herooftheday
New member
I’m a FTM due in January and am delivering at a “Baby-Friendly Hospital.” I’m planning to exclusively formula feed from birth and am really worried about the experience I’ll have there with pressure to breastfeed and access (or lack thereof) to formula to feed my baby. After my labor and newborn care classes with this hospital, I’m particularly concerned because I was given so little information when I asked about formula feeding. I’ve read through a lot of old posts on here but wanted to ask a couple specific questions. Thank you in advance for any advice!!!
1–What should I bring to the hospital with me? My own formula? Bottles? How many/how much? For context, I think there’s a high likelihood this ends up being a planned c-section, so it could be a longer stay.
2–Was there any specific approach/phrasing/etc that was especially effective in reducing the pressure to breastfeed? I’ve put it in my birth plan that I’m making the informed choice to formula feed and do not want to see a lactation consultant, but not sure how much that is going to be respected just because I wrote it down.
3–What did skin-to-skin look like for you if you exclusively formula fed from birth? Did they give you a bottle to feed baby? How soon?
4–Not a formula question, but did you have any issues making use of the nursery at your “baby friendly hospital” where they are so insistent on rooming in? I’m hoping to take advantage of it if we need some sleep, but in my labor class, the educator kept insisting that “well, there is a nursery, but so many people are in and out of there that baby is exposed to a lot of germs and it’s safer not to use it.” This is at one of the top ten ranked hospitals in the US.
**Edited to say thank you so much to everyone who responded! This is so much helpful insight and I really appreciate it. I’ll update the post with my experience too once it happens for folks who may be looking for this info later. Thanks again!
** Post-baby edit: So I actually had a super positive experience in my baby-friendly hospital. I brought my own RTF Enfamil NeuroPro (2 32 oz bottles) plus two Comotomo bottles, a thing of bottle soap, and a travel bottle washing kit. Didn’t need any of it (but was glad to have it just in case). I was asked in the L&D room if I was breastfeeding and I said no, formula, and then was asked if I wanted Enfamil or Similac. And that was that. I had a c-section and they showed the baby to me through the clear drape (couldn’t actually see the surgery or anything, just the baby), then brought him over to me to have my husband hold him on my chest after weighing and doing APGAR (had GD). I got the shakes after so didn’t want to hold him just yet for safety, but they let me hold him on my chest as soon as I wanted despite not being interested in breastfeeding. Skin to skin was definitely encouraged in the postpartum room. Had a few postpartum nurses ask formula or breastfeeding when they came in for the first time to meet us, but never in a pushy way, just in a routine tone like asking my pain level. They brought a box of 6 of the RTF nursettes plus nipples anytime I asked or when they noticed we were getting low, just like they did for diapers and wipes. I was actively encouraged to make use of the nursery and it was a lifesaver. Never had a lactation consultant come by and never felt anything but supported on my decision to EFF.
From the responses I got, clearly not everyone at a baby friendly hospital is this lucky. I think I would bring my own RTF nursettes if I was worried for sure (and honestly, I don’t regret bringing them because it gave me peace of mind going into things that we would be ready if we needed to be). The disposable nipples for the RTF bottles can be hard to find, but FYI, you can use Dr. Brown’s narrow nipples or the Evenflo twist nipples with the white collars on the disposable RTF nursette bottles and just wash the nipples in the sink if you need to. I think it also helped that I was firm and direct in just saying no to the question of breastfeeding without being wishy-washy—that is advice I got below and I think it probably could make a difference if you sound like you’re on the fence. Sending good luck to anyone reading this later!
1–What should I bring to the hospital with me? My own formula? Bottles? How many/how much? For context, I think there’s a high likelihood this ends up being a planned c-section, so it could be a longer stay.
2–Was there any specific approach/phrasing/etc that was especially effective in reducing the pressure to breastfeed? I’ve put it in my birth plan that I’m making the informed choice to formula feed and do not want to see a lactation consultant, but not sure how much that is going to be respected just because I wrote it down.
3–What did skin-to-skin look like for you if you exclusively formula fed from birth? Did they give you a bottle to feed baby? How soon?
4–Not a formula question, but did you have any issues making use of the nursery at your “baby friendly hospital” where they are so insistent on rooming in? I’m hoping to take advantage of it if we need some sleep, but in my labor class, the educator kept insisting that “well, there is a nursery, but so many people are in and out of there that baby is exposed to a lot of germs and it’s safer not to use it.” This is at one of the top ten ranked hospitals in the US.
**Edited to say thank you so much to everyone who responded! This is so much helpful insight and I really appreciate it. I’ll update the post with my experience too once it happens for folks who may be looking for this info later. Thanks again!
** Post-baby edit: So I actually had a super positive experience in my baby-friendly hospital. I brought my own RTF Enfamil NeuroPro (2 32 oz bottles) plus two Comotomo bottles, a thing of bottle soap, and a travel bottle washing kit. Didn’t need any of it (but was glad to have it just in case). I was asked in the L&D room if I was breastfeeding and I said no, formula, and then was asked if I wanted Enfamil or Similac. And that was that. I had a c-section and they showed the baby to me through the clear drape (couldn’t actually see the surgery or anything, just the baby), then brought him over to me to have my husband hold him on my chest after weighing and doing APGAR (had GD). I got the shakes after so didn’t want to hold him just yet for safety, but they let me hold him on my chest as soon as I wanted despite not being interested in breastfeeding. Skin to skin was definitely encouraged in the postpartum room. Had a few postpartum nurses ask formula or breastfeeding when they came in for the first time to meet us, but never in a pushy way, just in a routine tone like asking my pain level. They brought a box of 6 of the RTF nursettes plus nipples anytime I asked or when they noticed we were getting low, just like they did for diapers and wipes. I was actively encouraged to make use of the nursery and it was a lifesaver. Never had a lactation consultant come by and never felt anything but supported on my decision to EFF.
From the responses I got, clearly not everyone at a baby friendly hospital is this lucky. I think I would bring my own RTF nursettes if I was worried for sure (and honestly, I don’t regret bringing them because it gave me peace of mind going into things that we would be ready if we needed to be). The disposable nipples for the RTF bottles can be hard to find, but FYI, you can use Dr. Brown’s narrow nipples or the Evenflo twist nipples with the white collars on the disposable RTF nursette bottles and just wash the nipples in the sink if you need to. I think it also helped that I was firm and direct in just saying no to the question of breastfeeding without being wishy-washy—that is advice I got below and I think it probably could make a difference if you sound like you’re on the fence. Sending good luck to anyone reading this later!