Mum denied free hospital meal while baby critically ill because she was formula feeding

A new mum says she was refused a free hospital meal while her newborn daughter was critically ill – because she was formula feeding rather than breastfeeding.

Sophie Price, 22, spent three weeks at Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran, Wales, as baby Florence battled serious infections and struggled to breathe.

The first-time mum had given birth on March 14, but the family had been home for just 24 hours when Florence's condition deteriorated dramatically. Sophie rushed her daughter to A&E after she began making rattling sounds and turned grey.

Florence was diagnosed with bronchiolitis, rhinoviruses and a blood infection, and needed breathing support from a machine pumping air into her lungs through a mask. As her daughter fought to recover, Sophie was also struggling with the physical aftermath of childbirth, including heavy bleeding and severely swollen feet.

She claims she went around 28 hours without eating before asking a member of the hospital catering team for food. But Sophie, a bank fraud investigator from Newport, said she was stunned when she was asked whether she was breastfeeding.

"When I said my daughter didn't take the breast milk and I was formula feeding her, she said: 'I can't feed you then, sorry'," Sophie said. She claims she was left feeling faint and malnourished, watching other mothers eat hot meals while she struggled to get food.

With her husband's paternity leave ending, Sophie relied on relatives to bring meals after work. She estimates the family spent more than £1,000 on canteen food and takeaways during their stay. Her mother eventually contacted the health board, after which Sophie said the hospital continued providing formula for Florence.

Sophie has since launched a petition calling for hospitals to provide meals for all parents whose babies are being treated in hospital, regardless of how they are fed. She praised NHS staff for the care her daughter received but said formula-feeding parents deserved equal support.

An Aneurin Bevan University Health Board spokesperson said meals were usually provided to breastfeeding mothers on the paediatric unit, while formula was supplied for babies who needed it.

The board said ward teams could consider individual circumstances and provide basic food and refreshments where parents could not leave their child's bedside or lacked support. Discounted meals and financial assistance may also be available. It added that mothers on maternity wards received meals whether breastfeeding or not, and encouraged families experiencing difficulties to speak to ward staff.

Sign Sophie's petition here: https://www.change.org/p/ensure-hospitals-provide-meals-for-all-mums-or-dads-who-are-formula-feeding-their-baby