Formula in hospital

[Ireallywantsomechips]

I’m probably being really thick here but my common sense brain is on holiday and I attempted to breastfeed my first so didn’t need to know.

I know you can buy pre made formula that can be taken to hospital, but how do you feed it to the baby? If I sterilise bottles in advance they wont be sterile anymore? Will they? I’m so confused. Probably also asked this terribly! I blame my baby brain 🙈

You get newborn starter sets that come with a prefilled bottled and a sterilised teat. They are single use bottles

Any reason you don't want to give bf a go this time?

You can buy starter packs! www.boots.com/cow-and-gate-1-first-milk-starter-pack-ready-to-feed-6x70ml-10175041?cm_mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppc--LIAs--Baby-_-UK_Smart_Shopping_LIAs_Baby&gclid=Cj0KCQiAiJSeBhCCARIsAHnAzT_sH_dqcZ0LZ4YmhvdcHYt4hhitw0coPeVBTK0aoW4LDqRzrO3FAQwaAk-oEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
A few different brands do them. It's little pre made disposable bottles with disposable sterile teats.

It probably differs between hospitals but I was in for a while with my daughter and the ward had big tubs to use Milton tablets with to sterilise bottles

You can buy ready made formula that comes with little single use teats! They're fab for hospital.

www.boots.com/aptamil-1-first-milk-starter-pack-ready-to-feed-6x70ml-10175040?cm_mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppc--LIAs--Baby-_-UK_Smart_Shopping_LIAs_Baby&gclid=Cj0KCQiAiJSeBhCCARIsAHnAzT_GZSlZ-eVlhZ4D4MiNYJ0bjDFG8TzOfQxhCJU0VkCShIz3OicnIQoaAvqIEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

(I hope that link works but if not just Google "premixed formula with teats")

I know other brands do them and it's what the hospital stock.

Good luck!

Any reason why she wants to formula feed? I'm sure there's lots but it's not for anyone else to need to know :-)

My hospital had tiny single use bottles and teats they gave me when we were doing some top up feeds

I'm sure she has her reasons and they're none of your business 🙄

The parents room had access to kettle and microwave.

Just wow.

Oh brilliant! Thanks everyone ☺️

Yeah the tiny little single use ones are really good, a few of those in your bag and you are good to go.

The hospital always provides little formula bottles for baby, I never had to take my own on with any of my 3 kids x

My own in

The trusts I know well will only let you use Milton to sterilise if you’re attempting to breastfeed. For feeding formula otherwise it needs to be the starter packs, sadly we just don’t have access to enough to give them out anymore. They’re very pricey and only last an hour once opened which I imagine is very frustrating, take at least one box in with you and if you absolutely can’t afford to buy more then let them know. Otherwise you need your own 🙂

I don’t know if this is the case anymore as lots of hospitals really limit the formula in order to be “breastfeeding friendly” (why you can’t be breastfeeding friendly without making life difficult for formula feeding mums I don’t know!)

I was given teated single use bottles for my baby

The hospital I gave birth in gave me some of the single use sterilised bottles at first then I used my own bottles which I sterilised in the Milton cold water steriliser they gave me. I was in hospital for 2 days after my baby was born so I needed to sterilise quite a lot. A bit of a faff on the ward but you do what you gotta do!

My hospital expected that if you were planning to formula feed, you bought your own formula with you - they did give out bottles in emergencies or if breastfeeding wasn't going well.
My hospital also let you use the microwave steriliser bags - might be worth asking your midwife if that's an option?

To all those who had to take their own formula in, when did you give birth? I gave birth in 2021 just near the end of it, formula was provided for me. This is the first I’m hearing about taking your own in, sounds stressful, as if you don’t have enough to worry about!

@riotlady I agree, I’m shocked tbh

Read the book The Politics of Breastfeeding which explores this in detail. Essentially, because the NHS would then be buying formula which would be supplied by one of the big brands - all of which have histories of extremely unethical behaviour in order to sell their milk to hospitals. Eg in the 1960s, paying for hospital maternity wards to be built (how lovely!) but insisting that there was a separate nursery for the babies in the design - knowing full-well that babies and mothers who are separated for hours at a time are much less likely to successfully breastfeed.

There are lots more reasons but essentially there is an international Code to protect mothers and babies from unscrupulous marketing practices, and part of it is hospitals can’t offer formula unless there are medical reasons.

This is NOT a judgement of the OP or any parents who use formula, btw. It’s just an explanation of the law to answer the question.

With DD1 (2021), hospital provided little bottles of formula and microwave sterilisation bags.

The milk was provided in the hospital I gave birth in. Do you have to take your own?