Hospital bans free formula. What do you think?

[midori1999]

The NICU supplied all my nappies and cotton wool, even clothes! I had come prepared and they knew this, but did it anyways

NICU also provide free formula, although as far as I am aware (and from the experience of people I know who were lucky enough to have babies in NICU for longer than me) if your baby is in long term, they do ask you to buy nappies for them due to funding.

It's a shame really they couldn't offer you donor milk instead of formula.

Just a thought. What if I'm a single, teen mom? My friends have all pretty much abandoned me and my parents kicked me out. I'm doing this all on my own. FOB isn't in the picture. I can't BF and I've had an emergency c-section. How am I going to go buy formula?

They have already said they will have a supply of formula for 'emergency' cases, they aren't going to let a baby starve.

However, surely in the situation you mention, the Mum would have bought some formula in advance anyway if she already knew she couldn't BF?

I think it's a good idea personally. We have to take everything else we need for baby with us, nappies, clothes etc. Why not formula?

Yes, but previous posters have already stated they don't think Formula should be provided, even in Emergencies

Yes, sorry, I've gone back and read the whole thread now...

As to the person (sorry, not sure who it was now) who does think formula shouldn't be provided even in an emergency and each Mum should take some formula in with them 'just in case', I have no wish whatsoever to give a penny of my money to the sort of companies who produce formula unless I have absolutely no choice for my baby's well being.

 

[aliss]

Donor milk in emergencies would be fab, unfortunately not available to us in our situation as I was able to pump and I would have felt wrong taking the short supply that could be used for seriously ill babies (my boy had a broken collarbone so while he struggled with nursing and had reflux/vomited all my pumped milk, he was 9lb 3oz/not 'unhealthy' in a life-threatening way and I would hate to see that milk taken from an ill/preemie baby).

Here it is $3-4/oz

 

[summer rain]

If FF mothers insist that the hospital supplies free formula for the duration of their stay that's fine.... in that case we BF mothers should be given a monetary sum of money that equals the amount of formula we would have used. Fair is fair.

I'd be happy to accept a free cheesecake to the value of the formula

 

[aliss]

If FF mothers insist that the hospital supplies free formula for the duration of their stay that's fine.... in that case we BF mothers should be given a monetary sum of money that equals the amount of formula we would have used. Fair is fair.

I'd be happy to accept a free cheesecake to the value of the formula

Yeah... to boost your supply? Right Right?? At least that was my excuse (although my vice of choice was milkshakes from McD)

 

[summer rain]

If FF mothers insist that the hospital supplies free formula for the duration of their stay that's fine.... in that case we BF mothers should be given a monetary sum of money that equals the amount of formula we would have used. Fair is fair.

I'd be happy to accept a free cheesecake to the value of the formula

Yeah... to boost your supply? Right Right?? At least that was my excuse (although my vice of choice was milkshakes from McD)

erm yes, it can be one with an oat biscuit base of course xx

 

[special_kala]

i think its fair enough although i think they should sell the little glass bottles of formula at a subsidised price. Not everyone wants to BF which is upto them so something should be available for them

 

[Ozzieshunni]

midori, that's why I got us out of there as soon as he had three good sugar tests.

 

[Mrmojo1971]

I had my LO at St Mary's in Manchester and had no intention of giving him any formula. Also having breastfed my eldest for 6 months with no problems, I didn't expect to need any formula so didn't take any into hospital with me.

After suffering a retained placenta which caused me to lose 2.6 litres of blood and the blood transfusion that followed I was strugging to produce enough colostrum in the two days I spent in the hospital post partum recovering. I was given loads of BF support, including one member of staff who came and showed me how to express colustrom properly (I swear that was more painful than giving birth !!), but in the end we decided to give LO a small amount of formula just to prevent weight loss/ dehydration and to allow me time to rest/ recover. I am grateful that it was provided and glad to see that it will continue to be the case in the future (as I understand the new policy anyway) as when I first heard the story on the local news I thought all formula was being withdrawn.

For the record I still BF and believe that the provision of formula together with BF support at St Marys assisted me in succeeding in doing this.

 

[T-Bex]

I vote for cheesecake for BFing mums! Nommmmm...

 

[moomin_troll]

i do love cheesecake but id perfer a chocolate gatue

 

[Foogirl]

Yes, sorry, I've gone back and read the whole thread now...

As to the person (sorry, not sure who it was now) who does think formula shouldn't be provided even in an emergency and each Mum should take some formula in with them 'just in case', I have no wish whatsoever to give a penny of my money to the sort of companies who produce formula unless I have absolutely no choice for my baby's well being.

So at that point go out and buy it and deal with the consequences of your own stance on the matter.

I certainly don't think this is a good reason to force hospitals to keep it.

 

[Foogirl]

Just a thought. What if I'm a single, teen mom? My friends have all pretty much abandoned me and my parents kicked me out. I'm doing this all on my own. FOB isn't in the picture. I can't BF and I've had an emergency c-section. How am I going to go buy formula?

Then you've got bigger problems ahead of you than whether you can have someone bring stuff into hospital with you.

It isn't the NHS's responsibility to deal with societal extremes and breakdowns.

As I said, that woman wouldn't have access to a great many things if in hospital in that situation, why make an exception for formula. And why not provide proper BFing support instead?

 

[special_kala]

Hospitals would need to have a emergency supply.

For me its purely down to costs so think they should provide formula at a cost.

 

[Foogirl]

Hospitals would need to have a emergency supply.

For me its purely down to costs so think they should provide formula at a cost.

This would be a good solution. But I'm sure there is something that says they can't do it. Certainly having the hospital shop stock it is a good idea.

 

[special_kala]

Id see it as the exact same set up as they have now with the glass bottles but you pay say £1 per bottle. The NHS must get them cheaper then you we could so could sell them at a price that means their not making a profit but its not costing them anything so cant be seem as promoting/advertising formula still

 

[Foogirl]

Id see it as the exact same set up as they have now with the glass bottles but you pay say £1 per bottle. The NHS must get them cheaper then you we could so could sell them at a price that means their not making a profit but its not costing them anything so cant be seem as promoting/advertising formula still

I'm not sure what the set up is at the moment with glass bottles, but I'm not getting at the promo/advertising thing. I'm talking about the payment for services within the NHS. Like, if you want to choose a different type of treatment but to pay for it, they won't do it, or something.

I dunno, its late I'm tired!!!

 

[midori1999]

Yes, sorry, I've gone back and read the whole thread now...

As to the person (sorry, not sure who it was now) who does think formula shouldn't be provided even in an emergency and each Mum should take some formula in with them 'just in case', I have no wish whatsoever to give a penny of my money to the sort of companies who produce formula unless I have absolutely no choice for my baby's well being.

So at that point go out and buy it and deal with the consequences of your own stance on the matter.

I certainly don't think this is a good reason to force hospitals to keep it.

It's not a reason to 'force' hospitals to keep it. It's a reason I don't want to buy it 'just in case'.

No-one is 'forcing' hospitals to do anything, they are keeping formula for 'emergency' cases of their own free will and clearly because someone who has brains can see it is potentially harmful to babies for formula not to be available in some cases.

 

[special_kala]

Id see it as the exact same set up as they have now with the glass bottles but you pay say £1 per bottle. The NHS must get them cheaper then you we could so could sell them at a price that means their not making a profit but its not costing them anything so cant be seem as promoting/advertising formula still

I'm not sure what the set up is at the moment with glass bottles, but I'm not getting at the promo/advertising thing. I'm talking about the payment for services within the NHS. Like, if you want to choose a different type of treatment but to pay for it, they won't do it, or something.

I dunno, its late I'm tired!!!

My local hospital have apparently just stopped giving formula but with River i just asked for a bottle and a glass bottle of whatever brand i wanted was given to me with a sterile teat.

If they charged it would be like a extra service, like people paying for private rooms or that top up TV thing.

 

[Foogirl]

My local hospital have apparently just stopped giving formula but with River i just asked for a bottle and a glass bottle of whatever brand i wanted was given to me with a sterile teat.

If they charged it would be like a extra service, like people paying for private rooms or that top up TV thing.

Yeah, I suppose it could work like that. Can you pay for a private room if you are an NHS patient?

No-one is 'forcing' hospitals to do anything, they are keeping formula for 'emergency' cases of their own free will and clearly because someone who has brains can see it is potentially harmful to babies for formula not to be available in some cases.

There's no need to be offensive.

And I do believe they are being "forced" to do it because some people expect the NHS to provide everything for them and refuse to accept that sometimes things are your own responsibility. And no doubt would threaten to sue if they didn't get it. It would only be potentially harmful to the babies, if parents continued to believe that feeding their own child is someone else's responsibility.

 

[special_kala]

My local hospital have apparently just stopped giving formula but with River i just asked for a bottle and a glass bottle of whatever brand i wanted was given to me with a sterile teat.

If they charged it would be like a extra service, like people paying for private rooms or that top up TV thing.

Yeah, I suppose it could work like that. Can you pay for a private room if you are an NHS patient?
.

At mine you can, its £50+ a night and your OH still cant even stay