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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

How do you formula feed from birth?

69 replies

BBQueen · 30/07/2018 07:42

I know this could sound like a stupid question... I’m currently pregnant with DC3 and breast fed my first two. For various reasons, I want to exclusively formula feed this time.

How soon after birth do you offer a bottle? Do you take sterilised bottles and ready mixed formula to the hospital with you? Will midwives be OK providing hot water to heat bottles until I’m able to get out of bed?

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dingdongdigeridoo · 31/07/2018 10:57

My DS wouldn’t latch and I was having a horrendous time with BFing. Asked if I could have a bottle to tide us over and the midwifes at my local hospital were really funny about it. They eventually went off to find one about an hour later.

This time I’m bringing my own supplies just in case. I’ve got the mini aptamil bottles packed. Just because a hospital technically provides formula, doesn’t mean they’re always happy about it!

WhirlingTurkey · 31/07/2018 12:09

I think it's a bit weird for anyone to get their knickers in a twist about hospitals not providing formula where it's not medically required. If you are planning to formula feed, why should the NHS foot the bill? Take your own. Who on earth would go into hospital without the required tools and equipment to feed their baby? Do you turn up without nappies and clothes too? Breastfeeding mums bring their own food source, the same should be the case for FF mums.

Where formula is medically required/or it's an emergency case then I agree 100% hospitals should provide this and in my experience (baby readmitted due to failure to latch and weightloss / dehydration, etc.) they absolutely do.

PersianCatLady · 31/07/2018 12:22

why should the NHS foot the bill? Take your own
Do you take your own food when you go into hospital?

WhirlingTurkey · 31/07/2018 13:02

Actually, yes I do.

Ifeelshit · 31/07/2018 14:07

PersianCatLady but the baby isn't the patient (unless in scubu). The mother is the patient, the baby just happens to be there with her.

Celebelly · 31/07/2018 14:12

I agree that it would be weird to choose to FF and then not actually bring any food for your baby when you go to the hospital. I'm hoping to BF but will still be bringing a couple of bottles of formula in my hospital bag just in case something happens and I'm unable. (I'll also be bringing a metric ton of snacks and drinks for myself and DP!)

That said, obviously hospitals should have a small supply for emergency situations and make that available if there's a need.

SnuggyBuggy · 31/07/2018 14:25

Sometimes baby is the patient, mine was on a 5 day treatment whereas I was ready for discharge earlier.

rebelrosie12 · 31/07/2018 14:29

Big boots do the first feed ones with sterile teat. They've just started doing them with hipp organic too.

rebelrosie12 · 31/07/2018 14:31

Whirlingturkey many breastfeeding mums would probably take up quite a bit of staff time too, getting established. Which is not free.

happymummy12345 · 31/07/2018 15:55

I knew I didn't even want to try breastfeeding. The best way is a starter pack of formula. These are premise bottles that come with disposable teats. You simply unwrap the teat, put it on the bottle, heat the bottle and that's it.
I can't remember exactly how soon I fed my baby. I was in the birth centre, the midwife prepared the bottle and gave it to me.

WhirlingTurkey · 31/07/2018 17:08

Whirlingturkey many breastfeeding mums would probably take up quite a bit of staff time too, getting established. Which is not free.

If you're going down that avenue then breastfeeding could also save the NHS money in the long run. Although that's not a debate I really want to get drawn into.

I just think if you know you are going to FF it seems silly not to take some into hospital with you. That's a totally different kettle of fish to unforeseen complications that make FF medically necessary, for whatever reason. IMO the NHS should absolutely provide formula milk under those cirumstances, and my understanding (and also my personal experience) was that they do so.

MeadowHay · 31/07/2018 17:22

Our hospital has Unicef Baby Friendly Status thing like a previous PP said, they don't provide formula apart as a general rule - though midwife who ran the antenatal classes told us that if we got super stuck and couldn't BF for whatever reason then they would be able to provide some. Therefore we were advised if planning to BF, don't need to bring any for an emergency because hospital will step in if it doesn't work, but if planning to FF, bring your own. We were also advised there were no facilities for refrigeration of formula milk so we would need to bring ready-made bottles and they recommended a starter pack. I was hoping to BF but was anxious about it not working out so we bought an Aptamil starter pack and took two of the bottles in with us, never used them in the end as BF.

Original poster

BBQueen · 01/08/2018 08:55

I have no problem taking formula with me (I can’t imagine making a hungry baby wait whilst overworked midwives find the time to bring some anyway).

The cost of the ready made bottles though! I was in for five days after DD2, and she must have had 100 (breast) feeds in that time!

For those of you that FF straight from birth, how often did you give your baby milk?

OP posts:

WooYa · 01/08/2018 09:56

I gave DS a bottle when we got to my room out of theatre about 45 min later... he drank all 70ml. I gave 30ml about an hour later then it would have been every 1hr30mins-ish when he was rooting and suckling thin air ☺️ I was in hospital about 36hours and went through 2 boxes because the bottles can only stay open a short time (and he is a gannet 😂)

WhirlingTurkey · 01/08/2018 13:13

For those of you that FF straight from birth, how often did you give your baby milk?

I think the advice with FF now is to feed responsively, and look for hunger cues, just like you would a BF baby. Although I also would not go over three hours without offering a very newborn baby a feed. Paced bottle feeding is also worth looking into to help baby manage intake of milk.

Thesearmsofmine · 01/08/2018 16:31

I fed on demand. It will depend on baby, one of mine went straight into a 3 hour pattern another was anything from 1-3 hours.

IAmLurkacus · 01/08/2018 19:20

I fed on demand to start with and eased them towards the GF routine ASAP, think it worked out about 3 hourly while in the hospital

sycamore54321 · 02/08/2018 01:58

In my feeding experience, paced bottle feeding is nonsense. I tried it with my first, when breastfeeding wasn't working out and when I was desperate to combo feed and I was afraid of my life of nipple confusion as if that were the worst thing in the world. It was ridiculous and after a day or two I realised. My poor baby was already exhausted from suckling almost fruitlessly from my tiny supply of breast milk and then was further exhausted from me dragging an ounce or three out of a bottle as slowly as possible. It was downright cruel and I hate that I did it, looking back now. Let the baby control the flow and the amount she eats and be more sensible than me who fell for the "paced feeding" rubbish on the breastfeeding sites. Babies shouldn't be using their precious energy working exhaustedly to get the milk they need.

2good · 03/08/2018 08:58

Midwives advised maximum of 3 hours between feeds and to wake baby if it goes longer. If baby is awake and looking for food, they said of course feel free to feed on demand esp at such an early age. We were lucky that they supply the ff in tiny sterile bottles, as much as needed. I was only there for a day and half so wasn't much really.

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