Hospitals and gluten free food

[Catlover1812]

I'm 33 weeks pregnant with coeliac disease and wondering how this will be handled in hospital when I have the baby? Do you need to pre order gf food, or bring your own? Do they handle contamination well? I'll be at the Royal Free in Hampstead to be more specific. I'd be interested to hear your experiences (at Royal Free or any other hospital!) Thanks x

[cookiecakez]

I would be so surprised if this wasn't sorted as hospitals of all places should understand the seriousness of c disease - you could check direct?

I have never ever been glutened from hospital food myself and always find it safe.

Good luck

[Catlover1812]

This is what I thought too but I've heard otherwise from people. I think I just need to bring my own in tbh. Thanks for the reply! X

[firsttimekat]

Based on my experience in several hospitals with my egg allergic DS I'd say plan to take things with you or that someone can bring in for you and treat anything they are able to supply as a bonus.

It's ridiculous that this is the case and agree they should know better than others the consequences but take nothing for granted.

[tigerdog]

I've had three operations in the last year (including two gynea ones at the women's hospital that also run maternity services) and in each case, they were unable to offer me anything gluten free for the post-op snack. I have had other two other procedures (in two different hospitals) where they did manage it but it took a while to conjour something up! So I'd say definitely take a supply of snacks just in case - gluten free porridge pots and some other gf cereal bars would probably be sensible.

[cookiecakez]

Wow that is so appalling I guess I was very lucky with the hospital I stayed at they definitely had gluten free options everywhere and actually they had loads of good options for allergies and also diverse types of food. I look back on my meals there with fondness

Gosh - yes take in what you can and also get your partner to bring in something fresh for you - the last thing you need to worry about is being glutened or hungry

[cookiecakez]

And just to add thinking about it the hospital I went to was oustanding and really caring by also very allergy aware - thankfully so yes best not to trust the hospital food otherwise

[NorthernLurker]

My sister was in having a baby recently. She has coeliacs AND is dairy free due to migraine. It sounded like they fed her ok. I agree with taking snacks though.

[eyespydreams]

I had virtually no decent gf food offered by hospital! They did toast my own gf bread for me in the mornings though the pets. Bring bread, gf porridge sachets, some nice snacks and yogurts etc. I brought some m&s soups for the evenings when whatever tragic offering they produced eventually for gf was too sad to eat.

[JimWithTwoNoses]

Considering even getting a meal of any type is an ordeal at my local hospital I'd definitely take your own and anything else is a bonus. Shouldn't be the case of course, hospitals of all places should be more accomodating but in reality don't seem to be.
Good luck with your pregnancy and birth

[SomedayMyPrinceWillCome]

I have found GF snacks to be non existent but quite a decent selection of GF meals to choose from on the main menu (another big London hospital but not Royal Free).

[Bumplovin]

Not quite the same but I had gestational diabetes and the food options were terrible I took my own snacks whenever I had to go to the hospital during my pregnancy

[NewBallsPlease00]

Take your own.... They were great- when it was normal hours and they could get something- but at 11pm-7am there was nothing except a banana available, they were extremely apologetic and very lively and helpful at 730am but it felt a long time and was v grateful for my random raisins etc always in my bag

[AcrossthePond55]

I was only in for one dinner and one breakfast. Dinner was plain pan-roast chicken, rice and ice cream, breakfast was scrambled eggs & potatoes. Very bland (salt and pepper only) but 'safe'. If I'm ever hospitalized again, I'll bring snacks and probably have DH bring me a burger for dinner!

[tigerdog]

I forgot to say - one of my ops with no gf snack was in fact the Royal Free. In the end I think I had an apple! It may well be better if you're an inpatient though - I was a day case.

[user1471537877]

Tesco's do a range of gf ready meals that don't require refrigerating pasta with sauce, rice dishes etc

I'm due in hospital myself in 5 weeks and am just praying I can get away with being a day case as being a vegetarian and coeliac throws yet another spanner in the works

[Catlover1812]

Thanks, that's a good idea. I'm just going to have to stock up, which is fine, but not ideal! I imagine they aren't great with contamination too Good luck with your hospital stay x

[fernanie]

I would be so surprised if this wasn't sorted as hospitals of all places should understand the seriousness of c disease - you could check direct?

You'd think this would be the case, wouldn't you? But I've had a couple of endoscopies since being diagnosed with coeliac at a big London hospital and each time they've offered me tea and a non GF biscuit afterwards. In the endoscopy recovery! I know not everyone having an endoscopy is going to be gluten free but it must be quite a high proportion!

[iamEarthymama]

When I was coming round from an operation and was offered the customary cuppa and biscuit, the staff were nonplussed as I don't have caffeine (irritates my bladder) or gluten (irritates my skin and my bowels)
Luckily I had a cold drink and a gf snack with me.

My worst experience was an operation 30 years ago. I was so looking forward to my meal after surgery.
They brought me a Potato.
A Very Large Potato.
A Very Large and Lonely Potato, as it sat in the middle of the plate on its own.
No butter, no cheese, no salad.
Just a A Very Large and Lonely Potato.

You will need to take snacks and gf pots in with you, just in case. I hate been caught out with nothing to eat. Luckily it's much easier now for those of us pesky people who can't have, or won't have, more mainstream choices. 😊

[chloesmumtoo]

When dd was in hospital, only a short stay years ago, the lady bringing around the foods could not tell me any allergy advice what so ever on any of their foods, I was so shocked. Especially with it being a hospital!! Dd was only in for the day so it did not create a big issue at that point but was a real eye opener.
I couldn't believe it and leads me to wonder what the hell would happen if she was in there long term. Dd is anaphylactic to peanuts (nut trace contamination could be fatal) and has numerous other multiple food allergies. I would strongly suggest you take everything you will need yourself.
This was not in the hospital you are relating too but I presume they will all be the same.

[DottyDotAgain]

I'm coeliac and in hospital at the moment and it's been hit and miss! Have had gluten free toast this morning for breakfast but they couldn't do me any yesterday evening when I was ready to eat after an operation... . Was glad I'd brought a packet of gf biscuits in so I would recommend bringing snacks in, just to be sure you can eat something when you want to!

[PhilODox]

DD's post-op food was crisps and a cheese sandwich. For a four year old. In a children's hospital. About a weeks worth of salt intake there ...
It's absolutely appalling that places supposedly caring for very ill people are preventing or hindering their recovery .

[CMOTDibbler]

When I had ds, if you needed specific food, you had to go to the kitchen 4 hours before every meal and tell them. There was no gf breakfast anyway, so I spent a week there and had precisely no meals provided at all. Fortunately SCBU had a microwave so dh brought me meals in.

On all my various hospital stays since being diagnosed as coeliac, the food has been terrible, unavailable, or non existent. One stay, when my surgery had been delayed all day until they decided at 10pm they wouldn't be going ahead, the other patients felt so sorry for me that there was a general raiding of bags to find something for me to eat as there was nothing on the ward for me. Took 2 days to get a gf loaf for toast (not allowed to bring my own) then I was moved between wards and the bread couldn't follow.

[trixymalixy]

I would bring your own food. DS has multiple food allergies and they were terrible at providing suitable food for him when he was in hospital for a week.

[Catlover1812]

Wow I can't believe how hit and miss it is! I suppose it's luck on the day. Some people don't understand it or don't have the sympathy for it and it's unfortunately something we have to live with. I'll be bringing my sad little bread rolls in!

[RockinHippy]

Not celiac, but my daughter is pescatarian with allergies & even though she was in hospital with a bad flare up of allergic colitis & a blockage, our experience was far from great & there was often nothing for her to eat. A celiac lady on the same ward also found it dreadful.

We had to bring in ready meals or buy food in the hospital restaurant, cost us a small fortune over the 2 weeks she was in