Care Opinion

Frustrated that meals not provided when breastfeeding

Posted By sigmapw35

"Frustrated that meals not provided when breastfeeding"

About: Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (Edinburgh) / Castle Mey Ward

(as a parent/guardian),

My baby was experiencing strider (gasping during and after feeds) and was advised to go to a&e royal infirmary Edinburgh. He has suspected treacher Collins syndrome of which we are in the process of understanding his associated health conditions.

His weight was taken along with other testing, which highlighted he had not increased weight in a week. It was suspected that because of his underdeveloped jaw (TCS associated) his tongue was set too far back making feeding exhausting for him. His nasal passage is also narrow, making breathing difficult.

He also tested positive for a UTI so this is was getting treated via iv.

I was seen my various different specialisms: ENT, respiratory, genetics, cardiology, breastfeeding support.

We spent 7 nights in Castle Mey ward. I was frustrated to find out my meals would not be provided despite the fact that I was breastfeeding my son, making me rely on family to bring food (not helpful that the hospital shops are quite expensive). My opinion is that because I am ultimately providing nutrients to my son via breastfeeding I should be fed during our stay. As my baby is still young he was cluster feeding so it was very difficult for me to leave the room.

 

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Responses

Response from Lewis Doult, Clinical Nurse Manager, Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, NHS Lothian 6 days ago
Lewis Doult
Clinical Nurse Manager, Royal Hospital for Children and Young People,
NHS Lothian

Submitted on 11/03/2025 at 11:20
Published on Care Opinion at 11:20

Dear sigmapw35,

I am sorry to hear that your son was unwell and needed to be admitted to Castle Mey ward with stridor and a UTI. I hope that he is recovering well following his treatment and that the teams involved are aiding the diagnosis of his condition.

I am sorry that you are frustrated that we do not provide all meals for breastfeeding parents. This is in line with our policy which states we will provide breakfast only. This information is available on our website and via the QR codes available in each ward. Parents are able to make a claim via the Young Patient Family Fund for food and other expenses.

We encourage staff to ensure that parents are able to access food as we recognise the importance of nutrition, not just for those who are breastfeeding. Should a parent make us aware of any issues that would stop them accessing food then we have a process in place to ensure that we can support you. If you have any further admissions please make a member of staff aware should you require support to access meals.

We are currently in the process of applying for UNICEF Baby Friendly status and we are reviewing all of our policies in line with this. I will include your comments as part of our review process.

Thank your for taking the time to provide us with your feedback.

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