How to FF at hospital after birth?

[UVASahm]

No she's actually right. There are a lot of hospitals across the country that are going to stop providing formula as an option so if you end up needing to supplement you have to have someone buy it for you. I know there are two in my area that don't provide formula. They have a nicu but you have to provide your own formula and diapers. Those hospital don't have a regular nursery either. The baby has to room in with you. My doctor wanted me to deliver there and I said NO WAY! I might as well birth at home and not pay the thousands of dollars it costs to stay in the hospital overnight.

[FindingMercy]

I can see how the hospital may not provide it, but they would have to have SOME on hand for medical emergencies. What would happen if a baby were born in the middle of the night and something happened to the mother? Would they just have to wait until morning to have someone run to the store and make the baby starve until then? Make the grieving dad go driving around town to find somewhere open that sells formula? There too many crazy scenarios like that where a baby could need a bottle or two before formula could be supplied from an outside source that the hospital would have to be prepared for.

Not to mention if its a Safe Haven baby (legally abandoned), or a baby taken into foster care after birth with no parent to provide for it until a guardian is named. How would they feed those babies? Make the nurses go buy formula?

[CASMama711]

Some hospitals that are designated as "baby-friendly" require rooming in and will not give formula unless there is a medical reason to need it. However, there is formula in those hospitals and it is given for free when it's medically necessary.

[UVASahm]

Originally Posted by CASMama711 Some hospitals that are designated as "baby-friendly" require rooming in and will not give formula unless there is a medical reason to need it. However, there is formula in those hospitals and it is given for free when it's medically necessary.

This is what I meant. They will only give it if needed.

[poohbear1208]

Originally Posted by UVASahm No she's actually right. There are a lot of hospitals across the country that are going to stop providing formula as an option so if you end up needing to supplement you have to have someone buy it for you. I know there are two in my area that don't provide formula. They have a nicu but you have to provide your own formula and diapers. Those hospital don't have a regular nursery either. The baby has to room in with you. My doctor wanted me to deliver there and I said NO WAY! I might as well birth at home and not pay the thousands of dollars it costs to stay in the hospital overnight.

That would sooooo not be the hospital for me. Not only do I exclusively formula feed, my babies go to the nursery at night so I can sleep

[luvsviola]

They have it on hand because there will be babies that come in through the ER that need formula. Telling you they don't have it is BS.

[Mom2Connor]

Originally Posted by luvsviola They have it on hand because there will be babies that come in through the ER that need formula. Telling you they don't have it is BS.

Yeah, there is just no way that posted info is accurate. Baby friendly or not, there are medical reasons some babies need formula. I just don't believe for a second that NICU babies parents have to buy and deliver formula. Moms can die during or after birth, safe haven babies, single moms in the hospital with no family support to buy and deliver formula, etc.

There are just so many examples why a baby could need formula, no hospital isn't going to keep it on hand. It may not be in the room but it will be available.

[MyKylie]

I would bring my own. That way I could choose the brand and type I wanted to feed, instead of whatever the hospital had. I also agree that the RTF bottles are a must in the beginning.

[ilovemygirl]

Thanks again for all the replies ladies. I got a brochure from my hospital that says they are baby friendly and will assist in breastfeeding but if a mom makes an informed decision to formula feed they will provide it. I will be bringing some of my own just in case.
I do believe there are hospitals and nurses that will try to make it tough to formula feed but I don't see how they can force you and not supply food for your baby. There's no law you have to breastfeed and all the situations that can occur that have already been posted.

[hcokasil]

I just had my first experience with this! Most of the nurses were familiar with my chart so knew I couldn't bf (due to mastectomies) but there were a couple who obviously didn't see that and you could tell they were disapproving of my "choice" to not breast feed. It almost made me feel good when they asked why, to tell them I had no real boobs! But anyway, they just gave us similac. I don't know if I could have asked for something different. Formula is a whole new world for me so I just took what they gave. My baby ended up in the nicu for two days and while I was there I saw that they had pretty much every formula imaginable on the shelves...they were so nice about explaining how much and how often and they sent us home with a ton of freebies, thank goodness, this stuff is expensive!

sorry, i'm really bad at autocorrect and I don't like proof reading!