on their stay (obviously unless they're in longer) which is about 57p or there abouts? Not exactly dear, so yes if you choose to FF then expect to bring your own.

 

[DanielleM]

From another angle why shouldn't formula be provided?

 

[flubdub]

I think it should be provided or sold for virtually nothing; I think though that the formula manufacturers should make 50ml glass bottles of it for hospital purposes as opposed to the 100ml ones, hardly any newborns can finish 100ml so half of the formula the NHS is buying is going in the bin, its massively wasteful both in terms of the environment (the unfinished bottles certainly don't get recycled) and money wise as well....

Thats true. My first two kids couldnt finish even a quarter of a bottle! When you think that their tummies are the size of a marble, and dont stretch, they would never finish all that! Not without throwing up afterwards.

 

[summer rain]

They could even make 25ml ones and have special recycling bins for them on the ward

 

[special_kala]

My niece drank a whole bottle when she was born! The MW was shocked!

 

[bigbetty]

I have read this thread with much interest - as a mum who chose to FF from birth. I'm very lucky that our hospital provides every brand of formula. We were told in our birthing class this is so you can use the same brand as you have decided to use at home and not have to confuse baby by chopping and changing.

I was very grateful that they provided it free but wouldn't have thought twice at the time if they didn't and would just have taken cartons with me.

But like someone else posted - I pay my taxes like everyone else, have never been on long-term medication or drained the nhs in any way and the only operation I've had is my tonsils out in my early teens. I've also never claimed benefits of any kind. So why should my baby be begrudged a few bottles of formula while I'm in hospital??

She has her own NHS number and hospital file, she is a human being with human rights living in a country which provides free medical care - why should my meals be free and hers not???

 

[flubdub]

double post from above!

 

[smelly07]

I think it should be provided or sold for virtually nothing; I think though that the formula manufacturers should make 50ml glass bottles of it for hospital purposes as opposed to the 100ml ones, hardly any newborns can finish 100ml so half of the formula the NHS is buying is going in the bin, its massively wasteful both in terms of the environment (the unfinished bottles certainly don't get recycled) and money wise as well....

Thats true. My first two kids couldnt finish even a quarter of a bottle! When you think that their tummies are the size of a marble, and dont stretch, they would never finish all that! Not without throwing up afterwards.

Hee hee, my youngest LO drank 100mls on her first feed and there after, the little fatty x x x

 

[peanut56]

Very well said, bigbetty
And I agree that they should make smaller bottles for hospitals. We ended up having to FF because of jaundice and the bottles were all 4oz. She would only take 1oz at the most every 2-3 hours on top of BFing, so the rest was thrown out. It was a huge waste.

 

[kirmal12]

My LO "had" to have formula because i had GD and LO was born with dangerously low blood sugars. BM wouldn't have brought his levels up quick enough, so should i have to pay for something that ultimately saved his life?. Just another angle on the debate!

 

[minties]

I am on the fence with this one.

On one hand, I think it should be readily available in case baby is too premature or illl to breadtfeed or a mother comes in who can't breastfeed for medical or extreme emotional reasons.

However if a mother chooses to use formula because she simply can't be bothered with breastfeeding (and no I am not implying anyone here is like that!) then she would have known ahead of time how she felt and had a tin of formula packed into her hospital bag.

 

[Lightworker]

Hmm its a toughie - I totally agree that babies are patients in their own right and deserve feeding as do other patients but IMO perhaps there could be a system where it is given to those that have tried BF and failed. The ones that choose from the get go can bring their own or buy from hospital. The reason is that real savings can be made and allocated towards the struggling maternity department in the form of midwives, better facilities etc