Hospitals no longer providing milk !!

[AP]

I think its great. It should be provided in exceptional circumstances. Its a massive waste of money. I'm always shocked when I hear about midwifes giving you some to take home spare.
They are available pretty much everywhere now, Boots and supermarkets. There is no excuse why mothers cant be prepared (unless you're caught short obviously, or medical reasons)

 

[anita665]

Personally I think this is a very good thing. When I had my first son I breastfed but he wouldn't leave me alone so they were quick to come along with a free bottle of formula which soon got him off to sleep.

I really think this will promote breastfeeding. Of course those already set to bottle feed will bring there own supplies but for women wanting to breastfeed, it takes away temptation.

I'm sure they will have small supplies of milk for exceptional cases, just like they do still stock nappies and everything else. They have to because they need to be prepared for the unexpected.

It saves the NHS money too which is always a good thing because it will be better spent elsewhere.

In some countries they ban formula advertising too and those are countries with the highest breastfeeding rates.

 

[ticking.clock]

I think it's wrong, what next...... Provide your own meals while in hospital?
Seriously what's the difference???

The difference is, you are the patient, not your baby. You get provided with an NHS meal because there is no other free alternative.

You get provided with a basic meal in hospital that meets your nutritional needs. Would you turn round and say that you were turning down the 'free' meal and ask them to make you steak instead? Same principle imo.

The NHS is so short of money, cut backs are being made, and the money they are saving will be able to go to much better use.

No I disagree, the NHS could save millions by cutting waste in other areas,
But it doesn't matter I'm planning a home birth.

 

[x Helen x]

Why should the hospitals provide milk?! In emergency cases, yes, but otherwise it should be the mothers responsibility to provide for her child. Same goes for nappies.

 

[LoraLoo]

I think it's wrong, what next...... Provide your own meals while in hospital?
Seriously what's the difference???

The difference is, you are the patient, not your baby. You get provided with an NHS meal because there is no other free alternative.

You get provided with a basic meal in hospital that meets your nutritional needs. Would you turn round and say that you were turning down the 'free' meal and ask them to make you steak instead? Same principle imo.

The NHS is so short of money, cut backs are being made, and the money they are saving will be able to go to much better use.

No I disagree, the NHS could save millions by cutting waste in other areas,
But it doesn't matter I'm planning a home birth.

Why does it have to be one or the other? Just because there are other areas to make cut backs, doesnt mean they shouldnt make cut backs by not providing formula. Its your baby- why should somebody else pay to feed it?!

 

[SpringerS]

I think it's wrong, what next...... Provide your own meals while in hospital?
Seriously what's the difference???

I've got to say I'd rather provide my own meals in hospital than have medical services cut back on. Hospital food is generally horrible anyway. Whenever I'm in hospital my husband usually brings me in sandwiches, soups, casseroles or some take-away. For people who don't have outside help to bring them meals each hospital could have a paid cheap meals service in the hospital that you order a few hours in advance.

 

[SJDsMommy]

This sounds like a uk matter. I am in the us and I would be a little ticked if our hospital stopped providing the bottles (they give the ready to feed stuff too) I breast feed and had no problems with my son, he took to it right away but in the event my daughter cant handle the milk for whatever reason its nice to have a back up health insurance is expensive enough.

 

[MommaDucky]

I'm not sure what I feel about it, but the reasoning behind it...that makes me angry. My husband has Classic Galactosemia, I don't know if I'm a carrier because insurance wont let me get tested. Milk could literally kill my children if they have it. I had to start with soy. Had I brought one kind in we would have been in such trouble because the first formula resulted in projectile vomit, the second wasn't much better, the third was finally ok. But how was I suppose to know? We pay them a horrendous amount of money already. But having it there was something that we actually needed.

There in the Uk It is a lot different then the Us When I was in the hospital the provided everything for me It was very nice... I guess that is why we have insurance over here hospital told me take whatever I wanted diapers,wipes,formula,nail clippers,blankets,thermator w/e was in the room that wasnt tied down pretty much It was really nice

We had that too, and for the PP who said the baby was not a patient, the baby is at least in the US. both are undercare and have to be discharged.

I have heard this debate for the US too. I think a lot of groups think most formula feeding moms are just "lazy" and its irritating to no end!

 

[tabitha561]

There def a paitent thats kinda crazy! They even put an alarm on them in the hospital well the hospital I went to did even though it was pretty hard to get into......

 

[MommaDucky]

Same with us! It was really sensitive too! We had one night the alarm went off when my husband walked too close to the wall (we were right next to the elevators). I paid a lot for my daughter in there. Is the UK free health care kind of like Canada?

 

[katlin]

My son wouldn't take the breast so I expressed colostrum but it wasn't enough so resorted to formula I seen many lactation consultants went to a breast feeding group and had no luck. With my daughter my milk didn't come in for three days so I expressed colostrum and because she was preemie she didn't have a strong suck reflex I tried for 4 months and express for 5 and had no luck and I seen le leche league leaders , consultants, nurses, to no avail. I'm hoping this one goes better but if not its nice to have the security of knowing its there if I need it were I'm from they give about a week supply of diapers, wipes, formula, sterile nipples. I just like the reassurance that comes with out I guess.

 

[MommaDucky]

I hope things go smoother for you! I had a very rough experience with my daughter too in a lot of areas and hoping that this time I'll get a nice delivery and recovery.

 

[katlin]

Ty mommaducky no one really prepares you for beast feeding I went in with my son thinking it was going to be lollipop and gum drops I never thought something so natural could be so frustrating and hard the joys of being 19 and naive and ours crazy that at only 22I feel so much wiser almost old lol

 

[tabitha561]

Breastfeeding was really hard for me as well with my daughter I ended up combo-feeding for 6 months but it was def a struggle........Then when she was born she got jaundice and went down to 5lbs 3oz lost a whole pound

 

[holidaysan]

i agree, the baby is definately a patient aswel and they should really provide the milk. when my son was born last year the only thing they provided was the milk.

Im in the hospital atm with an infection and i have to say the meals are yummy lol and theres alot of choice.

Ive just seen the midwife and asked her about it and she said its because of cuts. They will save around £42000 a year. I dont mind tbh. Its not hard to go down to asda or boots and buy the same bottles of milk the hospital used to provide. They are expensive but its only for a few days!

 

[holidaysan]

i take that back about the food. Just had shepherds pie and i swear it was a microwave one, cant evem eat it.

The wards and rooms are very nice though and the staff are lovely

 

[hannahhlove]

I honestly don't think it's the end of the world they don't provide milk. I'm in Canada, and the hospital near by that I will be delivering at - provides nothing at all. They provide your bed, room, gown and a meal. The meal is a microwaved dinner instead of an actual cooked meal. They don't provide anything for the baby except a diaper to put it in to go around the umbilical cord. I don't see why hospitals should have to fund things for your baby - whether he/she is a patient there or not. I think the most important thing that should be available is proper care..

 

[Charlie5]

I am sure if you were rushed in/emergency delivery or whatever they may help you out - in this situation i think its very bad if they made you buy it and I personally would be very annoyed considering the hundreds of pounds NI and thousands in tax, quite literally, me and hubby pay every single month and get nothing for it and am now even having child benefit taken away in January - different story do don't get me on that one!

I can see why with cuts etc and now I know will take my own but its just another thing taken away from the limited things we get for the what we pay in.

 

[deafgal]

do they feed the moms or expect them to bring their own food as well?

 

[deafgal]

I honestly don't think it's the end of the world they don't provide milk. I'm in Canada, and the hospital near by that I will be delivering at - provides nothing at all. They provide your bed, room, gown and a meal. The meal is a microwaved dinner instead of an actual cooked meal. They don't provide anything for the baby except a diaper to put it in to go around the umbilical cord. I don't see why hospitals should have to fund things for your baby - whether he/she is a patient there or not. I think the most important thing that should be available is proper care..

proper care is food, water, and
shelter (this include blankets