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AIBU?

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Original poster

Hospital should feed breastfeeding mums?

548 replies

NurseRosie · 08/01/2017 12:26

AIBU to think that if your baby is in hospital and Mum is staying as fully breastfeeding, the ward should feed Mum? The NHS is not spending money feeding the baby as mummy us making the milk. Baby feeding sometimes 2 hourly and very clingy as unwell. Ward have only given tea and biscuits. Restaurant expensive and open funny times, for example baby upset over lunch yesterday so didn't get down until 2 and they'd stopped serving hopt food for the day. Do you think they should offer mum a meal?

OP posts:
Slightlyperturbedowlagain · 08/01/2017 20:56

My experience of hospital canteens 10 years ago was they were only open for very limited periods of the day. They were especially rubbish after about 6pm and at weekends. Goodness knows what they are like now...

LilQueenie · 08/01/2017 21:00

hospitals cash in on cafes and food areas on the premises but I'm sure ours allows you to take food in and use a kitchen provided in the babies section. Hospital food is not that good anyway.

Underthemoonlight · 08/01/2017 21:05

I was pregnant and in hospital with dd I wasn't fed, I had to wait till dh came and took over so I could get food or he would bring me something to eat.

Daytona79 · 08/01/2017 21:12

When my baby was in a few months ago I was fed as BF. Must depend on which health board it is. I'm in Scotland

MissVictoria · 08/01/2017 21:16

Given how the NHS is having to stop funding life saving/prolonging drugs to cancer patients, i think someone otherwise healthy having to buy their own food is perfectly fair.

HateSummer · 08/01/2017 21:17

I've only read the first page, but after birth in the delivery room I got jam and toast and tea. When I was admitted and breastfeeding I got breakfast, lunch and evening meal. Our hospital also provides formula. My friend was recently admitted for hypermesis and she also got 3 meals. I feel so lucky to live close to such a brilliant maternity hospital. I'm shocked other hospitals don't provide food for mothers 🤔

MommaGee · 08/01/2017 21:24

My sons surgical ward has a trolley cone round at lunch time but tbh if every parent used it there wouldn't be enough sandwiches available. However it does solve a problem for parents like me who can't reasonably leave the DC, have no day time support and can't take their child off the ward. My only resentment is how expensive it is and that it isn't the hospital making the profit, its the catering company

Daisyfrumps · 08/01/2017 21:25

i think someone otherwise healthy having to buy their own food is perfectly fair.

This would be potentially disadvantageous to the patient, though, especially as for many it would be hard to source 3 x good nutritious meals a day from a vending machine / expensive canteen - logistically and financially.

dontbesillyhenry · 08/01/2017 21:31

Hate- this is about providing food when the baby is an inpatient on a paeds ward not a postnatal ward

Lesley1980 · 08/01/2017 21:35

I don't think they should, My daughter has been in hospital a few times & I bought food from the vending machine, husband brought in sandwiches or I nipped out to the supermarket for snacks.

Daisyfrumps · 08/01/2017 21:37

You were exclusively breastfeeding her Lesley1980 ? Were you offered ward food as a nursing mother?

Daisyfrumps · 08/01/2017 21:39

not a postnatal ward

Babies can be admitted to the postnatal ward though, from home.

Twogoats · 08/01/2017 21:45

What a nasty thread! Sad

Isn't this supposed to be a parenting support forum?

The op is not 'entitled' for wanting a meal. Nobody is 'entitled' when it comes to the basics.

Furthermore, she has a sick baby. So please take your troll-hunting elsewhere! Angry

Op, I hope your baby gets better soon! Flowers

mummypeepee · 08/01/2017 21:50

Yanbu I was fed meals when DD was a patient.

Mrspopper · 08/01/2017 21:57

My baby was in hospital recently in intensive care and then regular ward. I was offered vouchers and meals as a breastfeeding mum. I appreciated it as was so worried I wasn't eating but I felt bad for the mums who were in same boat but not breastfeeding.

slightlyglitterbrained · 08/01/2017 22:11

All those who think NHS should feed BF Mums - what do you think you will do when the NHS ceases to exist? Continue to abuse it and we will lose it

As pp's have said

a) this is not abuse, this is expert medical advice

And
b) Bullshit. What will lose us the NHS, our much envied unbelievably cheap and comprehensive health system, is attitudes like some of the nastiness displayed on this thread - buying into the idea that it's okay to let the services the NHS provides gradually wither away, the spite and bile spat at anyone who "got" something you personally didn't out of the system, the gullible swallowing wholesale of the very convenient line that the country can't afford more money for the NHS but it can afford to handout an extra dollop of money in tax cuts to those who have.

To propose that one scared and exhausted mother feeling compassion and worry on behalf of other mothers like her but without the support she has - will bring down the NHS is not stupidity, but malice.

OhTheRoses · 08/01/2017 22:25

Here here.

HateSummer · 08/01/2017 22:30

OOhh I thought it was about a postnatal ward.

Ignore my comment!

passthewineplz · 08/01/2017 22:34

I agree that BF mums should receive meals, but it comes down to cost unfortunately. There just isn't the budget avilable.

MudCity · 08/01/2017 22:47

Hospitals are continually having to review what they provide within their budget. Some will provide meals for BF mothers but don't provide other services to another patient group. It's swings and roundabouts and, of course, it's difficult there is inequality across the country with some NHS trusts providing things others don't but that's the same for cancer drugs, dementia services and many, many other services and treatments.

I think it would be helpful if different trusts made their policies clear to parents and carers at the time of admission and ensured people had information about where, when and how they can obtain food and drinks. Information is key here so people know where they stand and can make suitable arrangements.

And yes, people can raise it with their NHS trust or MP if they feel it is something they want from their local hospital (always more positive to campaign for what you do want, rather than what you don't) but with limited resources and ever increasing priorities, some of which are law rather than guidance, the challenge is enormous and someone somewhere is always going to be disappointed.

Gooseberryfools · 08/01/2017 22:58

I was fed when in with my newborn a few weeks post birth. She was bolted to my boob most of the time, so heaven knows when I could have dragged sore post birth arse to the cafeteria! She was 100% reliant on me to keep her alive. The nurses took care of us both thankfully.

robinofsherwood · 08/01/2017 23:03

I think we should raise the standard of what we expect from the NHS. Its too easy for politicians to keep saying 'oh our overstretched resources' and cut down to the bone, till everyone who can afford to buys private.

Focus on nutrition = improved health outcomes. Lots of seemingly obvious cuts (contract cleaners on minimum wage vs ward based ones who are valued as part of the team) have knock on impacts that you wouldnt necessarily predict.

Having been on a childrens ward with one of mine, the staffing ratio doesnt allow for childcare. I was expected to be there to look after him. Taking a thirty minute trip to grab food from the canteen was impractical. I got fed as a breastfeeding mum but actually however baby is fed youre not going to leave them unsupervised for that length of time. The nurses wouldnt have had the time to comfort him if he woke. Feeding me or any other parent required to be there - or just providing a trolley - is cheaper than the spare staffing.

Im not sure if anyone suggesting 'just eat a sandwich' has any idea how hard it is to breastfeed without proper nutrition. While adjusting to being home alone with newborn twins - one who was quite poorly and often couldnt be put down - I often went all day with barely a snack till my husband came home. It wasnt until i completely collapsed that we started arranging for someone to come in and be with me at lunch so I could eat.

AtSea1979 · 08/01/2017 23:04

Yes you should get meals. As a single parent when my DC was admitted for a while it was really hard to eat enough as you can't just leave on the ward especially when they are fed on demand.

MLGs · 08/01/2017 23:11

I was when dd was a baby and was having an op. It was GOSH though.

I wasn't even ebf butility mixed feeding as she needed extra high calorie formula for some feeds. Mind you that was free in hospital too.

Eight years ago though.

MLGs · 08/01/2017 23:12

I think the issue is less that it isn't free though than that you don't have someone to go and get you your food and look after you. Flowers

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