Hospitals no longer providing milk !!

[Ozzieshunni]

The hospital I was at had you order your food, but you didn't always get what you ordered

I think it's a good idea. They will still have supplies just in case, but if you're going in planning to FF, be prepared.

 

[PrincessTaz]

I don't see why hospitals should have to provide milk, nappies or blankets (apart from emergency situations, caught out and forgot bag!) to be honest. It's my baby that I chose to have to and me and my OH will provide everything he or she will need. The only thing I expect from the hospital is the best medical care possible and if that means cutting costs on things that parents can easily provide themselves I'm all for it. We are all going to be providing for our children for at least the next 18 anyway so I don't see why anyone would be up in arms over a few extra days.That's just my opinion though.

 

[Tasha]

I was just thinking, the hospital Riley Rae was born at still supply free formula, yet they stopped my medication for cost cutting, my daughter died because of that cost cutting and I ended up with a DVT which could of easily killed me too.

Priorities are a bit messed up there IMO, cutting back meds that save lives that you cant supply yourself, and not formula which you can supply yourself.

 

[RaeJay]

This is a very touchy subject but i just don't like it when people say the NHS is free healthcare when for most of us hardworking citizens we have more than paid our right to give birth and have an ok experience!

The NHS is 'FREE AT THE POINT OF SERVICE' and that was the aim when it was started many years back. It was thought to be sustainable on the basis that everyone paid a share towards their healthcare, but as you pointed out not everyone pays a share.

I would like to say though, that just because you pay £6,000+ in taxes every year I would hope that one day you don't become seriously ill and require more medical help than the cost of delivering one baby. From what you've said I would say that what you pay in taxes a year wouldn't cover the cost of your bill if (God forbid) you were in an intensive care unit for one week.

So yes, you pay your taxes. So do I and many other women on here. No, not all of us pay £6,000 a year into the pot (I'm not far off that myself) but we're not talking about the cost of delivering your baby. The debate came about because the NHS has no money and if cutting the costs by making mothers bring in their own milk means they can buy a new scanner or life support machine for a baby then I'm all for it.

You're not paying into the tax pot to cover the delivery of your baby. You're paying for life and you don't know if you'll need the NHS for more than a delivery in future.

 

[special_kala]

I completely agree with this.

If you choose to FF or end up having too then you should provide the milk. Although i do think that hospitals should sell it at a subsidized price.

 

[skunkpixie]

I completely agree with this.

If you choose to FF or end up having too then you should provide the milk. Although i do think that hospitals should sell it at a subsidized price.

Agreed. I think the vending machine idea is a good one. You wouldnt have to go up and ask for it and you could send your hubby/partner to the machine if you were too pooped, and buy more than 1 at a time for if you needed them over night etc.

 

[Charlie5]

Just had my 28w apt with MW and she said our hospital (Somerset and Devon NHS Trust) doesn't have this policy ie they do provide - she said was too difficult to implement with so many bottles, steralisers etc was chaos so ours do - maybe worth checking just to see what your policy is in your hosp maybe

 

[Nibblenic]

I think that the best solution could be that the hospitals provided the milk at a VAT free price. The ones pre-made in the bottles, like they already do.

I went into hospital with the intention to BF, tried had the consultant out etc. When Lo because poorly. I used the bottles provided by the hospital, I would have been happy to pay for them. I think many people would be.

 

[smelly07]

Hhhhmmmm i'm not sure really............i see both sides... as soon as a baby is born then they should be treated as a patient like everyone else, which means being fed if need be with formula milk, what happens if a 6 month old baby is admitted to hospital should parents have to provide milk then? but if a older child is admitted they eat and drink for free...?... i cant seem to seperate the two...... lots of things contribute to the struggle of funds on the NHS, pain relief etc..... i'm not sure if its necessarily fair to stop milk HOWEVER saying that i would be happy to pay for the milk if need be.....with my eldest she had 5 milks in total in our stay and with my second only one......so not a great deal......i know loads of people who were given bottles and bottles of milk free to take home which obviously needs to stop.... x

 

[holidaysan]

Hhhhmmmm i'm not sure really............i see both sides... as soon as a baby is born then they should be treated as a patient like everyone else, which means being fed if need be with formula milk, what happens if a 6 month old baby is admitted to hospital should parents have to provide milk then? but if a older child is admitted they eat and drink for free...?... i cant seem to seperate the two...... lots of things contribute to the struggle of funds on the NHS, pain relief etc..... i'm not sure if its necessarily fair to stop milk HOWEVER saying that i would be happy to pay for the milk if need be.....with my eldest she had 5 milks in total in our stay and with my second only one......so not a great deal......i know loads of people who were given bottles and bottles of milk free to take home which obviously needs to stop.... x

100% agree.

 

[deafgal]

I know that my insurance pays some of my hospital bill and I pay some out of my pocket and I (well husband) pay the insurance. so basically we pay for our food and such. so why not pay for your own food? the only thing, there have been debates about the same thing for WIC program. some people think they should only provide for breastfeeding moms and formula is too expensive (if they don't plan on breastfeeding, then they should lose WIC program after birth as they do not think formula should be included in the program)

 

[JASMAK]

It's provided at the hospital here, but you may as well be asking for a bottle of poison because of the way formula is viewed in healthcare here. I would be scared. I was fortunate enough to be able to breastfeed, but, my friend, who had fake boobs, couldn't and she said they were awful to her. But, if they didn't provide formula, or diapers, I think that would be OK, but then, I am guessing many hospitals do because it eliminates then need for proper sterilizations, or people not feeding their babies proper in their hospital (too watered down, wrong kind, etc). It's always about CYA, sadly.

 

[going_crazy]

In 2010 (when my LO was born) my hospital provided formula (I had chosen to FF), and we were given the first bottle for her first feed, but I had already bought the SMA starter pack from Asda, so when they offered us the next feed, I said I'd use my own.

I really appreciated that first feed being ready for us, but I wouldn't expect them to provide milk for our entire stay..... although the NHS did end up feeding my LO in theory because she ended up on prescription milk (but that's another story!)

I think hospitals will always provide formula in an emergency.