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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Did my hospital break the WHO code?

26 replies

mrsmartin1984 · 19/07/2013 22:23

I had a terrible time in hospital and most of the midwives there were useless. I was regularly told/offered formula when I asked for help breast feeding and received very little help getting my baby to latch on. Despite the fact that the hospital was UNICEF approved. I felt like I was treated like a lunatic and a fascist for wanting to BF. Fortunately (and no thanks to them) I have managed to carry on and am still EBF at 5 1/2 months and long may it continue. Although I believe that had I not gone into hospital determined to breast feed, and out of 5 people I went to my antenatal classes with (who wanted to BF) I am the only one who succeeded.

I have just been reading about the WHO code on breast feeding. One of the points of the code is that free or discounted samples of formula should not be given to mothers. As supplementing with formula has an adverse effect on a woman's supply. The hospital I went to had packs of bottles of formula that you could help yourself too. And a cupboard of every type of formula which you could prepare yourself. When asked the midwives handed out these bottles (with pre steralised teats) like hot cakes.

Is this against the code? And did anyone else have issues like this in hospital

OP posts:

DoItTooJulia · 19/07/2013 22:38

I think your concerns and experience are valid and need to be addressed by the hospital. However, I think that maternity wards/hospitals absolutely do have to have formula milk available. Imagine the alternative!

badguider · 19/07/2013 22:41

doit - the who code says formula providion by the hospital shook of be "medically indicated" rather than "help yourself".

DoItTooJulia · 19/07/2013 22:49

But we all know how overworked post natal midwives are! And how short staffed they are.

They are also only guidelines.

I totally agree that bf support is lacking in hospitals and wish it was as freely and widely available as a cupboard full off formula.

ananikifo · 19/07/2013 22:54

I don't think a formula cupboard constitutes samples if it was only for parents who had already decided not to bf. Samples would be more like if they gave formula samples in bounty packs.

It does sound like they could do more to support bf on that ward though.

Original poster

mrsmartin1984 · 19/07/2013 22:57

Guidelines are there for a reason. To ensure that BF is promoted, instead it was totally undermined. I completely agree that if there is a medical reason why formula is needed it should be given. But surely the rest of the mothers should have to go to the effort of feeding their babies themselves like those who BF do. The easiest way to feed a newborn is just to bottle feed, BF in the early days is really hard work. But BF is in the interest of the mother and child and they should do everything possible to promote it. I understand that they are short staffed, but the attitude of some of the midwives was an absolute disgrace. One even threatened to call social services because I demanded the right to breast feed. It wasn't simply the case of a few midwives being rushed off their feet.

And yes I have made a complaint. And yes it has been ignored

OP posts:

maja00 · 19/07/2013 22:58

A Unicef baby friendly hospital shouldn't have been offering you formula with no medical need just because it is easier for the midwives. I wonder if you have grounds to complain about them breaking the baby friendly guidelines rather than WHO ones?

BumPop · 19/07/2013 23:18

if your hosp was the patron saint of England, then i had a similar but even worse experience 5 years ago. pls complain, I did, but about other issues and they had re vamped everything when I did my ptsd trip back 6 months later. Your comments can really help future mums.

Original poster

mrsmartin1984 · 19/07/2013 23:33

I have complained. They said they would get back to me within 35 days. That was 2 months ago. Other mothers I spoke to have had a terrible experience for allot of different reasons in the same ward. The thought of going back there upsets me when I do think about having a second child. I try not to think about the way I was treated because it upsets me and makes me truly angry. I made the complaint because I wanted closure and to feel like I have done something. Even though it has made no difference what so ever. Reading about the WHO code in a book I am reading stirred up memories about it. But largely I don't let the bastards get me down. I'm still EBF despite all their efforts and my baby is beautiful and healthy. That is the most important thing

OP posts:

midori1999 · 19/07/2013 23:51

I think it does break the UNICEF baby friendly guidelines, can you complain to UNICEF instead?

I had my DD in a baby friendly hospital and was told that staff are not allowed to suggest formula, it must be requested.

Twattybollocks · 21/07/2013 20:11

My local recently got full baby friendly status. They are only allowed to provide formula if medically indicated, formula must not be stored on show at all, no logos on equipment (despite various formula companies handing out free pens and teddies to midwives!) the staff must all be trained in bf support, and have the correct information to assist mothers who want to bf. there are 3 different stages though, and I remember we didn't go milk free until we were moving towards the third stage

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 22/07/2013 14:36

I wasn't allowed to try and BF preemie DS (35 weeks) as they wanted to know he had a certain amount in a very short space of time and instead one of the MWs actually force fed him formula! He immediately threw it all up and she said I needed to force the 35ml down him until he kept it down. I refused and the only time we had a problem is when she done that. I watched her do this with another healthy term baby on the ward who was feeding slowly but was less than 24 hours it, it was horrifying tbh.

They wouldn't offer any advice on BF and told me I couldn't express for 60 hours so refused to get me a pump even though I had loads of milk. I was told when leaving the hospital I must give formula top ups no matter what.

Instead they walked around with a trolley of bottles of formula, asking every single mother if they wanted some and which kind would they like. I did see another woman tempted as she was struggling with BF.

When I went home I spoke to my own MW and we got BF going and he is now EBF, she (and a few others) didn't see why I needed to give formula if he was feeding enough from me.

This was a "baby friendly" hospital also and was only 1 month ago.

In the hospital with DS1 the bottles were left out so you could help yourself and everyone was given a small bag of them to take home!

This was 2 different hospitals so I think this is the norm.

tiktok · 22/07/2013 14:53

UNICEF Baby Friendly want feedback to help them improve hospitals. email them: [email protected]

tiktok · 22/07/2013 14:54

Free samples of formula is way out of line......this is highly unusual and would be stopped immediately in most units, if reported.

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 22/07/2013 15:01

I thought this is what happened everywhere?

maja00 · 22/07/2013 15:04

Not in my experience Schro! I had mine at a baby friendly hospital and saw no formula, it wasn't even suggested to me as an option. I don't think they even provided formula to people choosing to bottle feed - one woman on my ward was bottle feeding and she brought her own.

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 22/07/2013 15:09

Is it different in Scotland then? Everyone I have known has been in a hospital that offers formula. You actually get a choice here between SMA, Aptamil or Cow and Gate, all in small little bottles exactly the same as you can buy in the shops (the little ones with sterile teats), no plain packaging or anything.

wigglesrock · 22/07/2013 15:19

I'm in NI and the hospital that I had mine in provides formula. It doesn't offer it as such, but when I told the midwives I was formula feeding I was given the glass bottles and then I was given them at various times. You got them from a midwife. When I had dd1 (8 years ago), you helped yourself from the cupboard but when I had dd3 (2.5 years ago), you asked for them. They was a choice of 2 brands - Aptamil or SMA.

TallulahBetty · 22/07/2013 15:25

Definitely not my experience (West Mids). They do not provide formula - you must being your own unless you are trying to BF but cannot for whatever reason, and the baby needs to be fed (as was my situation). I was then provided with formula, but mothers choosing to FF had to provide their own.

badguider · 22/07/2013 15:34

Schro - please name the hospitals you were in.

I will be going into the RIE in Edinburgh the next couple of months and have been told that it has 'baby friendly' status and we won't be offered formula except if medically indicated. I would certainly want to know if either of your experiences were at the RIE as they directly contradict everything the local MWs and LLL have told me in ante-natal appts/classes.

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 22/07/2013 15:40

Southern General in Glasgow and The Princes Royal Maternity in Glasgow.

badguider · 22/07/2013 16:01

Thanks. good to know.

I have been strongly assured that RIE is very good at supporting bf in the first hours and days including for premies and after CS.

Original poster

mrsmartin1984 · 22/07/2013 16:22

I don't feel the baby friendly status means anything. In hindsight I wished I had read more about BF. Because at the time I instinctively thought the MW were talking bollocks. Now I am sure they were. I didn't read much because I thought it would be natural. Instead I have to have an EmCS so I was just sore. I remember reading somewhere that supplementing in the early days was a bad idea. So I refused. It took allot of energy to stick to my guns.

For the other ladies on the ward who FF and had CS; the midwives took their babies off them so they could have an undisturbed nights sleep to recover from the op. I on the other hand they hardly helped. Even though during the first couple of nights I couldn't pick my baby up. I had to keep pressing the buzzer and listening to my baby cry. Sometimes for over half an hour

OP posts:

tiktok · 22/07/2013 16:33

It's the free samples to go home with that is against Baby Friendly and the WHO code. Formula to babies already formula feeding may be free - while the baby is in hospital.

valiumredhead · 22/07/2013 16:44

Schro-my experience of scbu 12 years ago was pretty much the same, no bf support just lots of pressure to express.

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 22/07/2013 16:49

That was in the first hospital (PRM), I don't know that they were particularly meant to do it as when I left I was BF and moved to SCBU but I know that on the PN ward whenever I seen someone leaving they were given some in a clear bag to take home and I was asked if I wanted some as well at one point. My best friend got them as well, she started off BF but it got too painful in the night so switched to formula, at that point someone did try and stop her from getting a bottle but she wasn't given any help to latch properly so gave the formula after the first night. I didn't recieve any help to BF until I got to SCBU 2 days after he was born.

In SGH I did see a few MWs going round to help with latching and feeding problems which I thought was good but the free formula on tap is tempting I think.

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