To have wanted more than toast?

[Womenareliketeabags]

First time posting in AIBU so please be kind and I'm prepared to accept I am.

A few weeks ago I had a planned home birth, birth went well until the placenta was delivered at which point I had a large haemorrhage and was rushed to the nearest labour ward in an ambulance. By the time I had been sorted and I got my coffee and toast it was 01.30am and I hadn't eaten since lunch at 12.30pmish so I was very very hungry! Coffee and toast was lovely. However it did not ease my hunger, the kind midwife offered to see if they had a spare sandwich lying around, there wasn't so she made me some more toast. As I had been rushed in I didn't have my purse and my hospital bag only had very basic stuff, was middle of the night and DH had left at this point so I had no way of getting food from else where.

AIBU to think that labour wards should be able to access food for women at all hours of the day and night?

[KenDoddsDadsDog]

I didn't get toast , was gutted . Had some custard creams at 2am. Made up for it later though !

[Vandree]

And if you have just given birth I don't think there is much worry about getting breastmilk established on just toast when the next meal is only a few hours away and milk hasn't come in yet. If you were that hungry you would have eaten the McDonalds.

[raviolidreaming]

Where on earth did you work that had a selection of frozen ready meals at their disposal? Genuinely interested as been in and out of NHS for 25 years and have never seen this!

Same here! In fact, in hospitals I've worked in we've not been allowed to microwave food for patients in case it's not cooked thoroughly and they sue get food poisoning.

[Womenareliketeabags]

People would honestly eat a 6 hour old McDonalds!?

[pictish]

Yanbu to think it should be provided...it should, along with all the other stuff the NHS needs. Sadly it won't be as they simply can't afford it.

I got toast after all my three births. I had to wait for breakfast the next morning and dh brought some nice things in when he came to visit.

[Whathaveilost]

How on earth are you meant to recover and successfully establish breast feeding on toast?

How about taking responsibility for yourself . You make sure there are plenty of snacks and drinks in your overnight bag. I had things like treats, protein bars, rice cakes and a block of cheese.I realised this 20 years ago. It never occured to me that someone's should feed me in the middle of the night. Nt hat said the midwives gave me and DH coffee and biscuits and when I was left alone a ate some of the food in my bag.

[FrameyMcFrame]

Yanbu, I was starving in my labours and after. To the point of nausea.

Giving birth is like running a marathon. Women need nutritious food, before during and after childbirth, it's obvious really.

[AdaLovelacesCat]

I think you are BU, they are not cafes are they?
Besides you already cost them about 2000 quid extra by insisting on having ur baby at home and then being rushed in an ambulance.

[sentia]

Are people recovering from major medical emergencies or traumatic surgery in other parts of hospitals expected to self-cater as well? Or is this approach to feeding patients just post-natal wards?

[Passthecake30]

I got toast after mine, I think they are against giving you anything like cereal in case you're sick... I sent dp home with strict instructions for 4 cheese and marmite sandwhiches nom nom

[happymumof4crazykids]

I feel your pain and YANBU even if you had money most hospitals don't have anywhere you can get food from at that time anyway! While I wouldn't expect a full dinner something better than cold toast would be nice! When I had my 3rd child she was taken to scbu and I was always missing meals as I was up there and not in the ward! On day 2 my lovely midwife gave me a voucher to go get food from the canteen which I had been paying for the other times! The hardest thing for me was not being able to have a cup of tea when I wanted one :(

[insideout2016]

I work in a hospital across 26 wards. Every kitchen has a fridge with sandwiches, yoghurts and a fruit bowl. They should of been able to find something for you.

[anyname123]

Hospitals pay about £9 for frozen meals (that are usually TINY), due to the expensive supply chain, and extra requirements e.g. halal meat being used etc. A supply of sandwiches just wouldn't work....imagine a vagartarian / vegan not being given what they want, it would be called discrimination etc etc. Patients can be their own downfall unfortunately, I speak from much experience of working on wards, where patients have gone so far as to lodge formal complaints when none of the sandwiches have been to their exact taste....so we just stopped offering them. Sad but true

[2kids2dogsnosense]

YABU, I'm afraid.

I got toast - seems to be standard Maternity Fare.

The best meal I ever ate was when DH came in with a pound of cheddar and half a cooked chicken . . .

[RunnyRattata]

YWBU not to get your DH to return to the hospital with food. No matter how late it was or how long he'd been awake, he could have brought you something.

If you were that hungry, you could also have asked for 4 pieces of toast.

[Bearfrills]

Don't be ridiculous even private hospitals don't provide meals 24 hours a day

The NHS hospital where I'm planning to have DC4 has 24/7 food services (and a 24hr canteen too).

OP, was there any chance they didn't want you to have anything too heavy in case of vomiting or further heavy bleeding, etc? When I had an emergency section with DC2 they would only let me eat very lightly for the first few hours after getting to the ward in case I was sick or in case I needed to go back to theatre for any reason. I think YANBU, at the very least they should have been able to give unlimited toast or to have light snacks available.

[yeOldeTrout]

People would honestly eat a 6 hour old McDonalds!?

Funny you mention that... we got some boxes of left over pizza at work the other day. "It's cold!" exclaimed the senior English guy.

"More for us!' replied the North American contingent, happily tucking in.

[thecatsarecrazy]

When I had ds I had some tea and toast at 5am, went on ward about 3 pm and wasn't given any food. I was starving. Had a soggy mars bar in my bag and dh went out and bought me a sandwich.

[BikeRunSki]

Post natal tea and toast was the best meal I ever had!

[yeOldeTrout]

ps: people recovering from major trauma etc... don't have appetite. May even be Nil by Mouth. When I was very ill in hospital I could barely manage a single piece of toast for a meal.

[AdaLovelacesCat]

tea and toast does seem to be the thing....

[hanahsaunt]

It's fresher and hotter than the food that can be accessed by the staff who are working all night. They would love a canteen that was open all night.

[paulweller73Murielswedding]

You were lucky to have toast. I was admitted on a Friday night around 2200. After a long labour ending at 2300 on Saturday night I was finally transferred to the maternity ward at 0100 on Sunday. I had to ring the call bell for a jug of water. I had a catheter and was told to drink regularly. A cup of tea and a slice of toast would've been lovely. I missed breakfast too that morning as no one told me where to go to queue up at the hatch. I stupidly thought we'd be served at our bedsides.

[redskytonight]

You were lucky to get toast. I arrived at hospital at 2am, had DS at 8.40am, and was not offered any food at all until 6pm.

[Rowgtfc72]

When I had dd I was given an epidural at 9am and then told I couldn't eat anything. Dd was born at 10pm and the midwife said she would find me a sandwich. She never returned. Nothing untill 8am the next morning when i was given 1 weetabix and a brown bread bun.