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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Maternity unit to charge £1 per bottle of ready-made formula

107 replies

stressheaderic · 19/06/2011 23:14

I was pretty dismayed today to hear that in my local area, one of the hospitals is now charging £1 for each bottle of formula that you use post-birth - the tiny pre-mixed glass bottles with the long rubber teat.

When having my DD last year, we were told not to 'save' bottles and to use a fresh one for every feed, even when she'd only had a tiny amount. Can't think how many I used - maybe 10-15 over the duration of my (short) stay?

I remember the young girl in the bed opposite me on postnatal had no partner or visitors - she had no money on her and my DP bought her a Coke and a sandwich at midnight when he was getting me one that very first night....can't help but wonder how she'd have managed :(

NHS cuts running deeper than I thought I guess.

OP posts:
babylann · 20/06/2011 17:30

It should be fine for them to charge whatever they want to. The only issue I would have is that there's no other option to save money. I was in hospital for 2 weeks and there were no facilities for making your own formula using a £7 for 50 feeds tub, it would have cost me an arm and a leg if I'd been FFing my very hungry baby for those 2 weeks at £1 a time.

(For record, I breastfed besides a few supplementary FFs when she lost too much weight)

PeppaKew · 20/06/2011 17:52

The readymade formula costs 60p for 200mls at the supermarket so they need to sort out the pricing for starters. 40% markup is incredible.

We were given formula at A&E by a nice paediatrician who incidently did not appear to give a rats arse about my breastfeeding failures.

ellodarlin · 20/06/2011 18:02

Is formula still going to be provided on Childrens wards? My ds was on a Childrens ward at 2 weeks old. He was bf so I got hospital meals, which ff parents didn't get. After the baby is 6 months they stop feeding the bf mothers.

RitaMorgan · 20/06/2011 18:23

PeppaKew - I think they are talking about the little ready to feed bottles rather than just cartons.

trixymalixy · 20/06/2011 18:28

I agree in principle with them charging, butnthat is outrageously expensive.

Wormshuffler · 20/06/2011 18:29

I pressume they will have to provide the disposable teats PeppaKew, they sell them in bulk sets (teats and bottles) at some supermarkets for £15 for 12, so £1 each ins't excessive really.

4madboys · 20/06/2011 18:38

sorry but i think its wrong and i am pro bfeeding, did it for 9yrs!

a baby is a patient in the hospital and therefore should be fed, regardless of whether that is breast of bottle. and i would love to see how on a busy ward new mothers would be able to bring and wash and sterlise their own bottles and make up formula, there isnt the space, how would you do it, electric sterlisers, microwave ones, what about a mother that has just had a c section and cant get out of bed, how she she do it.

or even myself when i had ds1 i was on bed rest for three days after his birth due to pelvis problems, literally was NOT allowed out of bed, cant see the nurses of the auxhillaries having the time to wash and sterilise bottles for me?

at my hospital they do provide some nappies, tho i took my own, the same with sanitary towels etc infact we were positively encouraged to use the hospital ones whilst there, they had a trolley with them on.

i had to stay in after having dd, was planning on going straight home, so a midwife went off and got me extra nappies, pads etc to make sure i had enough, tho i had packed plenty but she said i may as well save them for when at home..

tbh when you have an injury that requires dressings etc you dont have to provide your own dressings, even once home it a nurse is changing them in home or at drs they provide them. i owuldnt expect them to provide all sanitary stuff but its fair enough that they give some and just a daft that its diff policies in diff hospitals, glad mine are nice!

lucysnowe · 20/06/2011 18:41

I don't think it's "easy" to bring in your own formula if you intend to FF. Newborns feed up to 12 times a day, requiring a new bottle and new milk each time. How exactly is someone who's had a c-section going to sterilise and prepare a bottle? Where are they going to get the boiling water from? I sincerely doubt the midwives would have time to do it.

4madboys · 20/06/2011 18:46

exactly lucy! its impractible and not workable in the hospital settings i know!

4madboys · 20/06/2011 18:46

that should be impractical! why is there not an edit facility?!!

VivaLeBeaver · 20/06/2011 18:51

It's part of getting baby friendly status. Not allowed to provide it foc if hospital want this status.

4madboys · 20/06/2011 18:54

really my hospital has baby friendly status and they were supplying formula!

VivaLeBeaver · 20/06/2011 19:02

What level accreditation had they got. There are different commitments for different levels, plus the goalposts change. Paying is part of full accreditation and is a fairly new goal.

Northernlurker · 20/06/2011 19:02

It's just daft to say newly delivered mothers can't be doing with bottles and making up feeds. How are they going to manage it at home then? Hmm

I think this is a great idea. The NHS is having to make BIG savings at the moment. Parents will be paying for formula when they go home, what's the difference to them in two or three extra days worth? Multiplied by the number of bottles consumed though I can tell you it will make a LOT of difference to the hospital budget. As an added plus it may encourage more people to try breastfeeding.

In fact I think it's such a great idea that I will suggesting it to the corporate efficiency team at work tomorrow.

Lisatheonewhoeatsdrytoast · 20/06/2011 19:05

I don't understand where you are supposed to store your sterilised bottles, your steriliser, your milk and everything else, when i was in you couldn't swing a cat in my bay, and i could barely get out without going sideways, i attempted BF however my Son was only little and couldn't suck properly, we almost had to force feed him on the bottle.

However if i was to have another DC i would bottle feed again, purely because of personal choice. And would pay £1 a bottle, but can not work out how they are going to do this, direct debit? Cash? WTF!?

LaWeasel · 20/06/2011 19:06

Actually I think £1 a bottle is a lot, as people have mentioned you have to throw them away even if baby hasn't had much (or any) so if you were in for a few days (perhaps after an emcs) and were having problems getting your milk supply going it would be very expensive.

It also is most definately not always easy to just send dad out to get some formula if it's cheaper elsewhere. We had no car and very little money when DD was born, and the hospital was an hour away via 2 buses, After DH went home and had a sleep and then managed to get back in again he'd been gone a good 12 hours probably more, if DD had wanted feeding all that time and I wasn't able to bf... well the £1 a bottle situation would be making me pretty panicky.

Wormshuffler · 20/06/2011 19:08

I think people are refering to if they are bed bound for example first day post CS . I can't see how one could get up and sterilise/ make up a bottle while a catheter is still in. I am hoping to BF but will need support (as having CS) it really is very worrying and the last thing someone needs when recovering from major surgery!!
I don't object to having to provide own/pay in theory, just can't see how it is workable.................surley there is someone about who has been in this situation?

ChunkyPickle · 20/06/2011 19:10

I'm in two minds - yes, if you're in hospital you are fed, and that should include babies, but on the other hand, if you're choosing (not medically needing) to incur the expense I feel you should probably pay for it.

Logistically though, I don't see how a ward of mothers with one little patient kitchen can cope with everyone bringing in their own stuff (even just in case stuff).

I'm a little aghast at stopping feeding the mothers of BF babies at 6 months, given how often they feed (so you'd be almost permanently camped at the hospital eating whatever you could buy from the little shop/tearing back and forth from tescos with muesli bars).

My hospital had what I would term a welcome pack - some maternity towels, peri bottle, a couple of pairs of disposable knickers and washable nappies - enough to get you through most of your stay - by the time they were gone you were itching to leave too.

Northernlurker · 20/06/2011 19:12

Mums don't necessarily have to pay up front. We quite literally know where you live Smile If necessary you could be invoiced afterwards.
However pre mobiles taking a pile of change in to hospital to pay for phone calls was part of packing your bag. No reason why people can't take milk money now Grin

ChunkyPickle · 20/06/2011 19:12

Ha Wormshuffler - yes I'm imagining me and all my gubbins (urine bag clasped in shaky mitt) shuffling carefully around to the kitchen pushing baby in his goldfish bowl so I could sterilize a bottle (thank god the little chap took to the boob so I didn't have to move at all!)

Journey · 20/06/2011 19:18

Northenlurker -"It's just daft to say newly delivered mothers can't be doing with bottles and making up feeds. How are they going to manage it at home then?" You have your own kitchen at home for a start, and you haven't just given birth less than an hour ago.

When the baby is in the hospital the hospital has a duty of care to that baby and should be fed. Why don't we just go ahead and charge all hospital patients for food? Why discriminate ff babies? Hospitals shouldn't be charging £1 a bottle. It's a disgrace.

4madboys · 20/06/2011 19:18

at home its a different set up where you have the space for equipment and maybe help from a friend or relative tho.

in a hospital in a tiny bay where there is barely enough space for your bag etc HOW is there going to be space for bottles, steriliser etc, and all electical equipment to be used in hospital has to be safety tested by the hospital before use, so how are they going to do that? in the case of electric sterilisers.

i just think from a practical point of view it is giong to be hugely difficult to bring in your own stuff and sterilise tho apparently some hospitals are trying to enforce this?

but the baby is a registered patient and on that premis alone should be fed if the mother wants or needs it to have bottles.

ohanotherone · 20/06/2011 19:21

They will provide sterile bottle and teats just nothing to put in them. You would have to buy the ready made cartons. They are 60p in Tescos. I can imagine the sterile bottles plus ready mixed formula do cost £1, so not unreasonsable if you want to formula feed.

mousesma · 20/06/2011 19:25

This isn't really news though is it, most hospitals do this already. I know when I gave birth last year I was told that if I wanted to FF then I would have to bring my own milk in. However if I wanted to breastfeed but couldn't get on with it for whatever reason the FF would be provided. I can't see anything different being suggested here.

4madboys · 20/06/2011 19:30

most hospitals the only place i have heard it mentioned is on mn! i dont know anyone in rl who has had to pay for formula in hospital.

and if ff are provided for those who cant feed for medical reasons ie mother or infant when does that stop, once discharged i am guesing they would have to pay but why? i had to put ds4 onto the bottle as i got pnp and was hospitalised no mother and baby unit near me at all, that was a medical need, should the formula have been provided?

if you are a patient you are a patient and should be fed, newborn or not!