Hospital food

[Afternooncatnap]

So my 9 month old is in hospital with bronchiolitis. I have to stay in here with him.

the hospital don't provide his milk and won't let me make up formula. So I'm buying really expensive ready made milk. They also don't provide baby food and don't want me bringing home made. So I'm also buying jars of food for him.

They don't feed me and there is only sandwich places at the hospital so I have been buying expensive microwave meals for me.

So including parking it's costing a small fortune to be here.

I just found out that if I was breastfeeding (somthing I was unable to do) they would feed me.

I now just feel a but hacked off that it's costing me so much to be here when there are other parents that are in the same position getting either themselves or there baby fed by the hospital.

AIBU to think that as a children's hospital they should provide baby food, and to feel that they should feed all mums. We all need energy to look after our babies, breastfeeding or not. It's not like I can just not eat because my son is on formula.

I think YABU about the baby food in light of your update. They are providing milk, even if not your preferred brand.

I’m with you in the bf mothers though. Feed all mothers or none, but that prioritisation is bullshit.

Tbh I'm not that bothered about any of it. I just want to go home. I'm fed up of eating crap microwave food and when I heard other mums get proper meals I felt pissed off. But I understand why they feed Bf mums.

I still think they should provide baby food though. I known alot of people do baby led weaning and so they eat soft food straight away and miss the puree stage, but I can't be the only one giving puree.

I might put in a suggestion that they provide hand blenders and a suitable way to have them cleaned so that parents can blend the normal kids food.

He's got some pretty serious development delays and so can't sit up or even steady his head properly so toast or soft veg is beyond him. Most of the times he has mash with blended meat and vegetables mixed in.

Well if they didn’t save his life and you’re posed off you’re not getting the service you require, just take him home.

When my DS was in hospital at the same age with bronchiolitis, he went home as soon as he was off the NG tube and his sats were back to normal.

Ahh cross-posted with the massive drip feed

I can’t imagine a children’s ward allowing blenders. Not safe and how would you keep them clean? Some parents and visitors don’t even wash their cups up.

Yabu but I can understand your stress.

If your OP had mentioned your ds has developmental delays meaning he needs pureed food the response might have been different.

OP hope you are ok. Being in hospital with a child is horrible, it's exhausting emotionally and physically, especially if you are aware that there are likely to be ongoing concerns. Being grateful that our children can have medical treatment doesn't mean that short comings can't be acknowledged.
Of course food should be made available to your baby, and IMO to you too. Not everyone has someone who can bring food in. It's not difficult to see how providing some care for the carer will benefit the child

Sorry to hear your baby is in hospital, and I understand your frustration.
Sadly the NHS is massively underfunded now and the money they receive for looking after your poorly baby barely covers the actual cost of looking after him which is around £300 a day. In this situation hospital are having to cut costs and instead of paying to have a selection of baby food in stock they have to go with a common brand they can get for as cheap as possible (often more than one hospital clubs together to bulk buy things like this) this is so they can spend their money on making sure they have enough nurses to safely staff the ward. It's likely that the change in practice of only providing food to those who need it(and can't source it elsewhere or aren't directly having treatment or are the sole source of food for the patient having treatment) was fully reviewed by senior nursing and medical staff in light of the serious financial situation the hospital was facing. A couple of quid may not seem a lot but times that by the thousands of patients the hospital sees and it adds up. Like I said it's shit the hospital can't provide his exact needs or feed you but other things come first. And yes I work in NHS finance, and no I don't think it's right that we can't give poorly babies and parents everything they need at a time like this. It's just that the government seems to have other priorities

while I do sympathise (just came out after a 15 day stay with my 8 year old) you aren't the patient

The only food where I was was an M+S shop so not cheap - a weekly parking pass was £20 - could you get something similar - and get people to bring cheaper food in.

I think it's a bit off they don't help with milk but at 9 months can you not get him a normal meal and eat it with him and mush it up?

sorry I just saw your baby has DD - so needs baby food

talk to the consultant OP - it's wrong they wont cater for him

He's got some pretty serious development delays and so can't sit up or even steady his head properly so toast or soft veg is beyond him. Most of the times he has mash with blended meat and vegetables mixed in.

That is a massive drip feed OP!

Ok, so there is a reason he can't eat solids like other babies his age. Presumably he is under paeds for this anyway? So the ward needs to speak to the kitchen and order appropriate meals for him. It doesn't need to be jarred baby food, but they can and should be pureeing other meals for him. I mentioned uothread that some patients require soft foods; some require purees as well, the kitchen absolutely should be able to accommodate his dietary needs.

Speak to PALS, they will have an office somewhere in the hospital. They should be able to help you get it sorted.

Can you not serve up what is offered for your child and you eat it? (Just trying to save you pennies and I've done it myself!)

Yes it sucks. Childrens centre near me used to do free tea and toast for breastfeeding mum's at a baby group but not for formula fed. Ffs.

Oh op that sounds rough. We have spent a bit of time in and out of hospital with our do (11 months now) and can say our experience could not have been better.

He was given formula (although this was prescribed anyway) and 3 meals a day if we wanted. They had jars for the young ones or adapted off the meal trolley for the older ones.

There was a parents kitchen with bread and cereal for us to help ourselves and once all the children had been fed the lady with the food trolley would always offer out anything that was left to the parents.

In regards to parking please speak to a nurse. We could pay for a 3 hrs ticket and get given another to put along side it to extend it for 24 hrs. Or there is a travel office where you can purchase a week one for £10 if you have a slip from a nurse on the ward.

Hope your little one gets better soon and please ask PALS if there is anything they can do.

I do feel that the should be feeding your child as he patient as they would if he was older.

I didn't mention he has developments delays as I didn't feel it was relevant.

I didnt know it was so unusual for a baby to eat puree. I mean if it's so out of the norm why do the shops sell so much of it and why are they do many recipies available.

Obviously it is so I can understand why they hospital don't provide it, as I understand that they only have the budget to cater to the majority.

It really depends entirely on the the hospital.

I spent time on a children's ward, and one parent would be fed (ie supporting a parent to be there either full days or round the clock) as that was in the patients interest. There was also a kitchenette with fridge, microwave, hot water urn and kettle.

You need to talk to PALS is there is a total absence of facilities (I'm amazed there isn't even a kettle), and to the consultant about how your DS is fed (ask for a proper dietetics assessment) as hospitals can and do provide highly tailored diets for children who need them (though it often takes a day or two after admission to get that going; quicker if it's a planned admission)

Babies do eat purée but most of them (even if they’re not doing baby led weaning) also eat some solids. Particularly at the age your baby is.

I would contact the PALS team as another poster recommended. They should be able to provide a purée of regular hospital food for him. It’s low sodium so fine for a baby.

OP you have my sympathies! I am also stuck in hospital with a baby (10mo) with bronchiolitis. I hope your little one is getting better and it won't be much longer.

I'm really shocked that they aren't providing milk for the baby. As previous posters have said, he is a patient, so it's standard practice for inpatients to be fed. Have you asked to speak to any other staff members (nurse in charge, senior sister, dietician) to ask about their policy, or have you just been told by your baby's assigned nurse? If you haven't, I would ask to speak to someone more senior about what their policy is for feeding babies. Pose the question about who children/ adult patients are provided for and not babies. If it comes down to an argument about the type of milk, just keep asserting why it is that your baby needs their specific type. (Eg in our case my baby couldn't tolerate Aptamil as it made him too windy). They are obliged to cater for adults with dietary needs or religious preferences, so why don't they have to accommodate babies?

It's so annoying how trust policies vary. The hospital we are in do allow home cooked food to be brought in for babies, so clearly it's not impossible. Also, if you don't have something they have jars of baby food on hand.

I have spend a lot of time in hospital with my son (ex Prem, complex needs), and they have always ordered his milk (special prescription) from the hospital dietician.

Breast-feeding issue is unfair, I agree. As you mentioned, your main contention is the infant feeding , so I would fix your sights on that, as that this is their responsibility , whereas feeding or not feeding parents is a side issue.

Good luck!

Babies generally eat puree for a short time before they move to mashed then chopped foods, it's a short window. This is because chewing is essential to mouth and speech development so it's important to move to chewing rather than swallowing.
Obviously babies with developments delay will progress at a different pace.
I'm just explaining why 9 month olds would not usually have puree.
The hospital will have baby food somewhere have you discussed it with the ward manager?

They are providing milk Esker but it is not the brand the OP wants.

Surely at 9 months he can eat a normal meal? If not why don't you order it anyway and it it yourself?

^^Rtft. The op dripfed that her son has some problems and can't eat anything except puree.

After 6 months most babies will be eating mashed/chopped foods and/or finger foods - even jars for 7+ or 10+ months have lumps and are mashed meals rather than a puree.

If your DS isn't able developmentally to manage those foods then they really should provide something appropriate. I would ask to speak to a dietician.

But she also said that he eats mash with meat blended so as mash is available then surely for the sake of a couple of days (which given the op has made it clear it is thankfully an observation type stay rather than intervention type) then if push comes to shove you would just go with the mash?