Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Do I have any legal right to breastfeed in hospital?

99 replies

NAR4 · 24/06/2013 17:41

I have recieved a date for surgery to get my downstairs repaired, following the birth of my last child. My baby is 4 months old and fully breastfed. He refuses to drink from a bottle or a cup and just screams until he can be fed by me. I have been trying to arrange for my husband to be able to bring the baby to me, in hospital, for his feeds. I have checked that it is safe to do so after an anesthetic (drugs in breastmilk helpline, BfN) and it is. The hospital have refused on the grounds that other patients might find it offensive. Shock

Do I have any legal right to be able to feed my child? The hospital have said if he is hungry he would take the bottle. I don't believe this at all and am finding the whole thing really stressfull. The operation is booked for 1st July.

Any knowledge or help would be greatly appreciated.

OP posts:
HorryIsUpduffed · 27/06/2013 08:56

I had an op in a private hospital when DS1 was older than yours but still almost totally dependent on bm.

The anaesthetist chose the right anaesthetic so I wouldn't need to express (except for comfort) and I fed him whenever we could be together. Totally uncomplicated.

Later, on an NHS gynae ward, I fed him quietly behind my curtains because I was mc and sensitive to the idea that other patients might be in a similar position. Again, staff had checked that the drugs weren't incompatible.

I think OP's hospital is not trying hard enough.

HorryIsUpduffed · 27/06/2013 08:58

x-post (s l o w t y p I n g) - great result! Wink

marzipananimal · 27/06/2013 09:02

Great!

pizzaqueen · 27/06/2013 09:12

Sorry I haven't read all the replies so sorry if thus has already been mentioned.

Is it the gyn ward you are going to be on? I was on the gyn ward last Friday night having haemorrhaged after a miscarriage. I have no problem at all with breast feeding and think your baby should be allowed in hospital with you. However if you brought your wee baby in to see you whilst I miscarrying in the next bed this would have been really distressing for me at a difficult time. Perhaps this is the hospitals issue? There will be many women on the ward who have just had miscarriages, and procedures relating to them, even terminations, having a small baby around could be really upsetting.

I do think that the hospital should provide a private room or place to feed your baby though! Just maybe not on the ward iyswim.

I hope you get the outcome you want.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 27/06/2013 09:16

OP that is a great result, well done for persevering, and well done to the general manager for being sensible!

fuckwittery · 27/06/2013 10:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

noblegiraffe · 27/06/2013 10:10

Well done, I'm so glad sense has prevailed. The idea of a medical institution not supporting breastfeeding was completely bizarre!

SupermansBigRedPants · 27/06/2013 11:49

Thank heavens for that!

hermioneweasley · 27/06/2013 11:54

Thank goodness for that! I hope someone has had a sharp telling off for that nonsense.

bedhaven · 27/06/2013 16:41

Great to hear you've had a satisfactory response. I had day surgery when DS 4 months old, they put me first on the list and the anaesthetist gave pros and cons of various options. I fed him just before going in and then when I was back, awake and able to support him.
Just in case your surgery takes longer than anticipated or you end up majorly pukey after your anaesthetic it might be worth expressing or taking some formula and a bottle and beaker. Then your partner has some easily available options to try or hopefully not need. Best wishes.

pizzaqueen · 27/06/2013 16:51

I'm glad you got the outcome you wanted and will be able to feed your baby OP.

I'm sure you will but can I please ask you to be sensitive around other women on the ward, many will have had miscarriages and terminations and seeing your lovely baby boy might be difficult for them at such at difficult time. Just Pull the curtain over and ask DP to take him away if he is fussy etc. I'm sure you will be sensitive, I just know if someone brought a baby into the gyn ward when I was miscarrying in the next bed it would have been really upsetting for me.

WhyMeWhyNot · 27/06/2013 17:13

I was working in an early pregnancy unit and there where 8 ladies, some with partners, in the waiting room. All of them were waiting for scan/to see dr relating to their miscarriage.

One patient who had got pregnant within 4 wks of delivering her previous baby began breast feeding.

The upset caused was immense. No one said anything but many of the ladies began to cry. We of course offered her a side room but she said, rightly, that she had the right to feed where she wanted.

So,nothing like your case in that respect, but as a poster said further up, are you going to be on a gynae ward with fellow patients suffering a pregnancy loss.

Still no excuse they should accommodate you whatever the circumstances.
I rally hope you resolve this.

I definitely second contacting PALS

Weegiemum · 27/06/2013 17:16

I was in and out of hospital with a pregnancy-induced complication for a year after dd2 was born.

I was always given a side room, cot and nurses happy to carry her about.

You should be encourages to feed your baby as you see fit.

WhyMeWhyNot · 27/06/2013 17:16

Whilst writing my post I see you got a result. Yay

Hope all goes really well.

Original poster
NAR4 · 29/06/2013 20:21

I am going to be on a day surgery ward not a gyn ward. Got a phone call yesterday early evening, to tell me I would be first down to theatre.
Dh is going to wonder off with baby and just bring him back for feeds because we don't know how other patients will be feeling and as others have said, what they are having done. 6 bottles expressed as back up and dh also bought a couple of cartons of ready made formula in case of an emergency. Honestly I think dh is far more worried now than me. I feel very happy knowing my baby will be fine but he is worrying about me being fine. Bless!

OP posts:
SauvignonBlanche · 29/06/2013 20:36

Great result OP, as an NHS Ward Manager I would bend over backwards to accommodate a BFing mother.

FadBook · 29/06/2013 21:01

Good result OP, no idea why you could PM me back but I'm pleased you have got some cooperation from the hospital.

Hope you recover quickly from your operation

FadBook · 29/06/2013 21:02

*couldnt PM, not could. That wouldn't make sense!0

Original poster
NAR4 · 29/06/2013 21:40

I just couldn't figure out how to pm you back. I'm pretty rubbish with computers and can only do limited things that my patient dh has had to show me repeatedly how to do.

OP posts:
FadBook · 29/06/2013 23:13

It's fine, just hope the info was useful. I know only too well that feeling of wanting to look after your child but knowing you need an operation too, and must look after yourself.

All the best, update us on how you get on Smile

Original poster
NAR4 · 30/06/2013 18:40

Thank you Fad. The info was helpful. Will let you all know how it goes.

OP posts:
LineRunner · 30/06/2013 18:42

There's something not right here.

Original poster
NAR4 · 02/07/2013 07:31

Well I have had my op and feel v sore. Def hurts more afterwards than when you have had a baby.

Baby went 4 hrs between his feeds in the morning and then fed at the hospital roughly every hr after. He didn't seem affected by the anethestic at all. Staff were all lovely and I was in my own room.

House already looks like a bomb has gone off. My dh is fine with childcare but rubbish with housework. Hiding from the mess in my bedroom at mo.

OP posts:
HorryIsUpduffed · 02/07/2013 10:27

Get well soon OP.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread