A new mum whose baby was critically ill in hospital says she was denied free NHS hot meals because she wasn't breastfeeding, forcing her to spend more than £1,000 on food during her daughter's three-week stay.
Sophie Price, 22, from Newport, was constantly at the bedside of her daughter Florence at the Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran. The first-time mother had given birth in the hospital five days earlier, but the baby was back on a paediatric ward with serious illness.
Sophie, a fraud investigator at a bank, said staff refused to give her a free NHS hot meal, telling her she was no longer classed as a patient because she was not breastfeeding. During their three-week stay, she said they were forced to spend over £1,000 on food from the canteen and takeaway meals.
Mother describes 'absolutely horrific' experience
Sophie said she was watching all the mums around her "eating jacket potatoes with cheese and beans". She said: "I was her primary carer. I was at her bedside. I was very malnourished at this point. I did not have hot meals unless I could get family to bring it up after work. It was just an absolutely horrific experience. I was very lucky I had that family support, but not everyone had what I did."
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, which runs the hospital, said its standard operating procedure in the paediatric unit is that meals are provided to breastfeeding mums because that directly supports the baby's feeding. For babies who are formula fed, formula is provided as needed.
Baby's critical condition
Sophie and her husband Ryli Price, 23, had only been at home with Florence for 24 hours following her birth on March 14 when she began struggling to breathe. She started making "bad rattling" sounds and eventually dropped colour "drastically" to grey.
Sophie ran into A&E screaming, "She's not breathing, someone help me", and said nurses and doctors came rushing out to help save her daughter's life. Florence was diagnosed with bronchiolitis, rhinoviruses and a blood infection, with her lungs not able to operate properly on their own. She was placed on a machine that pumped air into her lungs via a mask.
The mum said that, being postpartum, she was bleeding through her clothes and had built-up fluid in her feet called oedema. "My feet were swollen so badly they looked like an elephant's trunk," Sophie said. "I couldn't even make it to the bathroom properly on my own or walk to the end of the corridor."
Refused food at the trolley
At one point Sophie said she realised she had not eaten for about 28 hours and remembered seeing a food trolley being brought round to mums on the ward. She said she was approached by a dinner lady who asked if she was hungry, to which she replied, "I'm starving, I feel all faint, what have you got?"
Sophie continued: "I just remember her saying: 'Are you breastfeeding or formula feeding?' I said: 'My daughter didn't take the breast milk. I'm formula feeding her.' And she said: 'I can't feed you then, sorry.'"
"I just remember being so shocked. I'm a first-time mum. I'm postpartum, I'm very vulnerable. At this point the midwife hadn't even managed to get to my home because I had been back at the hospital 24 hours after being discharged."
With her husband's paternity leave ending, Sophie said she relied on family members to finish work and bring her food. Sophie's mother contacted the hospital about the issue, so it continued providing formula for Florence.
She said: "It was just shocking. It was the fact that one little policy stops a mother from having the nutrition that she needs to survive for her daughter. My daughter at this point couldn't even bottle feed. She's being fed through formula into a G-tube."
Health board response and petition
A spokesperson for Aneurin Bevan health board thanked Sophie for her feedback and said it understood "how difficult and stressful it can be for parents when their child is in hospital".
"Where individuals are unable to access the hospital canteen, have limited family or social support, or are unable to leave their child's bedside, wards can provide a small selection of basic food items and refreshments to help meet immediate needs," they said.
"In our paediatric unit, meals are usually provided to breastfeeding mothers because this directly supports their baby's feeding and nutrition. For babies who are formula fed, formula is provided as needed. Although this is our standard operating procedure, ward teams can also look at individual circumstances and offer additional support where appropriate.
"In our maternity wards, mothers are patients in their own right and therefore receive meals as part of their care - whether breastfeeding or not.
"We also recognise that some families may face additional challenges during a child's admission. Where parents are unable to access the hospital canteen, have limited support, or are unable to leave their child's bedside, ward teams can provide a selection of basic food items and refreshments to help meet immediate needs.
"Parents can also access a discounted hospital meal through a ward voucher scheme and where a family is experiencing financial hardship, support can be discussed with the ward team. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis to ensure help is provided fairly and appropriately, taking account of the family's circumstances and the needs of the child.
"We are committed to supporting families throughout their child's stay and encourage anyone experiencing difficulties to speak to the ward team so that appropriate support can be explored."
Sophie has since started a petition to ensure hospitals provide meals for all mums or dads who are formula feeding their baby.
