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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

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Original poster

mothers who plan to bottle feed should take in their own milk

307 replies

thebeesnees79 · 29/09/2012 13:12

If a woman decided prior to baby being born they shouldn't expect the hospital to provide bottles and milk they should bring their own?
Why should the nhs give out milk? aibu?

OP posts:

Fairyjen · 30/09/2012 15:06

Do you really need an exact quote? Surely the response has proven how many mums have been upset? Perhaps you didn't intend for it to be a breast vs bottle debate but this is what it has become. To say it was about cutting costs seems like bullshit as there are many other areas that could be examined first before targeting ff and this is what has upset people.

Can you imagine how people would feel if I suggested you should pay for bf support?

theodorakis · 30/09/2012 15:14

thebees I did

wannaBe · 30/09/2012 15:17

so op, you started a breast ve bottle debate, and however you dress it up that's exactly what it was going too become, and then get upset when people take issue with that?

Saying that women shouldn't be given formula in hospital if they're not planning to bf is nothing short of discriminating against non breastfeeding mothers. can you not see that?

onetiredmummy · 30/09/2012 15:20

Free formula? Bloody hell when I had my first ds (7 years ago) the hospital didn't provide formula. I had to take in my own cotton wool & when I bled through the last pad & had no more of my own left, I asked the nurse for a pad & she said yes this time but your H has to bring some more for you tomorrow.

SirBoobAlot · 30/09/2012 15:27

I don't know whether it does breastfeeding any favours, actually. Because then you are telling people they have to have made their minds up by the time they arrive. And a lot of women want to give breastfeeding a go once they are actually holding their baby when it might of made them a little bit nervous before hand.

Also, people tend to bring ready made cartons to hospital, so they are not shown how to correctly make up formula. Which is a huge health issue.

On the other hand, having formula available undermines new mothers confidence. And there are still a lot of poorly educated midwives and doctors who will say "oooh try a bottle" when it is really not needed.

So I'm not sure.

Fairyjen · 30/09/2012 15:40

I think the point is that the op was suggesting ff mums should bring milk. To my mind all mums should be treated equally which includes being supported in which ever feeding choice they make

SirBoobAlot · 30/09/2012 15:41

Well.. Then they should bring their own milk, Fairy. Breastfeeding mums do

Fairyjen · 30/09/2012 15:43

They also get offered support. Ff mums get treated like dirt. I pay for nhs so I want milk provided for my dc. Simple it really is

Fairyjen · 30/09/2012 15:44

If I have to bring milk then you should pay for your bf support as bf is your choice to is it not?

SirBoobAlot · 30/09/2012 16:05

Support and milk itself are different. And if you read my initial post I said I was on the fence. One of the brilliant factors of breastfeeding is that its free. Why should I pay because you've decided to feed your baby something you have to pay for? No logic in that.

Fairyjen · 30/09/2012 16:09

Why should I pay for a nurse or midwife to support you then?

GoldShip · 30/09/2012 16:12

'Decided to feed your baby something that has to be paid for'

Some mothers don't get a choice. That's a ridiculous statement to make. So should it be 'oh you couldn't breastfeed so you can have milk but oh no you dear you could have so no go get your own'
No I don't think so. Breastfeeding support costs a lot more than a bit of formula milk. I begrudge neither.

GoldShip · 30/09/2012 16:15

Everyone who doesn't agree with free formula... I take it you take your own food to hospital every time then? You don't drink the water and tea, you don't eat anything offered? No?

Fairyjen · 30/09/2012 16:18

Thank you goldship my point exactly! Although if people just genuinely don't want to bf then that's fine 2!

GoldShip · 30/09/2012 16:20

:o
As someone who wants to be a midwife I wholeheartedly support breastfeeding and I'd love to try it myself one day, but its a woman's choice at the end of the day and they shouldn't be made to feel like lepers just because they've made a different decision from others.

PickledFanjoCat · 30/09/2012 16:21

Sir boob, what a rude and inflammatory post.

SirBoobAlot · 30/09/2012 16:26

Think it came across badly, Fanjo, that was more to Fairy as she was saying she made the choice. Was a discussion point more than anything else.

cashmere · 30/09/2012 16:29

I think the sterilising and making up of bottles is a red herring when you can buy these:-
m.boots.com/mt/www.boots.com/en/SMA-1-First-Infant-Milk-12x100ml-Ready-to-use-Starter-Pack-From-birth-onwards_955186/
Yes they are expensive but if you're only in for a couple days it doesn't seem that bad to provide your own.
I'm sure with current cuts more hospitals will expect this anyway.
I breastfed and had to provide my own Lansinoh which at £10.50 a tube isn't cheap either.

I'd rather pay for my own scan pictures, pads, nappies, nipple cream and formula, (if I need it this time), if it means that even an extra 0.5fte midwife can be on shift. (The other thread anticipated savings of £10,000 on milk only).

I have no doubt that milk will be provided by all hospitals in an emergency.
Maybe hospitals could sell it at cost price, (as they buy in bulk), if needed for planned ff.

I have no doubt that NHS middle managers and admin staff are being pruned back too- they certainly are in my organisation.

PickledFanjoCat · 30/09/2012 16:33

Ok boob fair enough!

Fairyjen · 30/09/2012 16:36

Sir boob I made choice after my ds was taken to another hospital without me. When I was bullied over 24hrs later into trying to bf when I didn't want to he looked at my boobs as if to say what the f*? Where is my bottle? After that he went back to formula which was provided by nhs for full 9 days we were there and at no point did I think to myself that I should bring my own in from home!

GoldShip · 30/09/2012 16:41

I think buying formula is the last thing on a lot of women's minds after going through birth.

Mosman · 30/09/2012 16:42

You would be amazed the number of people who make up formula incorrectly, it should be provided and demonstrated along with sterilizing and that would save the nhs a fortune on admissions due to gastro illness caused by poor hygiene and not reading the tin.

GoldShip · 30/09/2012 16:42

Fairy that sounds awful :( hope your and your dc are okay now

Fairyjen · 30/09/2012 16:45

We are fine now thanks goldship I could go into a rant about it all still but that's a whole different thread!

justbogoffnow · 01/10/2012 03:18

I think formula should be provided in hospitals, I planned to BF but if you're unconscious for days you can't . I know many hospitals are no longer providing to women who plan to ff, but I hope those that do continue to do so. I think there are more worrying things happening though.
There is a tidal wave coming at the NHS, via this governments reforms. I have been seeing a hospital consultant every 4 months for the last 5 years due to a condition I have. She says that in her discipline (where there are already massive shortages of clinicians), things will return to how they were 15/20 years ago where most people waited a year or more to be seen, significant deterioration in a person's health or death during the wait for a diagnoses were much more commonplace and she is dreading what it means for the people who need help from specialists like her .

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