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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Formula feeds in hospital

38 replies

bltblt · 25/03/2012 08:13

I'm a little nervous about posting this as it seems that most people on here are bf. Anyway, I'm intending to ff my baby to be and have been reading (in Gina Ford's book) that hospitals usually have 2 types of formula milk. Does anyone know which ones they are? I want to look into the different ones in advance.

Thanks for your time ladies x

OP posts:

catsareevil · 25/03/2012 08:22

Not all hospitals supply formula, so you may need to find out what your local hospital does.

CherryBlossom27 · 25/03/2012 08:23

I ended up giving DS formula milk at the hospital as breast feeding didn't work out, they asked me what brand I'd like, so I asked for Cow & Gate as this is what my mum used for me and I'd bought some emergency Cow & Gate powder and left it at home along with the steriliser etc on my mums advice as she really struggled with breast feeding too!

I got the impression that the hospital had all of the brands, but didn't want to 'recommend' a brand and say what they had?

Don't feel bad about formula feeding, all of my friends are giving formula milk too as they all really struggled with breast feeding. Breast milk is best, but thankfully we do have other options if it doesn't work out. Another of my friends who is pregnant isn't allowed to breast feed due to the medication she is on, there are lots of reasons people don't breast feed so you don't have to justify yourself!

Can you tell I got a bit emotional with the breast feeding not working out?!

HTH and congratulations :)

frankie76 · 25/03/2012 08:29

I got a letter from my hospital before saying they don't agree and don't provide so you might have to take your own
And yes when I did it they made me feel uncomfortable so you need a thick skin too
X

MigGril · 25/03/2012 08:30

If you intened to FF from the word go then most hospitals will not supply this anymore (although they have emergancy supplies for baby's who are struggling with BF).

Have you considered just BF while in hospital and then switching to formula once home. The colstum you give your baby is the most important bit and even this will give your baby a head start. (Ovously ignor me if you can't due to medical reasions)

And your milk will still come in even if you don't start feeding as initail milk production is hormone driven rather then supply and demanded which it switch to over the course of the first few week's.

IsLovingAndGiving · 25/03/2012 08:38

I would definitely give BF a go first, especially to ensure your baby get some colostrum from you. If decide to go for FF then I heard Aptimel is the closest to breast milk and I'd go for that.

GingerPCatt · 25/03/2012 08:43

When my ds was in scbu we had the choice of cow and gate or aptimil. I was in shock so the nurse just decided for me since I had no idea. I don't know if they give you formula unless your baby is in special care and I hope your dc is healthy and doesn't need scbu.

catsareevil · 25/03/2012 08:43

The thing about Aptamil being closest to breast milk is marketing.

WidowWadman · 25/03/2012 08:45

Hospitals which "don't agree and don't provide" food to their smallest and most vulnerable patients?

Now I'm all for the promotion of breastfeeding, and think hospitals should encourage women to breastfeed and support them,but withholding food from babies unless the parents brought it in themselves is just wrong.

lagoonhaze · 25/03/2012 08:50

Hospitals often have SMA as they do the bottles with teats on. However if you researched nestle tactics for formula in third country you may boycott them like Ive chosen to.
Cow and gate have annoyed me too with their weaning plan. All against latest advice just to sell a few jars. Aptamil have annoyed me the least but hate their adverts and they got in trouble a while back for their closest to breastmilk claims.

I ff my Ds and am BF my DD who has had small amounts of formula in an emergency so I'm not completely against formula I think you just need to consider the ethics a bit.

As for Gina ford I find most of her advice outdated so you may like to call the post delivery ward for advice.

Original poster

bltblt · 25/03/2012 08:50

Thanks for your help ladies. Because I'm considered a high risk pregnancy I'm going to be delivering my baby at a hospital quite far away from home so I'll make sure that next time Im there I ask about the situation with FF. I know this sounds daft, but does that mean I should take a kettle and the steriliser etc with me? Sorry - this is my first time and I haven't got any female relatives to ask. Also all of my friends BF so I don't want to start getting into it with them.....DH and I have had a pretty difficult journey to get this far so I don't want this to just be something else I'm panicking about with them!

OP posts:

lagoonhaze · 25/03/2012 08:52

Ps Elizabeth pantley and William sears do much better baby books!

mommykelly · 25/03/2012 08:55

you can buy the formula bottles that hopsitals would have supplied in supermarkets now for around £20.
i have used sma gold both times, each happily took to it straight away.
you really shouldnt feel bad about your choice. your little baby will be just as happy bottle fed, of course there are better benefits to breastfeeding but its about what you want! not a doctor lol
i think apatamil is more for babys coming off breastfeeding, not entirely sure
x

ShowOfHands · 25/03/2012 08:56

Give the hospital a ring and check procedure. But no you won't need to take a kettle and steriliser.

WidowWadman they don't withold food, they just ask that if you're planning to ff, you bring your own. They have an emergency supply.

ninjanurse · 25/03/2012 08:56

Maternity wards usually have a dedicated 'milk kitchen' with kettles, sterilisers and fridges where you can make your milk up.

DialMforMummy · 25/03/2012 08:57

Defo ask the hospital. My hospital (18 months ago) stocked most brands with single use tears so no need to bring anything. If they don't provide you with formula, you could always buy a stash of cartons and ask the hospital about sterilisation.
Don't feel bad about your choice.

ShowOfHands · 25/03/2012 08:59

All formula is much the same btw. Choose what's most readily available in your local shop where applicable or according to ethical concerns (see arguments re nestle) and then stick with it if it suits your baby. No one is better than or closer to breastmilk than another. Just right for you.

CornishKK · 25/03/2012 09:00

Generally I think hospitals will supply formula if there is a reason for you not breast feeding rather than planned formula feeding. Both of my children had tongue tie and were cup fed formula in hospital. I was given the choice of Cow & Gate or Aptamil both times, different hospitals. The midwife told me that Aptamil is closer to breast milk - obviously that's bullshit but I went with it anyway.

grobagsforever · 25/03/2012 09:02

All formula milks are basically the same op, I'd go for one that has the least unethical advertising. You will probably need to take your own to hospital.

grobagsforever · 25/03/2012 09:02

Please not cow and gate they are almost as bad as nestle...

Longtalljosie · 25/03/2012 09:04

You would normally have a tour of your maternity ward. That's a good thing to have generally I think... and you can ask while you're there. My unit made it very clear that no formula would be supplied. I have no personal experience of formula so if someone corrects me believe them not be, but I think that cartons would be OK - I'm pretty sure they're sterile in a way the powder isn't (but unless you're rolling in it you wouldn't keep doing that indefinitely)

Longtalljosie · 25/03/2012 09:04

not me I mean!

Seona1973 · 25/03/2012 09:05

SMA do a starter set that has 12 x 100ml bottles of milk and teats to attach to them. Cow and gate also do them.

BikeRunSki · 25/03/2012 09:09

My hospital (!Barnsley ) provides C&G and SMA in ready to go bottles with built in teats. When DS was born 3 years ago they also had Farley's Nurture although that is no longer made. I struggled with bf and they certainly did not give me a hard time for ff. TBH, ff, seemed the norm. When DD was born 5 months ago, same hospital, same mws, gave me brilliant bf support. I felt that the hospital were on my side whichever way I chose to feed either baby. They certainly promote bf, but did not give me a hard time when I stopped with DS.When I was in with DD more recently, this still seemed to be the attitude.

WidowWadman · 25/03/2012 09:13

Showofhands - No other patient has to bring their own food, so why is it ok when it comes to babies? I don't think that this policy would make one bit of difference to the decision making when it comes to breast or bottle, but just reads like a bullying tactic.

I guess trusts exploit the good press breast feeding promotion gets in order to get some cost saving out of not supplying formula, but that doesn't make it any better. I don't even think it helps promoting breastfeeding, but gives breastfeeding initiatives a bad name.

GinIsTheAnswer · 25/03/2012 09:17

Cow & Gate and Aptimiil are the same company ( Milupa). The ingredient lists and amounts of nutrients on first stage milk is identical so go with personal preference/ price. Ethically, they are all equal, including the organic ones! enjoy your lovely baby

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