Question re: Hospitals and Forumla

AMW054 · September 2012

I was talking to my aunt yesterday and she told me that when she had her DD, almost 2 years ago, the hosital gave her [DD] a couple of droppers full of formula. She said that they did this because she [my aunt] wasn't producing enough colostrum and because her milk hadn't come in yet.

I guess that makes sense, but the way my aunt was talking, she made it seem like this is normal for the hospital to give the baby a little bit of formula while they are there.

Is this really normal?

acbfreire · September 2012

You can "opt out" of it. It is easier if the baby rooms in with you IMO.

AMW054 · September 2012

Thank you for the responses - that makes me feel better. I mean, if I am not able to produce what my baby will need then I am fine with formula, but I just thought that the more you breastfeed the more milk will come in so I found it odd that they would try to give the baby formula when she was still producing colostrum.

tokenhoser · September 2012

"Normal" will depend on the individual hospital you deliver at. They have their own cultures and level of nurse education.

No formula was offered or suggested to me, but my nurses were really really busy and didn't have time for a mom/baby pair that was doing pretty well.

ncbelle · September 2012

If a hospital routinely offers formula for this reason...they are doing it wrong!!

Babies only need mama's colostrum - yes, it's a tiny amount but they are born with tummies the size of marbles! If mama and baby are having trouble (like say baby is unable to latch well for some reason) there are a number of options to explore (including fixing that latch!) before going to formula...pumping and feeding mama's milk via a SNS for example.

Your milk can take up to a week to fully come in - NORMAL!! Babies are born with extra fat reserves to account for this (and it's normal for them to lose 8-10% of their birth weight - on the higher end of that if you receive fluids in labor).

So, no not normal and in fact very bad policy. If you want to nurse, get baby on the breast as much as you can in those early days and don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it!

BelleWithABlade · September 2012

I agree with PP, it's probably hospital dependent. I gave birth at a "baby friendly" hospital and no formula was offered and no "swag bag" given on discharge. This is as it should be IMO. Just tell them you don't want formula if you give birth at the same place.

KD79 · September 2012

My second son had a tiny bit of formula given to him via a little medicine cup almost immediately after birth because he had low blood sugar and I had a c-section (followed by an unplanned hernia repair that kept me on the table longer than anticipated), so we weren't able to be together right away.

Just let your preferences be known and I think you'll be just fine!

Mike_Patti · September 2012

You can tell them no. I fought hard and demanded no formula in the hospital. Your milk likely will not come in in the hospital and that is perfectly ok for the vast majority of babies.

mommytoconnor · September 2012

I am an OB nurse and work in a very busy maternity department. We do have formula available but we are also very breastfeeding friendly. All of our nurses are educated and help with breastfeeding. We also have a few lactation consultants avail to see those pt's who need it. For a "typical" mom, your breastmilk doesn't come in for 2-5 days after delivery. Infants are born with very tiny stomachs, the size of a marble. Most infant's do not require more than the colostrom mom produces. However there are times when supplementation is appropriate. If your newborn has a low blood sugar, jaundice, inability to latch, etc then formula may be recommended. Sometimes we have a baby who no matter what you do will not latch on, and the lactation consultants can't get them on either. In these cases when infant is hungry and we can't get on the breast we supplement with a tiny amount of formula and have mom start pumping. With pumping, however, they typically don't get a lot out the first few times, but they need to keep stimulating the breasts to produce, without over stimulating. It is not a standard practice in most hospitals to just give a baby formula, it's typically for a medical reason or the parents have requested it.

Hoffmania · September 2012

I had my son at what locals call the "baby factory" hospital. So you would think they'd push formula, but most of the staff were really supportive with our decision to BF. Now we did end up with a nurse who was not so supportive. DS had to go under the lights and she kept swearing he was crying too much and needed formula since he was dehydrated. Only he wasn't dehydrated. Somehow my body made a ton of milk and we easily kept him fed. That nurse still insisted and it drove me crazy. I never caved though. Some people may need to supplement. Im not against that. But we didn't. That nurse was just crazy. When I complained to the head nurse she look at LO's output chart and agreed the other nurse was out of line.You can definitely stick with a BF only plan. If you're challenged by a member of the staff, demand to talk to their boss and discuss your options. You can review the number of wet and dirty diapers. Its your decision and your baby. We left the hospital early cause I was so angry with the situation, but I'm glad I stuck with what my husband and I wanted.

Hoffmania · September 2012

One more thing...I ended up pumping when LO was under the lights. I fed him through a syringe to try to avoid nipple confusion. So keep in mind, if you have a special situation like jaundice or difficulty latching, you have options before formula. Ask for a pump and feed through a tiny tube or syringe. Then transition to the boob.

tcu_2003 · September 2012

BelleWithABlade:
I agree with PP, it's probably hospital dependent. I gave birth at a "baby friendly" hospital and no formula was offered and no "swag bag" given on discharge. This is as it should be IMO. Just tell them you don't want formula if you give birth at the same place.

Ditto for me as well. No formula was ever suggested, and I had tons of help from LCs in the hospital to make sure we weren't having any problems.

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