Hospital Experience Question for Any "Newish" Moms Out There!

The baby has to be monitored very carefully for all input and output. Put simply they NEED to keep track of how many wet/dirty diapers and exactly how much formula is being ingested. I did not want a pacifier or formula because I breastfed both of my children. As someone else said pacifiers can hinder breastfeeding. Some people are very picky about what type of pacifier they want to use as well. They need to know why you are using a bulb syringe. Is it for their nose, spit up, etc? There are real reasons hospitals do what they do. If it were me I would have just asked the staff.

my two boys were both preemies and that was 2000 and 2002.

I breast fed both of them. My second one was touch and go - so I had a pump brought into the room to pump and give milk that way. Even though they were preemies - no formula has ever touched their lips.

I'm truly sorry she had that experience. It sounds awful. Especially since hospitals LOVE to charge for EVERY SINGLE thing.

I can understand why they limit supplies, some people would just take things to use at home when they should be prepared to buy that stuff on their own. If people didn't take advantage they would not have to be so stingy about it. There is also no reason someone else could not have gone to the store (say dad) and bought formula and diapers ect after the baby was born to use in the hospital, and then supplies would not have been an issue.

Sounds like the unprepared people expect everyone else to be constantly prepared! Perhaps they were also just so stressed out that everything they asked for seemed like an ordeal.

There's been a lot of backlash against the formula companies pushing their products at the expense of breastfeeding. That's not to say that some women don't use formula, but it was getting to the point that women felt they were pressured NOT to nurse. And I'm sure the idea that formula companies don't donate anymore and the hospitals have to track things figures into it. And they do want to know how many diapers a newborn is wetting, and that sort of thing.

My guess is, people are pilfering formula and supplies thinking it's "free" - so hospitals have to control the distribution. I find it hard to believe that there weren't extra diapers and wipes in the room though. I think rationing formula sounds very odd - I can see rationing how much you are given at a time (to monitor quantities and prevent stealing), but if the baby drinks it, I can't believe they wouldn't give more. Perhaps they thought people were sending it home with friends? I wonder if they got caught in the shift change and were waiting for the new nurse to come on, rather than being denied formula until the clock struck 11 PM or 7 AM. If they waited until the baby was really hungry and then started asking for formula, if could have seemed to them that they were being refused.

Is this their first child? Maybe they just don't know how to do things like a more experienced couple would? I realize it's ancient history, but a VERY young couple in my childbirth class had the most miserable experience: of course they skipped all the "icky" movies (like C-section info) and then naturally that's what they needed. They had a HUGE baby (13 pounds), a C-section, and the young husband forgot to ask to go back in the room after his wife was prepped for it. So he missed everything. The staff thought he was squeamish because he had avoided everything in the prep class and even made faces when it apparent she would need the C-section. And so on - everything that could go wrong, went wrong - but a lot of it was just bad luck (big baby, for example). The rest was bad planning (they didn't call the doctor when she was in labor - they called the MIL to ask her if they should go...so they were really late in getting to the hospital!). And so on. So sometimes inexperienced people and very young people just don't know how to advocate for themselves. Maybe your family members aren't young or inexperienced, so maybe this doesn't apply - I'm just throwing it out there.

Anyway, hope they can move on and put the negatives behind them!

Later: if the baby was in NICU (neonatal intensive care unit, care will be different.
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I suggest their experience is what the made it. My daughter gave birth to her 5th baby this summer. She has never taken supplies with her. She was breastfeeding feeding. They suplemented with formula until she was more rested and had more milk. If she needed something she rang the buzzer and got it. Diapers and wipes were in the room. Baby had pacifier available once they got to their room. Perhaps other things had to be asked for so the nurse could know mom knew how to use them. Once the nurse showed my daughter when and how to use the bulb, they left it in the room.

Were they aware that the nurse also took care of other babe's and moms, that they have a plan for doing things, such as bringing in supplies. I was with my daughter as she and baby were wheeled into their room. It took a couple of hours to get settled. 2 or 3 different specialist.came on to see her and talked with nurses about what mom and baby needed. My daughter dozed in between. She was relaxed, glad to have baby in her arms. But then she's experienced this 5 times. Her next youngest is 3. My daughter appreciated them guiding her as she came up to speed again.

Is this her first delivery? Has she been hospitalized before for something else? Often when people are not familiar with hospital routine they get defensive. Perhaps, with an unexpected early delivery they were more sensitive. I know for me, that abrupt changes in plans make me anxious. Anxiety can make people defensive and difficult to work with. When I was young, in a new job, I was difficult. I didn't realize how difficult until years later.

My daughter had a good experience with the hospital. Her husband did not. He expected them to do things his way even when he had no knowledge or experience. When he felt they were ignoring him, he yelled at them. When he got home he ranted for an hour about how incompetent they were. He uses anger to cover his anxiety and fear.. Of course, the nurses avoided him when he went into a rage. They focused on mom and baby.

How people feel about their experience is an individual thing. Some people are sensitive and defensive. They expect a bad experience, their attitude and actions cause a bad experience.

I doubt that your brother and wife were not given what they needed. I suggest 4 bottles is the starting amount. They could ask for more. In my experience, newborns eat very little. If the bottles were 2 oz, that would be 8 oz of formula in 12 hours. That is more than enough for a newborn. The bottles I've seen were 4 oz.

I wonder if their lack of preparation threw them and they didn't know how to accept things in the hospital. It's interesting they claim the hospital didn't give them supplies and they didn't have supplies for themselves. It's common to project on to others our own foibles.

I hope they settle in and enjoy their baby.

It's been quite some time since I've been a patient in the maternity ward, but I do believe that many hospitals are limiting formula in an effort to promote breastfeeding.

Those of us who delivered a decade ago or more remember the cans of formula, bags, coupons, etc. provided by the formula companies given to new moms right there in the hospital. I never used any of it because I breastfed, but I remember there was a ton of promotion, and cans would even arrive at my doorstep once we got home.

No more. Now there are bans in many hospitals. From what I understand, formula companies can no longer advertise or promote in maternity wards. I think this may have started in NYC a few years ago, and it is likely that other hospitals are following.

Still, it is a mother's choice how she feeds her baby, and I really don't understand limiting formula if a mom chooses to bottle-feed. Perhaps that is one cost that hospitals are shifting to families now that the formula companies can no longer provide their goods in return for all of the advertising.

Well here they monitor bottles and diapers and chart food and wet diapers. So the nurses are in/out of the room - especially with a first - and keeping track of it all.

Could that have been it?

We were supplied with diapers and the basics, but not a pacifier or syringe. We had great staff - I had c-sections and breastfed and had every resource made available to me to help me with my first. As it went along, they were just as helpful but more hands-off.

it does sound awful. in fact, so awful that i'm a little suspicious. hospitals monitor their supplies, so i can understand doling them out as needed, and think perhaps your 'unprepared' family members are feeling a little entitled?
i find it very, very difficult to believe that a hospital would refuse nutrition to a newborn preemie. yes, they do encourage breastfeeding, but did they really make your niece go hungry?
it's been a long time since i had my babies. but they did provide diapers and wipes.
i'm not sure why it would be expected that formula, which is expensive, would be available without requesting it. if they just kept cases of it in the rooms, it would walk right back out again, and we'd all be paying for it.
khairete
S.

I don't remember really, it's been too long. However, I don't remember keeping any baby items in the room with me. I think the nurses would bring the bottles when it was feeding time. But I didn't have a preemie either and I know they need extra care and watching so maybe that was it?

I know they did give us a lesson on how to change the diaper and put her clothes on before we left the hospital, but for some reason I think the nurses did it all while I was there. I mean, if I was well enough to stand up and make bottles and change diapers, then I think they would have discharged me. And I bottle fed both, I couldn't breastfeed. Oh, and I did get sent home with a diaper bag with each kid with samples and coupons in it. Good luck.

I had my two in 2013 and 2014. I breastfed both of my kids and never experienced an issue with formula. As for diapers, the incubator where baby stayed when someone was not holding them, was packed with everything we needed: bulb syringe, diapers, blanket, and a few hats. However, I brought a ton of stuff from home: diapers, outfits, lanolin, breast pads, pads, and my own movies. I never called the nurses unless it was an emergency, such as when I has to go but could not get up by myself (csect) and my husband had stepped out.

The nurses loved me because I just wanted to rest, eat, and cuddle my kids. I required very little of their time. I remember not packing a few things from the cart and the nurse dropping
them in my bag and including a couple of extras.

Your niece obviously did not starve or go without. Maybe the protocol at that particular hospital requires extra steps to get what you need. It makes sense that they would not just stock a room with formula-- being a preemie, her formula intake needed to be closely monitored along with her output. As for the bottles, preemies and babies in general don't have large stomachs. Plus, formula is not digested as quickly as breastmilk, thus not needing as much of it as often as breastmilk. As for a pacifier, their use is discouraged the first month of life. Per my lactation consultant; they can cause nipple confusion for breastfeeding mom's and hinder a babies milk intake. Example: baby cries, she could not possibly be hungry, she's given a pacifier, but she was hungry. She sucks on it and goes to sleep, when in fact she needed to eat. Her weight starts to drop more than normal and it's discovered that it is because she is hungry and not eating. That was not the perfect example, but you get the point.

Especially with preemies, nurses/doctors try to limit pacifier use until a feeding pattern has been established and there has been consistent weight gain. That is just my experience. Hopefully all is well now and they are better prepared at home.

This is the result of the "baby friendly initiative" to encourage (cough,cough,force,cough,cough) new moms into breast feeding. Some hospitals aren't supplying formula at all, and if you want to formula feed you either need to supply it yourself or have a physician who will write you an actual prescription.

Apparently, women can no longer be trusted to make decision for themselves about what's best for their bodies and their families.

My room had a changing table that was stocked with diapers, swaddling blankets, nose aspirator, shirts, pacifier, and formula. I heard that after mine were born, they eliminated the formula from the rooms because formula companies were no longer allowed to donate it. And since the hospital had to pay for it, they kept closer tabs on it to make sure people didn't stock up their pantries at home.

I was also sent home with a diaper bag will formula samples and coupons and that has also been eliminated.

I had my babies in 2006 and 2008 and I was given everything that my baby needed while in the hospital. Breastfeeding was definitely encourage, but there was also formula in the room to use as needed. One of the things that we did with our first is take a childbirth class at the hospital that I was going to deliver at. This helped my anxiety because we got a tour and lots of information as to what to expect. I know that all new moms got a diaper bag with supplies to take home from the hospital.

Never head of such a thing. Newest grandchild was born a year ago. Not only would the hospital leave a cart full of stuff in the room they asked you to empty the cart at the end of your stay because they would throw out the formula, wipes, ointment, unused pampers, etc you didn't use due to possible transfer of infection if they used things on another baby that had been stored in your room.

I can't imagine the nurses have time to answer requests for supplies for every single room all shift long. Even with nursing assistants that would be a lot of work.

I'd suggest that you have your brother and sister in law contact the hospital and tell them about the recent hospital stay. A lot of hospitals send out surveys and if this one does they should fill that out too.

I think some of it is up to the hospital. Both of mine were at public hospitals but different systems. The one that claimed it was super mother friendly and had baby room in, etc didn't have enough lactation consultants, had to ask for each diaper and formula bottle, and even said on the website that they do not provide any clothing for babies. That's right - bring your own or the baby is in a diaper and blanket - that is it. (Memorial West Hospital in Pembroke Pines) The other hospital - where I had second baby, is more of a trauma / general hospital - Broward Medical Center. However, they gave us a blue hat for boy, tons of onsies (yes, had hospital name on it but blue), all the diapers we wanted - I was nursing so I can't speak to formula but the nurses packed up all the diapers, all of the extra stuff and gave me the diaper bag with the formula in it just in case...tons of stuff along with a hospital/fake "birth certificate with footprints etc." Nurses here were amazing and plenty of lactation support here. They even gave both parents a lobster and filet mignon dinner to celebrate birth of baby! I hate to say it but I do think a bit of research and talking to the ladies who are sitting in the obs office with newborns is in order these days. All experiences are not alike!

Congratulations on your niece!

I had my babies in 03, 05, and 07. Each time the cart left for the babies to sleep in was stocked with an extra outfit (the white long sleeved hospital one), diapers, wipes, pacifier if wanted, nose bulb, etc. I nursed my babies - and they kept tabs on how often my babies ate and what side they ate from. Same with diapers.

Their experience sounds strange to me...but, did they not research the hospital prior to having baby? Or was it a different hospital from where they planned to deliver?

I had my last baby in 07...the clear plastic "crib" the baby was in had diapers, wipes and a change of clothes in it...maybe an extra blanket. Oh and for sure one of those blue bulb things to suction baby's nose or mouth.

I was breastfeeding but I do remember there were those tiny bottles of formula around if you wanted or needed them with sealed nipples.

I had to ask for a pacifier which they gladly brought.

Maybe there have been cut backs...but I don't remember having to ask for anything other than a pacifier and one time if they could take my daughter to the nursery because I was so exhausted I needed some sleep. They were glad to help.

Glad I am done with babies sounds like things have changed....

We were supplied with swaddling blankets, pacifiers, bottles, formula, diapers and bulb syringes.

Considering it costs around $10k plus to have a baby and stay in the hospital for a day or two, you better believe that diapers, formula, etc. is there for the taking!

Not sure what happened there but I guess since it's over, just let it go.

I am curious, did they have insurance? If not, perhaps that's where the limitations were from.

I'm not a new mom, but I have never heard of that. All those things are supplied by the hospital and there isn't a limit. And everything was on the cart that the baby was on. My sister used to work in labor and delivery and I think she said every month they switched off between enfamil and similac.

I had my babies in 93, 95 and 99 and the nurses did very little for me. They expected a new mother to nurse her baby every few hours and otherwise care for it, because after all we were released less than 24 hours later and I guess they wanted us to be prepared for the reality of going home and being on your own. I didn't even get to sleep because they were constantly monitoring my vitals, temp, blood pressure, etc.
The staff was kind but they certainly didn't spoil me in any way, I was happy to finally get home and sleep and nurse my babies in my own bed, around the clock, as needed.

I worked in a hospital as an OB secretary in high school and college and entered the charges for the moms and babies. Trust me, every supply is getting charged and it is MUCH more expensive than going to store and stocking up. Every hospital will be different as to how accessible the items are. Our hospital had a basic kit that was kept on the bassinet. Lotion, baby shampoo, pack of diapers, pacifier, bulb syringe, pack of wipes, wash cloth, maybe a couple of other things. The nurses would resupply in the nursery if they saw diapers were running low and it was added to the bill. This included formula if they were formula feeding. If you kept the baby in the room the entire time, you had to ask for things. Our hospital also had donated diaper bags from the big formula companies with travel size things and formula samples, but those weren't passed out until discharge since there were pretty nice.

When I had my son, my hospital was pretty much the same way. I didn't have to ask for anything because my son was in and out of the nursery, so they kept his bassinet stocked. My son had to stay an extra day while I had been discharged and when we went home, they actually hooked me up with a ton of stuff. They gave me a diaper bag from each of the three formula companies and all the extra formula samples that the breastfeeding only moms left behind. It was great. Both of these hospitals were non-profit.

I don't remember any of that (ie. being restricted on supplies)....I didn't bring anything except my stuff and an infant car seat in our car. I do remember a lot of the vendors giving new moms a bag full of supplies (i.e. Similac, wipes, bottles, diapers, creams, and on and on.) But, I was never told that there was a limit on supplies by the hospital. I think the room was stocked with supplies for the baby and I never had to ask for anything..
Was she in a for-profit hospital chain? I used to work for one and it wouldn't surprise me if they did that type of thing.

I think that your family members are looking at it in the wrong way. No, the hospitals don't expect you to bring stuff. What they do expect is to know how the baby is doing, what is going in and what is coming out so that they can assess baby. If the baby were always in the nursery with the nurses, they would know. But they let baby stay with mom in the room some, so they don't put formula or diapers in the room where they can't monitor or write down what baby is doing.

If a baby isn't breastfeeding, they monitor the amount of formula given. New babies don't drink much - why would they think that they would get a lot of bottles? Why would you think that the baby would go hungry?

I gotta wonder why they needed a bulb syringe...

The "gift" you got from the hospital when you had a baby wasn't free. Most likely volunteers put the basket together and it was billed as "supplies".

For a newborn baby one of those little bottles should be enough for several hours, 4 should be enough for a 12 hour shift. They have a tummy about the size of their fist. Overfeeding them causes reflux and puking and spitting up, etc....so giving them a little bit then a little bit more in a while is best.

When you have a baby you go to the store and buy diapers. You go and get wipes and stuff for yourself. You don't expect someone to come and give it to you. That's their mistake.

One the other hand. You do not want to supplement the formula because they need to know exactly what is going in and what is coming out during the time the baby is in their care. They will want to watch for signs of allergies too, if you're using a different formula, even the same brand but mixed differently, then there's a reaction they don't know what the reaction is to. So you need to bring your own out of the body things and let them cover the inside the body things, formula.

I didn't buy any of those things. The only thing I did was nurse my babies. I didn't even change a diaper until I left the hospital. Cut backs are every where. I suspect we can all thank Obama for this too.😊