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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask why breatfeeding mother get free hospital food

289 replies

McHappyPants2012 · 26/06/2012 17:02

In work last week and was working on the children ward. Formula feed babies the mothers had to pay £1.50 for a meal yet breastfeeding mother was told ther is no charge.

Formula on children ward are only provided in an emergency so I don't think it's down to cost

OP posts:
StanleyLambchop · 26/06/2012 17:50

When my DD was in hospital aged 9 weeks we had to bring all her formula with us for the first day, and put it in the fridge. We were then expected on subsequent days to bring in the formula powder and use the steamer on the ward to make up more bottles. In the end my DH made them up at home and brought them in, I remeber one night we were short and the hospital begrudgingly gave us some. At the time we were so shell shocked from the experience of a small baby having an operation we did not think anything of it, but now I think it is a cheek they would not provide food for my DD who was their patient.

mantlepiece · 26/06/2012 17:54

years ago I got a beautiful en suite room with bed and cot and a pass to get free meals from the staff canteen!
I can remember being really shocked by this as all the other mothers had to sleep on reclining chairs on the wards.

maytheoddsbeeverinyourfavour · 26/06/2012 17:55

I've been offered meals too when in hospital as a breast feeding mum, and I was very grateful especially as ds.5 used to cluster feed for hours at a time, they had to do most of his checks while he was latched on

I can see why it seems a little unfair, but I guess they have to draw a line somewhere ... Once when I was in there was a little boy of about two in the next bed, at once point his mum was screaming at the nurses that her, her husband and their three other children should get a meal because they didn't want to walk to the hospital restaurant Hmm I guess it's easier to have rules that are set in stone so the staff don't have to negotiate them

JugglingWithTangentialOranges · 26/06/2012 17:58

"Totally agree with juggling" - Thanks Pastabee Smile

tyler80 · 26/06/2012 17:59

But the rules surely should be that all hospital patients be fed, and the only reason nursing mothers are an exception is feeding them is, in a roundabout way, feeding the baby/patient.

I'm not sure why formula fed infants should be the only group that aren't provided with food in hospital as inpatients?

Mishy1234 · 26/06/2012 18:00

I had experience of this when DS2 was hospitalised with meningitis at 10 days old.

As he was EBF, I was given breakfast (no other meals) and mothers of ff babies weren't given anything. The children were obviously fed (formula and/or food depending on age). I asked the nurses about it and they said it was because the ff babies were supplied with food (formula), so the bf mothers were fed breakfast as they were feeding their babies.

It was a very difficult situation and there was resentment towards the bf mothers as a result. It made me feel very uncomfortable, to such a degree that I offered one woman who was making loud comments about how unfair it was (obviously so I could hear) a share of my breakfast. That soon stopped her!

Mishy1234 · 26/06/2012 18:02

It seems odd that the ff babies aren't supplied with formula. In that case there is an imbalance there which needs to be addressed.

Bigwheel · 26/06/2012 18:03

I was fed whilst breastfeeding my dd in a children's ward, she was 36+5 gestation and had picked up an infection making her drop 24% of her body weight. Breastfeeding was the best thing for her despite being tube fed due to high levels of jaundice and I felt that by feeding me they were encouraging me to breastfeed which can only be a positive thing. How else was I meant to eat? I couldn't go home and leave her because of the continuous breastfeeding / pumping. Personally I feel that formula feeding mums should be fed as well, but I guess the budget isn't there for most nhs trusts to do this.

maytheoddsbeeverinyourfavour · 26/06/2012 18:04

I totally agree tyler, I think it's very unfair that formula is not provided and also an added source of stress to parents who have already got a lot on their plate Sad

I wonder if it's down to the breast feeding friendly policy they have? As in they can't be seen to be 'encouraging' formula feeding? If it is that it's totally ridiculous because if a baby is already ff then the decision has been made and not supplying formula isn't going to change that!

lilypainter · 26/06/2012 18:04

I can understand giving mums of breastfed babies free food - but I can't understand not giving formula fed babies free formula. Especially as all other hospital in-patients get free food.

If a baby's been formula fed at home for whatever reason, then it's not like the mum can suddenly switch to breastfeeding just because the baby's had to go to hospital.

Original poster
McHappyPants2012 · 26/06/2012 18:07

Mishy only from reading due in boards some maternity ward charge for formula

OP posts:
Bigwheel · 26/06/2012 18:09

tyler80 perhaps because with all the different brands of formula around it isn't practical? You wouldn't be allowed an open tub iN a ward for all mums to share due to cross contamination risk I guess, so they would have to buy in cartons of every brand / stage of formula on the market, which financially and practically wouldn't make sense I guess.

merrymouse · 26/06/2012 18:09

Sorry, just can't get my head around the concept that the 'food' provided in hospital would nourish anybody.

LookMaOneHand · 26/06/2012 18:13

I'm with juggling too.

There is some logic to the idea that bf mums would be provided food as a way of providing food to the patient (the baby), but surely by this logic formula should also be provided to the other patients.

If the rationale (as some suggested) is the expectation that formula feeding mothers would / should be happy enough to leave their sick children and trot off to a cafe to have their meals while breastfeeding mothers are facilitated to stay by their children's side, well that is as ridiculous as it is offensive.

BlackOutTheSun · 26/06/2012 18:15

When dd was in hospital, I was given a meal (dp wasn't) and they also gave dd formula.

Bunbaker · 26/06/2012 18:16

They did this at Barnsley and the children's hospital in Sheffield when I was there with DD nearly 12 years ago.

lottiegb · 26/06/2012 18:18

Sounds as though the availability of formula varies between hospitals.

Dd was given formula, as well as my EBM, as that alone wasn't enough to get her weight up. Of course as weight was a reason for being there the formula had a medical purpose rather than being 'just food'. They had jars of it and offered us a choice of brands. No idea if it was offered as food to ff babies. Not doing so would seem odd as all other patients are fed.

Mishy1234 · 26/06/2012 18:19

Yes, agree onehand. It was really difficult for everyone to get food. We were relying on partners to bring foods for us, as nobody felt comfortable leaving thei babies. We did try to coordinate things a bit by doing mass food runs, but it was tricky.

birdsofshoreandsea · 26/06/2012 18:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lotsofcheese · 26/06/2012 18:22

Interesting thread. My DS was born 3 months prematurely - apart from the time I was an inpatient (10 days) I was never provided with any food or meals for the 95 days that he was on the neonatal unit. Despite expressing 3-4 hourly for the entire time. He was entirely fed using EBM. And latterly I spent most of my day on the unit, which had no catering/food storage facilities..........and we paid parking fees the entire time too (but that's a completely different thread in itself)

Sirzy · 26/06/2012 18:24

The night staff used to bring me toast at night when they had theirs when Ds was in for 10 days was very nice of them!

I wish children's wards had a machine on with butties/salads/fruit/pot noodles that parents could buy without needing to leave the ward. I am lucky I have great family who keep me in food when DS is in but not everyone is that lucky

Sirzy · 26/06/2012 18:26

Don't get me started on parking fees, up to £5 a day at the local hopsital. In patients and out patients at the hospital have to pay but people using the walk in centre can get their ticket validated to not have to pay!!

Peachy · 26/06/2012 18:26

I was told when my ds4 was in that it was one meal allocation per family. DS4 was an emergency op and would be nil by mouth until discharged (throat surgery) so I could be fed as bf

CharltonHairstyle · 26/06/2012 18:30

I assume it is so the mother is well nourished as she is feeding the child.

When my DD was in hospital I was fed as I was breast feeding her and I had to be there 24/7

My DP and family could have brought food in I suppose - it didn't really cross my mind I couldn't eat through worry anyway

I think it's a good idea though, don't see a problem with it

blinkedandmissedit · 26/06/2012 18:35

When DT2 was taken ill shortly afetr being released from SCBU, he, his twin and myself were all 'admitted' to the childrens ward, as because I was breastfeeding, they said we could all go in. I was given free food as they said it was necessary as I was providing his milk. FF babies were provided with free milk but the mothers were not given free food.