Free NHS formula milk stopped!

[Blah11]

When I was in hospital the food was awful...i'm veggie too and the option they gave me was 'boiled cabbage' - yum. So I just got my family to bring sandwhiches etc...but the mws never saw me eating so kept writing on my notes that I hadn't eaten for x amount of hours!

Just out of interest also...you know the argument 'LO is also a patient'..is it just me, or does anyone else actually see it as the mother being the patient rather than the baby? Obviously unless the baby needs any extra care, but I would say if there are no complications for baby...the baby could go home straight away, whereas it's often us who actually NEED to be there?! (sorry if this doesn't make sense...but what I mean is that really only the mother should be provided for...apart from certain circumstances, which it seems like this is the idea of this policy)

I said pretty much the exact same thing yesterday so yes, I do agree.

 

[Mrs-C]

I was in hospital for 4 days after having LO. In that time I tried and tried to BF and she wasn't having any of it. MWs gave her formula while I slept. I was admitted to hospital early, with no warning I would be staying until they'd got her out. I hadn't even thought about not being able to BF.

While I was on the extra care ward no one even mentioned providing formula. When I spent my last night there on the 'normal' ward the MWs were awful to me and made me feel even worse about not being able to feed her. They wouldn't give me anything to feed her and told me to leave her until she was hungry enough to take the breast. I couldn't leave her to starve as she was already small enough. When I said I wanted to give her a bottle so that she had something to eat, they got shitty and wouldn't give any formula. Told me I would have to send DH out during visiting hours and then when he got back they wouldn't let him through to see us!

I think when BF doesn't work they need to support mums as they had me feeling like a total failure and all I remember of LO's first two weeks is me crying.

Sorry that went a bit of topic and became a rant...

 

[LoraLoo]

Tbh i bet the cost of our food is way cheaper than formula for the nhs. I dont care for the arguement of 'hospital should feed baby too'. How about doing something to help improve the services by helping reduce the costs. You're gonna go home and buy it anyways??!!

It's something like £3 per patient a day

it tastes cheaper then that hahaha

after i had zane i was asked do u want fish or pasta, so i said pasta.
i was then given a plate (cold btw) with fish, chips, mushy peas covered in pasta

It differs hospital to hospital. We have quite nice food in general in my hosp although some of it is rank IMO! Patients like it though. £3 isn't much when you think about it, cereal or porrige then a roll or toast, a biscuit, soup, main and pudding at lunch, afternoon cake, another soup, main and pudding at dinner, then more biscuits at night, and also all the drinks during the day too. Our ward of 30 patients goes through maybe 15pints of milk a day

definatly just my hospital then, they offer hardly anything and non of its nice....but anyway ive gone O/T lol

yeah another hospital in our trust which we often get patients transfered from (pretty much all patients) do NOT get a good review LOL When I was in after having amelie i picked stuff that didnt really gert cooked (like for lunch i ordered soup, crackers and cheese and an apple haha)

The food in my hospital was amazing, what you got on the ward was what you got in the cantean.

tbh i do think they could be doing with just offering more simple things at lunch like soup and a sandwich and fruit or yogurt, or a salad, or jacket potato. Who wants 3 courses at lunch

Me lol, I was starving after she was born n really looked forward to the meals they were lovely!

 

[jacks mummy]

hi ladies i just found this on the mothercare website, i dont no if this has already been posted as i havnt looked thru the whole thread so sorry if it has they also have sma
https://www.mothercare.com/Cow-Gate...r_1_30&nodeId=42764041&sr=1-30&qid=1307050477

 

[sequeena]

hi ladies i just found this on the mothercare website, i dont no if this has already been posted as i havnt looked thru the whole thread so sorry if it has they also have sma
https://www.mothercare.com/Cow-Gate...r_1_30&nodeId=42764041&sr=1-30&qid=1307050477

I was looking for this I knew I'd seen them somewhere!! I wonder if anywhere sells them individually... I want to buy a few just in case but don't want to buy a case of them because I might end up not using them

 

[jacks mummy]

i dont think u can buy them on there own im going to buy 2 boxes and then i no i will have enough for hospital and if iv got some left over she can have them at home they will get used x

 

[lozzy21]

I was in hospital for 4 days after having LO. In that time I tried and tried to BF and she wasn't having any of it. MWs gave her formula while I slept. I was admitted to hospital early, with no warning I would be staying until they'd got her out. I hadn't even thought about not being able to BF.

While I was on the extra care ward no one even mentioned providing formula. When I spent my last night there on the 'normal' ward the MWs were awful to me and made me feel even worse about not being able to feed her. They wouldn't give me anything to feed her and told me to leave her until she was hungry enough to take the breast. I couldn't leave her to starve as she was already small enough. When I said I wanted to give her a bottle so that she had something to eat, they got shitty and wouldn't give any formula. Told me I would have to send DH out during visiting hours and then when he got back they wouldn't let him through to see us!

I think when BF doesn't work they need to support mums as they had me feeling like a total failure and all I remember of LO's first two weeks is me crying.

Sorry that went a bit of topic and became a rant...

Thats discusing, they all need shootin, its shocking how it can vary so much.We had problems breastfeeding, she was sleeping and wouldent latch so the midwife sat for 2 hours cup feeding her formua while i had a nap. They were fantastic and i couldent fault them.

 

[EllieNation]

A very interesting thread ladies. I've really enjoyed reading all the comments, and i thought i'd throw my tuppence worth in

As someone who works in a maternity unit, I'd like to say that we provide formula for the AF mums. This may be controversial in light of what it costs (no, sadly there's no major discount) but I think it makes life easier for everyone! It'd be pandemonium in our little kitchen, all the AF patients jostling for the kettle, having to wait that 30 mins for the water to reach the right temperature, and everyone trying to use the steriliser - I can't imagine it'd stay sterile for long! We'd end up with powder all over the place!!

No, for everyone's sanity, and safety, I am happy with our system of providing ready made bottles and teats; as far as I am aware there are no plans afoot to change this.

Not that I am particularly pro-AF. Obviously I am aware of the facts and figures and fully intend to BF as i know how brilliant it is for both of you.

What I DO believe in is CHOICE. AF is out there, it's an option. If you go down that path you have my full support. The most important thing BAR NONE, is that the mum is HAPPY
with what she is doing. That's vital for good mental health. What's the point of bullying someone into BF if it makes them miserable and then engenders deep feelings of guilt if they ever consider stopping? That's not positive for anyone.

Also - i like the links to hospital food! I enjoy the way your minds work

 

[Blah11]

A very interesting thread ladies. I've really enjoyed reading all the comments, and i thought i'd throw my tuppence worth in

As someone who works in a maternity unit, I'd like to say that we provide formula for the AF mums. This may be controversial in light of what it costs (no, sadly there's no major discount) but I think it makes life easier for everyone! It'd be pandemonium in our little kitchen, all the AF patients jostling for the kettle, having to wait that 30 mins for the water to reach the right temperature, and everyone trying to use the steriliser - I can't imagine it'd stay sterile for long! We'd end up with powder all over the place!!

No, for everyone's sanity, and safety, I am happy with our system of providing ready made bottles and teats; as far as I am aware there are no plans afoot to change this.

Not that I am particularly pro-AF. Obviously I am aware of the facts and figures and fully intend to BF as i know how brilliant it is for both of you.

What I DO believe in is CHOICE. AF is out there, it's an option. If you go down that path you have my full support. The most important thing BAR NONE, is that the mum is HAPPY
with what she is doing. That's vital for good mental health. What's the point of bullying someone into BF if it makes them miserable and then engenders deep feelings of guilt if they ever consider stopping? That's not positive for anyone.

Also - i like the links to hospital food! I enjoy the way your minds work

At the end of the day you should know that the bgi wigs don't care about making it easy for nurses, they like to spend less money I don't think you'll be allowed to use them for longer, i really don't.

 

[EllieNation]

BGI??

Also there's no nurses on an NHS maternity unit, only midwives

 

[AP]

Theres no need to sterilise anything on the unit if people just bought
A)cartons and packaged presterile bottles
B) the same glasses of milk from mothercare/asda etc.

 

[jacks mummy]

Theres no need to sterilise anything on the unit if people just bought
A)cartons and packaged presterile bottles
B) the same glasses of milk from mothercare/asda etc.

i couldnt agree more i dnt think ppl should panic just buy the same ones u would get free thats what im going to do im going to get mine from mothercare and just take them with me. you have to buy formular when u get home anyway so it shouldnt be a problem i think i would prefer to take my own anyway then i dont feel like ive got to ask for it if u no what i mean x

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I do agree but would it specify that people had to bring in ready made formula and bottles, because if it just says provide own milk that could mean sterilizer etc and not all brands of milk come ready made and surely the brand is mothers choice? x

 

[TwilightAgain]

I think its disgusting personally, they provide for every other patient so why shouldn't babies be included in that?

 

[lynnikins]

I'm amazed at the number of women who want to BF but say they will turn to formula if they "can't" for whatever reason - ladies, if you want to provide breast milk, don't forget that you have an option of exclusively expressing! If your baby struggles to latch, has a birth injury (like mine did), or for whatever reason, you can rent a simple (or hospital grade) pump straight from the hospital or local pharmacy and go from there - and either continue pumping, attempt the baby back to the breast, or go to formula if you choose ... but don't go straight to formula if the baby can't go right on the breast (if that's what you desire).

The BF section here has some great info on exclusive expressing if you are interested. I suggest having a list of pharmacies or numbers for hospital pumps available at the hospital "just in case" rather than expecting the hospital to provide formula (IF bf is what you desire).

I am going to try bfing and if cant because of baby then i have a breast pump but if cant for my reason then obviously i cant. I cant afford to.'rent' a pump as will just manage in general. i think.a little unfair to assume everyone will go straight to formula. I will be having a section and have heard how difficult it can.be to bf after this so am a little concerned.

Sorry about punctuation on mobile! Lol.

Xx

Just to point out hire of a hospital grade pump will cost less than half of what would be spent on Formula for the same month of use, check it out its not cheap and the goverment are cutting down more and more on the amount of ppl able to get vouchers to help with buying Formula

 

[CLH_X3]

I cant see the problem with providing your own milk for the your baby.
Its YOUR baby so YOU need to provide for it.

 

[Jaybear5]

I think it's terrible personally. I am getting so annoyed at mums who have to/choose to bottle feed being punished and degraded all the time. It has got to STOP!

 

[jacks mummy]

I think it's terrible personally. I am getting so annoyed at mums who have to/choose to bottle feed being punished and degraded all the time. It has got to STOP!

i agree with this, ive been reading lots of things on here and it always seems the bfing mum look/speak down to the ffing mums. its a mums choice to feed however she wants and if u want to bf then great if u dont then great ive noticed it a few time from certain mums on here that seem to think they have a right to talk down to the mum that ff as tho we are thick or something! i was annoyed when i first read they were taking away formular milk in hospitals but then i saw u could buy the exact same ones in shops so thought ok well il just buy my own then there is no problem is there, im not going to be punished for feeding my baby with a bottle so il make the best of the situation also to the person that said u can only buy certain brands of formular in shops that are pre sterilised at my hospital they only had cow and gate and sma no aptimel if thats what u were taking about. x

 

[lynnikins]

the article clearly states that bottle feeding mums instead of just being "left to get on with it " as ive wittnessed in both hospitals says on maternity wards would get some training and education on safely preparing and bottle feeding the way that support and advice is offered to BF mothers, it says very clearly that they want to raise the level of correct education in the WHOLE new mother poplulation by helping both bottle and BF mothers know whats best for their bodies and babies,
it is simply a case of the hospitals not being able to afford £13 a case for Formula milk when each mother will use several and Some will swipe it to take home and hoard it rather than just using what they need. its an unessacary cost to the NHS,

im gonna say this again, IF the NHS provide Formula for the full term of a mother/babies stay in hospital when the mother is capable of providing her own and its not just a one off bottle or 2 because the mother has strugged to BF but its happening because of a Choice to Formula feed from the start then, I as a BF mother should get an extra meal portion since my body is doing that job and providing the milk for my baby saving that Formula cost to the hospital, only reasonable since a BF mother requries 200-500 calories a day extra to produce Breastmilk especially in the early weeks!

 

[Blah11]

BGI??

Also there's no nurses on an NHS maternity unit, only midwives

Lol. You know what I meant. bgi = big.