has this happened to you, when you had your LO's?

[highhopes19]

hi everyone,

yesterday i went to visit my cousin and new LO in hospital, she had him the day before last . he is absolutly gorgeous.
she had a rough labour and had to have a last min. emergency csection.
she also needs to have her gall bladder out as soon as

she really wanted to breast feed but was unable to (im not sure why, but i think it had somthing to do with the medication she is on ).

yesterday when we were seeing her, the baby was crying and needed feeding. i was so shocked when she told me that to encourage breast feeding there, they moved all the steralising and things needed for formula feeding to the other ward(which is a long walk away from her ward) to put them off bottle feeding. so she had to waddle in pain down to the other ward to make it (shes not just in pain from the c-section but from her gall bladder aswell). the midwife refused to help as she said she needs to get used to it! i was so shocked.


its a mothers choice how she chooses to feed her baby, but it made me feel that the hospital were kind of discriminating against mothers who choose not to or unable to breast feed in order to make them feel bad.

did you expereince this in hospital when you all had your LO's ?

 

[Mrs Mayhem]

Oh my word! that is disgusting!!

I had an emergency c-section and was poorly afterwards, all the medications I had prevented me from breastfeeding. The hospital provided milk in ready made bottles with packaged sterile disposable teats. I just told them when we needed a bottle and they brought it to us! The furthest I had to move was to the loo and that was only when I had the catheter took out!

I hope she is ok, if I were her I'd be writing a big complaint!

 

[mrsthomas623]

That is horrible! I know in the UK they are really trying to encourage BFing but that is just cruel. Here in the States, my nurses encouraged BFing but had absolutely no issue when I asked for formula. They went and got it for me!

 

[Blondie2008]

Cant say i experienced this. Infact the ward i was on was the other way - they would come around heading out the formula bottles. I was the only one of about 6 who said i was breastfeeding (it didn't last long mind. lol!)

Just wanted to say that its disgusting what they did to your cousin!!!

 

[binxyboo]

when I was in hospital after my C-Section, I was told by a very abrupt and rude midwife that they are not there to look after our babies and we need to do it ourselves, said I wasn't allowed out of bed until my catheter was out - then put my baby and my buzzer out of reach and walked off.
And that was my welcome to the ward (I didn't even ask her to do anything for me)

So - no - Sadly it doesn't surprise me that they have done that to your cousin.

 

[xxembobxx]

I always remember seeing women on the wards hobbling about after labour and then seeing women who have had C-sections struggle to even get in and out of bed. I am so glad I never had to go through that pain.
My SIL had a c-section and she phoned her mum crying down the phone as the MW's wouldn't help her at all. Her LO was in intensive care for the first week and she had to walk there and back or not see him! They wouldn't allow her a wheelchair.
I would advise your cousin to sit pressing her buzzer until a MW gets her a bottle for LO. A woman on my ward buzzed everytime her LO cried as she couldn't physically move to pick her up and the MW never moaned.
Sometimes women need to be bolshy to get the care they deserve.

 

[special_kala]

Do they not give premade bottles out in every hospital in the uk

 

[llsarahll]

I never had any hassle at all I told them I was ff from the start and there was a room
In the wards where the sterilised bottles and teats where and u just went and got what u needed I had a fab service

 

[ballena]

That's awful... even if they do want to encourage breast feeding that isn't the way to do it. Regardless of the issue of feeding her baby, your cousin is a patient in that hospital and she is entitled to care and support... surely they wouldn't make an elderly person waiting for a gall bladder operation walk down the corridor to get themselves a drink etc? How is this any different?

When I was in hospital after LO was born, the mums who were FF just rang their buzzers when it was time for a feed and the midwifes brought ready made up bottles - there was also a choice of formula types.

Wow... I feel really lucky now as I had fantastic care from most of the midwives (one massive exception but that's another story!) when I was in and wasn't allowed out of bed for the first 36 hours. None of them made me feel bad and were more than happy to help me look after my LO... it makes me mad that people are made to feel guilty for needing a little support.

 

[Lellow]

What a bunch of judgemental cows. Who are they to dictate or try and encourage you not to bottle feed if thats what you've chosen.

I suggest she make a complaint, or if she's not up to it then perhaps you could do it for her if she is fine with that.

Im afraid if enough people dont highlight these issues then they'll just become common practice in wards.

I genuinely am sickened and appalled at what you've said is happening, i really am!

Hugs to your cousin.

 

[FLUMPY1984]

That really is disgusting!!! By all means they should encourage breast feeding but they shouldnt do that even if she was able to breast feed!!! Honestly some times these people are bloody monsters!!! x

 

[amygwen]

That's terrible. I can't believe they expected her to walk to another area to get bottles for her baby when she had just undergone surgery! It hurt so bad for me to walk after my c-section, I'd go on walks, but only around the mommy/baby room area, which is VERY small. I was so tired. I can't imagine. That's absolutely terrible though, your poor cousin. You're right. It is a woman's choice how she wants to feed her child, if they don't want to or can't breastfeed they should have alternatives readily available! I breastfed Kenneth, but had to supplement with formula in the beginning because of his jaundice, they gave me a bunch of the little premade formula bottles and nipples & kept it in my room. So, noooo that did not happen to me. But I would've definitely not been the one walking to get it, I would've MADE the nurse!! What a bitch!

 

[smam]

That is absolutely disgusting. I'm sure someone who had a different operation on their stomach wouldn't be made to walk that far let alone major abdo surgery. She really should make a written complaint.

You have to bring your own formula and newborn bottles to the hospital near me...

 

[highhopes19]

Do they not give premade bottles out in every hospital in the uk

thats what me and my mum asked her. but that hospital only give them 2 of the pre-made bottles just after they are born. after that you have to provide your own there .

 

[Lu28]

That's terrible. I'm all for encouraging and promoting breastfeeding but that is really disgusting. If I was her OH, I'd be writing a long letter of complaint

 

[lucy_x]

im unsure as i BF.
but as far as i remember from the wards, a midwife/attendant would bring a bottle round warm with he medication trolley

 

[Chatterbox84]

wow. surely that's not on?? awful!!

 

[08marchbean]

thats terrible!! i would def encourage her to make a complaint!

 

[jstarr]

my hosp gives out formula, but that is so mean! it wasnt her fault she was in that situation. Its like punishing mothers for making the 'wrong' choice, but who are any of them to judge i bet loads of the people that work there FF!

 

[sophsmummy]

That sounds awful, i had a c-section so i know had bad it is after it. The attitude from some midwifes is disgraceful, luckily i had a good experience.
My section was very complicated and i was put in high dependency, didn't even get to hold LO until a day after she was born i was that weak. The midwifes were great, they done everything but made sure i knew what was happening and that i could watch and was happy with the situation. I finally got moved to a ward after 3 days and they had little cupboards under the babies beds that were filled with bottles and nappies. I was told if i needed anything that i was just to buzz, at one point during the night i couldn't manage and the midwife was more than happy to help.