Hospitals no longer providing milk !!

[AP]

I think there's a big difference between our food and babies milk to be honest, surely we can make the effort to bring our babies milk in if it helps the NHS cut costs.

Everyone's quick to complain about lack of care, midwives, nurses and equipment but when the NHS make efforts to cut costs then there's complaining too. Can't win

 

[happymummax]

I honestly didn't know the NHS provided formula for babies anyway (unless special circumstances obviously) and that we'd have to provide it ourselves which I'd be happy to do (as it stands I'm planning on FF) as long as help is there if needed. I understand it might be stressful but I'd rather cuts be made on formula than nursing staff/midwifes xx

 

[RaeJay]

As a nurse in the NHS I think it's a BENEFIT that you even get fed a meal in hospital because the cost you may pay in insurance and taxes doesn't even begin to cover the cost of treatment you may receive. I work as an intensive care nurse and a one night stay in our unit exceeds £2000 a DAY, so if I was a patient I wouldn't even think twice about paying for my own lunch, or even making a donation every time a meal was placed in front of me (especially as it only costs around £2 a day to feed a patient). If I was at home I'd be paying for my own lunch. It's a hospital, for medical treatment, not a bed & breakfast.

I have no problems bringing formula into hospital for my baby too. After all, I made my baby and I won't expect anyone else to cover the cost of my babys food.

 

[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..

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

I meant medical care. To be honest I don't even see why it's necessary they feed us. I could see if you're in there for a medical reason (illness, etc) but I would be fine providing myself with food - as I probably will since the food isn't the best. It's your baby, you're going to pay for food, blankets, clothes, etc. until it's 18 ... surely to goodness you can provide your child with that stuff during your hospital stay. This all sounds like I'm saying it really rude - but I'm not meaning it that way lol I just feel that a hospital is there for medical care, it's not a shelter.

 

[RaeJay]

I just feel that a hospital is there for medical care, it's not a shelter.

That's what I wanted to get across, but I think I came across harsh when I read it back

 

[MommaDucky]

I just feel that a hospital is there for medical care, it's not a shelter.

That's what I wanted to get across, but I think I came across harsh when I read it back

I feel like the food provided to the mom and to the baby is medical care. The first couple days are overwhelming, for both mother and father. What kind of food would most ppl be bringing into the hospital if it wasn't provided? Fast food most likely, which is not good for parents, or the baby, and it increases the chance of post depression. So it is a medical thing. Its keeping mom healthy and baby healthy during the most overwhelming and tiring part of the process. We have little to no family to help. So its nice to know that is one less thing I have to worry about. My SIL just had a baby and even after the baby was here I made sure to bring over dinner for a week. Should they be able to feed themselves and pay for it, ect? Yes, but in that time I was making sure that she had to just worry about her and the baby. Its important. As for the babies formula. We did bring some with us. It didn't turn out to be a great formula, and had the hopsital not helped it would have meant me sending my husband who has NO idea what he's looking at, nor I really. You can research and look at them all you want but when your stressed and upset you're not going to be able to think of all of that. So it was good for our baby. We were able to walk out of the hospital knowing what formula worked for our baby and what we needed to buy. So you could even look at it as partially educating the parents about good choices, how to use formula, and what works for their baby.

No its not a bed n' breakfast. But it is an important thing. I'm sorry to hear your foods suck. Our hospital provides really great service. Our local small one is ok, but its still a balanced meal and better than Mc'Donalds.

 

[RaeJay]

I just feel that a hospital is there for medical care, it's not a shelter.

That's what I wanted to get across, but I think I came across harsh when I read it back

I feel like the food provided to the mom and to the baby is medical care. The first couple days are overwhelming, for both mother and father. What kind of food would most ppl be bringing into the hospital if it wasn't provided? Fast food most likely, which is not good for parents, or the baby, and it increases the chance of post depression. So it is a medical thing. Its keeping mom healthy and baby healthy during the most overwhelming and tiring part of the process. We have little to no family to help. So its nice to know that is one less thing I have to worry about. My SIL just had a baby and even after the baby was here I made sure to bring over dinner for a week. Should they be able to feed themselves and pay for it, ect? Yes, but in that time I was making sure that she had to just worry about her and the baby. Its important. As for the babies formula. We did bring some with us. It didn't turn out to be a great formula, and had the hopsital not helped it would have meant me sending my husband who has NO idea what he's looking at, nor I really. You can research and look at them all you want but when your stressed and upset you're not going to be able to think of all of that. So it was good for our baby. We were able to walk out of the hospital knowing what formula worked for our baby and what we needed to buy. So you could even look at it as partially educating the parents about good choices, how to use formula, and what works for their baby.

No its not a bed n' breakfast. But it is an important thing. I'm sorry to hear your foods suck. Our hospital provides really great service. Our local small one is ok, but its still a balanced meal and better than Mc'Donalds.

I agree that it could be an educational curve, but mothers are being asked to bring in a small supply of milk for their baby if they choose not to breastfeed. You don't go to a restaurant and demand a free steak from them so you know whether to return a second time. You could argue they should give us loads of free nappy's to see what we prefer to use. As a nurse I realise the importance of nutrition and how a good balanced diet is good for healing and YES we should be provided with meals in hospital but so many people are quick to complain about how poor it tastes etc, but the food is a benefit. The medical treatment is what's important.

However this is a case of people bringing in formula for their babies who won't be resulted to eating McDonalds, KFC or any other fast food. It's milk they need which the mother can provide naturally, or buy it from the store beforehand. Hospitals WILL provide an emergency bottle of milk if needed, but it shouldn't be expected that your baby will be fed for the entire length of stay.

I can only assume it's different in the USA where you do pay a lot of money for your medical care and would probably expect to have everything given to you, especially as you pay upfront for it but the NHS provides for people whether they put a penny in the money pot or not. The NHS is free at the point of service but it's in billions of pounds worth of debt, so if they want to save money by making parents pay for milk for the child that they bought into this world, then so be it. You have to pay for your child to eat for the next 18 years, so what difference is a day or 2?! It'd be a different matter if they were told they had to pay full cost upfront for their c-sections, midwives and all the drugs that are used during the stay. This is FOOD which you'd pay for if you were having a home birth, so what's different about a hospital?

 

[MommaDucky]

I feel I do pay for it, so maybe I should just leave this discussion. Our hospital bill for my delivery with my daughter and her stay was around 30,000 that is not including the 3,000 for my OB. I paid 25% of that because I pay for insurance. But we also pay about 300 a month in insurance. So I feel like I'm paying for everything I got and nothing was a hand out.

I guess if its free you shouldn't complain? or worry? I don't know. we have paid for everything for our daughter, and I feel like the amount we paid the hospital covered what I ate and what she ate well enough.

Very interesting to learn about other areas tho, very different.

 

[RaeJay]

I feel I do pay for it, so maybe I should just leave this discussion. Our hospital bill for my delivery with my daughter and her stay was around 30,000 that is not including the 3,000 for my OB. I paid 25% of that because I pay for insurance. But we also pay about 300 a month in insurance. So I feel like I'm paying for everything I got and nothing was a hand out.

I guess if its free you shouldn't complain? or worry? I don't know. we have paid for everything for our daughter, and I feel like the amount we paid the hospital covered what I ate and what she ate well enough.

Very interesting to learn about other areas tho, very different.

It's not a dig at you, or anyone in fact, so please don't feel that you should leave the thread. I'm just finding it difficult to get my point across.

Sorry, I thought I made it a bit more clear that this was based on the UK as the NHS is 'free'. Like you said, you paid the full cost of EVERYTHING during your hospital stay and I am sure you also paid full cost for your babies food, as you live in the USA and don't have a free health service like we do in England. I was trying to explain that in the UK you don't have to pay a thing to get the exact same treatment as those that pay hundreds of pounds a month in national insurance and taxes. And even still, the amount of money that most full-time working women pay into the NHS money-pot still doesn't cover the cost of their bill by the time they've left the hospital. I don't think people fully appreciate the total cost of their health bill in the UK and assume that it's a God-given right to be given everything free. You can simply walk into an NHS hospital and be given treatment without cost even being mentioned to you, which is why I think it's not a lot to ask for mothers to bring in their own babies milk.

 

[honey08]

my view is ur baby u feed him/her ?

 

[MommaDucky]

I had asked earlier if it was free and no one responded, so I had no idea. I don't feel like I can add to this conversation, thats the only reason to leave. I may be hindering your point. This has come up in the US. And the discussions are usually the same too.

 

[New2Bumps]

Would have helped me. I really wanted to bf but the midwife gave ethan a bottle and they seemed obsessed with bottles so they knew how much milk he'd had to write on their little chart. Totally wrecked our chances of bfing.
I agree that as long as you know in advance you just pack what's necessary in your hospital bag.

 

[Sproutlet]

I plan on formula feeding this time after a bad experience trying to breast feed my dd.

I have no issue with providing formula for the baby whilst in hospital what I wish is that they would say that this is to cut costs rather than them saying it is to encourage breast feeding (as per Daily Mail article). I really think if someone has made up their mind that they want to formula feed the hospital not providing the formula is not going to make them change their mind.

 

[LoraLoo]

When my LO was poorly and down the childrens ward, they asked if i was breastfeeding, when i said yes, they said they would provide me with meals, I guess because by feeding me i was feeding my baby. The Mums who were FF did not get fed. So i guess its how the view it down the Maternity ward too- by providing YOU with food, they are also providing your baby with food.

 

[skunkpixie]

I have no issue with providing my own formula and my own food for me! The food at my hospital is absolutly discusting and while I was in with DD2 DH bought me all my food in. The hospital did provide formula even though we had bought our own C&G stater pack in. The midwife was quite shocked that I bought my own in and said to save them for when we got home and just use thiers. I think BF rates at birth where I live are actually quite low compared to other areas so I dont see them stopping free formula at our hospital anytime soon, but we will be taking our own in again as we are gonna try Hipp Organic this time round and Im pretty sure they dont have this brand. xxx

 

[Mum21boy1girl]

I am from Australia, and it seems very similar to the UK regarding medical.
i had my two kids in Aus and it was all free, we didn't have to pay a cent,(in fact we got money for having the child, another story though) i took my own nappies etc in with me as i thought i would need them, but the hospital provided everything, even formula when i couldn't breastfeed! i was so thankful for everything they did and i feel they shouldn't have done half of what they did, as i was already getting a free service.

Im in the USA this time around and we are paying alot for good health insurance, nothing is free here regarding medical care!! i will still be taking my own formula, nappies in etc, we are paying alot for our insurance but the hospital is really nice, the chef comes around and aks you what you want to eat etc, i might stay an extra couple of days just for the food lol

 

[SpringerS]

I had asked earlier if it was free and no one responded, so I had no idea. I don't feel like I can add to this conversation, thats the only reason to leave. I may be hindering your point. This has come up in the US. And the discussions are usually the same too.

In just about all of Europe healthcare is either free or very heavily subsidised. The US is actually fairly unique in the western world in that it charges so heavily for medical care. Imo, if you're paying the kind of fees paid in the US for medical care and insurance costs it would be reasonable to expect 4 course gourmet meals and cashmere blankets to cuddle up to. But in a country like the UK where medical care is almost entirely free it wouldn't be unreasonable if you had to provide your own food or pay a subsidy to cover it.

In Ireland our system of hospital care is entirely free for people on low incomes, the eldery and those with long-term disability, as is maternity and infant care. But everyone else pays a small fee to begin the referral process, €50-100 and then pays a bed and board charge for inpatient care up to a maximum of €750 a year. But the medical care in itself is free. For example I had a laparoscopy and ovarian laser ablations last year to diagnose and remove my endometriosis, including numerous scans, and the total fee was €200. Pretty good going considering it was surgery that would cost me €4,000-12,000 privately.

 

[bluecathy1978]

I have done this with my last 2 babies. SMA do the first milk in a box of 12 bottles and that incudes the teats which just pop on the top. Job done My hospital also provide the pre sterlie bottles for you to put your milk in as it seems a bit silly to be taking in sterlisers, not to mention a safety hazard. All electrical equipment in any workplace needs to pass electrical safety tests each year so I doubt that this would happen anyway

 

[Bongley]

I will be a first time mum. I hope to breastfeed but I will formula feed if it doesn't work out, I have no qualms about that. Milk is sustenance and the baby is a patient and so it should be available. I'd be happy to pay for it but I would like to see it free for those first few days.
I don't know how long I will be in hospital or how much a baby needs or if the shops around the hospital sell formula or if my partner will be available all the time to fetch things for me. Or how it would be stored. I have never sterilised a bottle before, how would you do that in a hospital room?

In principle same goes with taking your own food in, you don't know how long you will be in for, are you dependant on the local fast food shops or just eating sandwiches or whatever will keep outside of a fridge? Food is crucial to recovery and it would make it difficult to eat a balanced diet. I'm happy to pay extra (though I think it should be provided free), I just think its impractical to ask you to bring it in if you are there for potentially longer than a day.

 

[Wildfire81]

Seeing as how I got a bill in my son's name for being born, he was def. a patient! I am glad he got diapers, food if needed, nurses taking care of him so I could sleep, etc.