Should formula milk be supplied in hospitals?

[babyhopes2010]

(remember only less than 1% truly CAN'T breastfeed)

Do you have a credible source for that statistic? I see it tossed around every once in a while on BnB but i'm curious to know where that figure even comes from. Thanks!

From what I understand, this "source" only takes into account mothers who do not produce milk - at all. It doesn't take into account low supply, latching issues (tongue tie, lip tie) or mental health issues such as PND which further complicate things. I'm tired of seeing the statistic thrown around, because it's irrelevant without further explanation.

i hate his stat its bulls""t

there are SEVERAL factors for women not being able to bf.

also many women continue to try and bf at the determent of their child.i know many that have been hospitalized as they refuse to give their child a bottle!

 

[Twister]

The whole 'fair is fair' attitude is laughable. Alot of the time hardly any money is spent and some of it is sent by formula companies. The NHS hospitals would hardly change into Portland after saving a few pounds. Personally I was not interested in other patients and what they got. I stayed in hospital for 3 days and my baby probably drank less than 6oz. Wow bet that cost a fortune!

It probably doesn't cost a whole lot per person but it soon adds up, lets not forget some people are kept in longer than others and some babies are guzzlers from birth and so will use more of the 'free formula'. The NHS is already making cuts in other areas that could be considered necessary and both staff and patients are suffering for it. If not supplying formula (except for in emergencies) means that hospitals will be able to employ one more nurse or midwife, or be able to buy one more incubator for the NICU than that's good enough for me.

Formula shouldn't be expected when it's easy enough for mums to bring their own. That money could be better spent elsewhere.

 

[teal]

(remember only less than 1% truly CAN'T breastfeed)

Do you have a credible source for that statistic? I see it tossed around every once in a while on BnB but i'm curious to know where that figure even comes from. Thanks!

From what I understand, this "source" only takes into account mothers who do not produce milk - at all. It doesn't take into account low supply, latching issues (tongue tie, lip tie) or mental health issues such as PND which further complicate things. I'm tired of seeing the statistic thrown around, because it's irrelevant without further explanation.

i hate his stat its bulls""t

there are SEVERAL factors for women not being able to bf.

also many women continue to try and bf at the determent of their child.i know many that have been hospitalized as they refuse to give their child a bottle!

Sometimes being readmitted is just the support a mother needs. I do believe some health professionals can be too quick to suggest formula. My own HV was pushing formula because my son wasn't following a centile line, even after my GP assured me he was healthy.

Formula or no formula in hospital I think the biggest detriment to breastfeeding rates is the lack of support in post natal wards. I know it's busy and understaffed but then if formula wasn't provided in hospitals then it would free up money for more staff.

 

[babyhopes2010]

i agree with the last part, but would i let my daughter loss that much weight that it would severely effect her health? absolutely not.

ANYWAY"! this thread was about formula being supplied in hospitals.i think it should.ff is a choice so the whole argument of cost goes out the window really.
an epidural is OFTEN a choice costing the nhs way more money then a few mls of formula.so shall we not supply that incase of natural birthing 'not working out'?

i think women should be asked to bring formula if they def want to bf but if for what ever reason she doesnt bring it it should be supplied.

 

[teal]

I agree it's a choice but I think the financial arguement is valid, especially at times when lots of cuts are being made.

I appreciate epidurals cost the NHS money but don't think an epidural is comparable since women can bring formula in with them (in normal circumstances) but wouldn't be able to bring in their own epidural.

 

[Tasha]

The whole 'fair is fair' attitude is laughable. Alot of the time hardly any money is spent and some of it is sent by formula companies. The NHS hospitals would hardly change into Portland after saving a few pounds. Personally I was not interested in other patients and what they got. I stayed in hospital for 3 days and my baby probably drank less than 6oz. Wow bet that cost a fortune!

The NHS isn't allowed to accept gifts of formula because they could then push one brand over another. They may get it at a reduced rate because of the amount bought much like a shop would but that doesn't make it cheap by any means. I don't think formula will be just saving a few pounds, yes a few pounds for you, a few pounds for me, it all quickly adds up.

 

[MommyJogger]

there are SEVERAL factors for women not being able to bf.

The point is that the other factors could be overcome (most of them quite easily) with the proper support, guidance, and specialized care. Breastfeeding SHOULDN'T be a huge difficulty. If it was, humans would not still be alive today. It's that we've lost so much knowledge about it over the years and it was devalued for so long that few people actually know enough to provide accurate medical bf advice.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Soke people just dont want to bf. I Never intended too and I have no problem admitting that. I guess when they provide milk they know its all done safely so they wont have ill babies on their hands. I also had to use the nhs maternity pads as mine were not good enough. Also was told not to use cotton wool balls on my baby and they gave me the cotton sheets!

 

[smileyfaces]

Our hospital provides formula...there are no facilities for making up your own bottles. You are asked if FF or BF and if you are FF then you are asked which brand you would like and it is brought to you in one of those little glass bottles.

With my first I FF and had no interest in BFing and knew the hospital provided milk. I wasn't about to embarrass myself by turning up with a steriliser, several bottles, a tub of formula, bottle brushes and then have to keep asking to use a kettle and just hope they had a microwave for the steriliser?!

 

[Noelle610]

there are SEVERAL factors for women not being able to bf.

The point is that the other factors could be overcome (most of them quite easily) with the proper support, guidance, and specialized care. Breastfeeding SHOULDN'T be a huge difficulty. If it was, humans would not still be alive today. It's that we've lost so much knowledge about it over the years and it was devalued for so long that few people actually know enough to provide accurate medical bf advice.

I don't disagree with you, but that's just not the case right now. You'd need a huge overhaul of the system. Until that happens, I don't think the 1% statistic is relevant to this discussion.

In addition, formula exists and it is legal... I'm "pro-choice" on the matter and don't believe women should have to justify "why" they formula feed, even if it's simply because they want to. There are a lot of unnatural things in western culture and we don't necessarily look upon them as "bad". Of course that's another discussion entirely, but you get what I mean.

 

[Noelle610]

(remember only less than 1% truly CAN'T breastfeed)

Do you have a credible source for that statistic? I see it tossed around every once in a while on BnB but i'm curious to know where that figure even comes from. Thanks!

From what I understand, this "source" only takes into account mothers who do not produce milk - at all. It doesn't take into account low supply, latching issues (tongue tie, lip tie) or mental health issues such as PND which further complicate things. I'm tired of seeing the statistic thrown around, because it's irrelevant without further explanation.

i hate his stat its bulls""t

there are SEVERAL factors for women not being able to bf.

also many women continue to try and bf at the determent of their child.i know many that have been hospitalized as they refuse to give their child a bottle!

Sometimes being readmitted is just the support a mother needs. I do believe some health professionals can be too quick to suggest formula. My own HV was pushing formula because my son wasn't following a centile line, even after my GP assured me he was healthy.

Formula or no formula in hospital I think the biggest detriment to breastfeeding rates is the lack of support in post natal wards. I know it's busy and understaffed but then if formula wasn't provided in hospitals then it would free up money for more staff.

Again, I don't disagree with you at all. There's a huge lack of support for breastfeeding and a lot of misinformation out there. When I struggled to breastfeed, I felt really... alone? I got so much help and support in the hospital, but then it was like, "You're on your own!". Our cultural isn't very community-focused in general and it makes raising a newborn very, very difficult. We weren't built to do this on our own. But, at the end of the day, the reality is what it is until there is a huge cultural overhaul in the way we think, behave and run our medical system.

 

[smileyfaces]

If I'm being completely honest, I dont know how I would feel about having to make up my own bottles in hospital? We all know what its like for picking up bugs and infections so if the 'bottle preperation area' had been used by someone before you and they hadnt cleaned up properly then you dont know what you are passing on to your baby in terms of germs etc.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I was mot allowed visitors due to bugs let alone make my own milk bottled up. I honestly don't believe money saved would go to nicu eithrr.

 

[Twister]

That's why they now sell the ready made bottles, so you don't have to worry about sterilising etc.

 

[Eternal]

You can buy the pre made up bottles yourself! I wasn't allowed to take my own milk in either and I must have cost a fortune, twins who both ate well every 3 hours! Most women if not all seemed to be formula feeding and the ward was busy so a lot of money was spent when one extra member of staff could shave made a difference to breast feeding rates. Whenever I buzzed for help someone would come switch off the buzzed and say someone would come help soon and no one ever did and the twice they did they kept disappearing to switch other buzzers off and would then just not come back.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I had the box of bottles exactly the same as they used! Still not allowed!

 

[fides]

Plus, the RTF bottles are often really harsh on sensitive newborn tummies.

 

[Eternal]

I had the box of bottles exactly the same as they used! Still not allowed!

Yes so did I and I wants allowed either! But I mean if milk wasn't supplied then we could just use them.

 

[Tasha]

Plus, the RTF bottles are often really harsh on sensitive newborn tummies.

But that is what the hospital supply, so it wont matter if you bring your own or they supply it.

 

[Tasha]

I honestly do think that less and less hospitals will supply it, when Kaysie Blossom was born five years ago our hospital was one of the first not to supply it and gradually the ones who do are becoming the minority.

I personally feel that is right that they dont. It would of cost me about £20 for the glass bottles whilst I was in there (I was a C-section Mummy, so we were there a bit longer) maybe a bit more, which if I would of struggled with that then I would of saved a few £ a week whilst pregnant. I know they are not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things but there is a huge deficit in the NHS and I feel everyone has some sort of responsibility to help keep the debt down. I just look forward and worry that the NHS, which despites its faults, we are sooooo lucky to have and I want my babies, their babies and even their babies to have what we have. Everyone supplying their own formula isn't going to solve all the problems and it certainly isn't going to stop the debt, but it is a step in the right direction.