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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

is it right to provide formula on maternity wards?

271 replies

nappyaddict · 13/01/2007 02:04

take a look

i personally think, this is wrong. yes we want to encourage people to breastfeed, but if a was admitted to the children's ward say at 6 or even 12 months old, we would expect them to provide food for that baby. they would not turn around and say you can't have any he/she should be having bm. so why should it be any different in a maternity ward?

if i go to hopsital i expect to be fed, i expect the same for any new born baby.

what do you think?

OP posts:
Jimjams2 · 13/01/2007 23:04

well precisely expat.

lissielou · 13/01/2007 23:06

as i said earlier, surely cutbacks would be more effective in admin than on the wards?

Pablothelittleredfox · 13/01/2007 23:06

With you expat (for a change!)

GDG

expatinscotland · 13/01/2007 23:06

I've taken off a week in April.

Could have gone to my first cousin's wedding in the US.

Papa would have paid.

Or could take care of two children whose Mama's just had a baby and whose husband has to work away from home a lot to pay the bills.

Can't say it was much of a contest.

Or that Papa didn't understand.

Really.

You know who pays in all this?

Britain's future.

Nice to know it's worth so much.

lissielou · 13/01/2007 23:08

excellant point expat.

Jimjams2 · 13/01/2007 23:09

What I love about you expat (seriously) is that you really care that it's all going to the dogs.

Might be worth your friend contacting SS for help btw. I contacted them when I was pregnant with ds3 as I realised I'd need it.

expatinscotland · 13/01/2007 23:10

These are children we're talking about.

These are babies.

These are the future.

Don't you want them to be happy? Don't you want their mamas to feel good about being a mama?

It doesn't cost very much in pounds and pence.

expatinscotland · 13/01/2007 23:12

Don't talk the talk if you're not going to walk the walk.

My pal's a part-time academic. She's getting to where it's getting round.

It's hard when you're so pregnant and trying to juggle it all.

You feel bad, like you're not doing the best by your little ones.

What's wrong w/a little help?

What's wrong w/saying, 'Aw, honey, it's gonna all work out, no matter how you feed 'em?'

Or just nothing at all.

Just, here's the time off and I'm coming for your kids at 0.00 hrs and if they're not ready well just let me in and we'll get 'em ready to go'?

There's a lot of free stuff in Edinburgh.

Hell, my daughter will take 'em in hand!

Watch out!

sandcastles · 13/01/2007 23:14

'How can a hospital say they are supporting breastfeeding if they hand out free formula milk? Makes no sense'

Ceolas, they don't 'support' it tho! The only support I was given was 'feed her' & left to it. Once I was down in the ward & had dd with me (she was in SCBU from Weds night til Fri lunch) I asked for help as I wasnted to breastfeed & was told they didn't have the resources & they gave us a pamphlet......This is at the hospital that this thread is about!!

expatinscotland · 13/01/2007 23:15

What if the mother is ill?

What if she's scared?

What if she's poor on top of all that, or has SN kids at home?

FGS, these babies are patients, too!

Jimjams2 · 13/01/2007 23:15

She really does have bigger things to worry about - remind her that if people start to have a go at her. My very pro breastfeeding midwife was lovely with ds3- she understood our situation here- clocked it pretty quickly, then concentrated on "being sensible about it" as she put it.

expatinscotland · 13/01/2007 23:19

She's already realised it, JJ. And that's very sensible of her.

Thing is, she's got a great big house in a swank part of town. Her daddy died and left her that inheritance. So?

Her life is still hard. She still works and tries to hang onto her creativity and her life.

She pays taxes, too.

Ceolas · 13/01/2007 23:21

This is not a debate about whether you should formula feed or not. If you want to, that's your choice.

It's also your responsibility.

Nor is it an issue of money because, tbh if money is an issue she's going to get it provided with tokens anyway.

expatinscotland · 13/01/2007 23:24

Really, Ceolas?

Is that what you think?

I made just enough not to qualify for tokens.

And it's a laugh how much that is.

When I went to work.

When DD1 was 8 weeks old.

And I was on big drugs for PND.

And DH has severe learning disabilities and stayed home w/her b/c I was too ill, too.

But if we went on benes, we couldn't afford the rent.

Your taxes go to give convicted child rapists compensation when their suicide attempt fails, too.

Which would you rather pay for?

Jimjams2 · 13/01/2007 23:24

when you're hanging on it doesn't take much for it all to be too much. Hope it all goes well for her, and they give her bloody formula on the ward (wanders off muttering about ridiculous money saving ideas). Oh kind of linked. They have a new money saving idea for speech and language therapy as well (because there aren't enough therapist). They will now only treat children who have a problem that can be fixed in a few (6ish) short sessions. Or at least those children are prioritised. Children with complex disorders who require a lot of help and too expensive and too hopeless so go to the bottom of the list forever. Next they'll be getting rid of hospitals.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 13/01/2007 23:29

It's a damned shame that babies are born 'patients' in the first place if they neednt be.

Ceolas · 13/01/2007 23:29

I am sorry for your situation expat.

But I don't think it's about money.

I don't think they are doing it to save money and to make the pro-breastfeeding taxpayers feel smug.

There are hundreds of ways the tax payers pennies are spend I'd rather they weren't.

But something needs to be done to improve the breastfeeding rates whether you like it or not.

Ceolas · 13/01/2007 23:30

Agree 100% VVV

expatinscotland · 13/01/2007 23:32

'But something needs to be done to improve the breastfeeding rates whether you like it or not. '

Oh, yes. That's right up there w/making sure they've got a qualified midwife at ALL delivering them and a bed to lay in.

And actually leave the hospital w/o MRSA.

Yep.

There are some big fish to fry.

expatinscotland · 13/01/2007 23:33

Why, VVV?

Let's go back to the days where women had to beg around for someone to attend them in birth, everyone!

Let's all have them at home!

Just like in Africa, where lots of women DIE in childbirth.

And let's not get into those who suffer fistulas in childbirth and then are ostrasised by their society for it.

Ceolas · 13/01/2007 23:34

If you want a debate about the cost of maternity care there are loads of ways of making the whole exercise more cost-effective.

But personally I think that's another thread.

Twinklemegan · 13/01/2007 23:34

Personally I think it could work the other way. They are kind of forcing women into an early decision rather than letting them wait and see how it goes. Yes I know that you could cart in all the stuff "just in case" but that's half way to admitting defeat already. I for one would have been very uneasy about that - I didn't even want any formula in the house. I did get bottles and a steriliser though - told myself it was for expressing only. If only...

expatinscotland · 13/01/2007 23:34

Is it?

It doesn't strike me as such, after having read this article.

Ceolas · 13/01/2007 23:36

Perhaps I am being naive believing it's not cost-cutting as much as upholding the principles of the WHO Code and the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative.

Ceolas · 13/01/2007 23:37

But Twinklemum, it's exactly the 'just in case' attitude that needs to change. Women need to believe in their won ability to birth and feed their babies, imo.