Can I Bring My Own Formula To The Hospital?

Plus: Expert Tips for Exclusive Formula Feeding from Birth

I made my list for what to pack in my hospital bag as soon as I found out I was pregnant. I hung it on my bathroom mirror, so while brushing my teeth or peeing for hours I could remember to add items like birthing pajamas and newborn essentials when they popped into my head. My list grew with my belly and I was feeling pretty confident in packing a bag that Goldilocks would’ve approved— because it would be “just right” for all my baby and parenting needs. And then I got to the hospital. 

After giving birth to my beautiful son, it was clear I hadn’t considered every option. Besides not investing in postpartum underwear (what was I thinking?), it hadn’t occurred to me that breastfeeding might be well…difficult. My son didn’t latch, my milk was delayed coming in, and the hospital was slow to suggest formula. This added big stress to what I’d imagined would be a relaxed time spent bonding. Bringing my own formula would have eased the tension, but I’d assumed this was a no-no. Can a person bring their own baby formula to the hospital?

First thing’s first: Can I bring my own formula to the hospital? 

 Jadah Parks Chatterjee, RN, International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, and Bobbie Medical Advisor, says, yes, you’re able to bring your own formula to the hospital. “Be prepared to share with the pediatrician your plan to feed your own formula,” Chatterjee says. 

Once your feeding plan has been shared, Chatterjee goes on to say you may be asked to sign a document to indicate that you’re providing your baby formula that was not distributed from the hospital. This releases any liability from the hospital— the concern here being the unknown risk of some formulas for babies and/or not reading the directions properly to safely prepare and store the formula you’re bringing. “If your hospital doesn’t allow you to bring formula, ask for a release of liability form, a document to indicate your full responsibility of your choice,” says Chatterjee. 

Top Tips When Bringing Your Own Formula To The Hospital

Bobbie mom Frances pointed out her #1 tip for bringing your own formula, “You need to make sure it’s sealed or they won’t let you use it. “

Bobbie mom Jo shares her three tips:

1- Be patient and persistent, find the right person who can best help you (for example, the hospital dietitian)

2- Know your product of choice and be ready to advocate (are there medical handouts you can share?)

3- Don’t get attached to any specific outcome (it may take longer or not go how you hope)

3 Reasons To Bring Formula To The Hospital

1. Exclusively formula-feeding: There are many reasons a mama chooses to exclusively bottle-feed ranging from taking medications incompatible with breastfeeding, medical situations, or that breastfeeding simply isn’t your thing. The Mayo Clinic says medical providers understand people’s life situations are different and feeding, regardless of how it’s delivered — breast milk or formula, breast or bottle — promotes intimacy. Chatterjee adds, “The nurses in labor and delivery and postpartum are knowledgeable and confident to support your exclusive formula feeding goals.” So, if you’ve made the decision to only bottle-feed, bringing the formula you’ve chosen to the hospital can help start you on your feeding journey. 

2. Supplementing or combination feeding: This type of feeding method uses both formula feeding and breast milk. The National Health Service says some parents combination feed to share this responsibility with a partner, or because schedules demand the convenience of formula feeding, and/or formula feeding supports your milk supply. In some cases, your breast milk can be slow to come in, and supplementing with formula is one option you and your pediatrician might choose for your little one. Bringing your own formula to the hospital can allow a smooth transition from hospital to home if you continue to supplement or choose to combination feed.  

3. Breastfeeding back-up: For some, breastfeeding their newborn is as easy as eating a pizza with a side of sweet pickles at 9-months pregnant (not that I’d know anything about that), but a recent breastfeeding study reveals that 92% of new mothers said they had problems breastfeeding in their first days after giving birth. Chatterjee assures that the hospital staff is there to support you, and says, “The nursing staff is well educated to answer all basic feeding questions, and the lactation consultant is the more focused expert to provide the second level of support when needed.” Your lactation consultant can answer questions about breastfeeding issues including if feeding sessions aren’t going smoothly. If you’d like breastfeeding backup, using your own formula can help supplement your baby’s nutritional needs (and give you peace of mind) while you work on your feeding plan. 

3 Expert Tips for Advocating to Formula Feed in the Hospital

1. Should I tell the hospital ahead of time I’m planning to use my own formula?

Emily Silver, NP-C, IBCLC and co-founder of NAPS, a Feeding Friendly Clinic, says, that yes you can tell the hospital ahead of time, however you don’t have to let the hospital directly know in advance. “You would have to let your provider know your feeding preference that way it will be included in your birth plan or preferences,” Silver says. She also reassures, once you arrive at the hospital, most major medical centers ask you your birth preferences and one of those questions is, “How do you plan to feed your baby?” So, if there was any uncertainty, you’ll be able to let the staff know as soon as you enter your hospital or birthing center. 

2. Is there a specific hospital staff member I should tell about using my own formula?

 Yes, there are certain staff members you can tell about using your own baby formula. Silver says, “You would tell your doctor, your primary nurse who is caring for you on labor and delivery and then postpartum, as well as your pediatrician.” In most instances, Silver says hopefully your care team is asking you these questions, but if they aren’t then you can let them know you have your own formula. Silver reminds us that it’s important for you to advocate for your preferences throughout your whole birthing experience, and says, “Make your care team aware of your birth and postpartum preferences, including feeding.” 

3. What if there’s a hospital policy against bringing in my own formula? 

Silver says, “It’s your baby— and you choose how you feed them.” While in her experience, Silver hasn’t heard of a hospital having a policy against bringing in your own formula, she does advise having this conversation before giving birth and not on your first day already admitted on postpartum. “Let your provider know so that if you need to sign a waiver or consent or any additional paperwork, this can be arranged far in advance so there are no surprises and no pushback,” Silver says. 

Top 5 Items You Need to Bring to the Hospital if You’re Formula Feeding

Bobbie mom Jo said, “The most important thing I needed was confidence in my choice! We had to jump through SO many hoops to get our own formula approved.”

Jo said the rules around making bottles seemed very vague. She suggests that parents make the decision about what they want and tell the nurse staff firmly- that includes what formula to use, who is making which bottle and how, plus other details. “We had a ‘need-to-knows’ list taped to the baby’s supply cart (where nurses prepare formula and meds) that had specific instructions about mixing our formula. I was very surprised at how many nurses were confused and did it wrong before we put that up.”

She said the hospital did provide bottle soap, bottle brushes and a wash basin they used to clean everything. In addition to that, she mentioned these essential products to help make it possible. (Don’t forget bottled water!)

1. Organic Infant Formula, Bobbie Organic Baby Formula

2. Best Feeding Pillow, Boppy Original Support Nursing Pillow

3. Best Newborn Baby Bottles, Comotomo Baby Bottle Bundle

4. Best Microwave Sterilizer Bag, Dr. Brown’s Microwave Steam Sterilizer Bags

5. Best Newborn Burp Cloths, 10 Pack Muslin Burp Cloths

FAQs on Hospitals & Formula Feeding 

How much formula should I bring to the hospital? 

After giving birth, you and your doctor will discuss the length of your hospital stay.  The Cleveland Clinic says, for a vaginal birth the average hospital stay is 48 hours, and for a Cesarean birth the stay is 96 hours. “It’s recommended for babies to eat every 2-3 hours, or according to feeding cues during the first few days of life,” Chatterjee says. All babies are different, but doing all the math, this works out to about 10-12 feedings a day with a newborn drinking up to 2 ounces each feeding session. 

Do I need to bring my own water to the hospital?

Chatterjee says, yes, you’ll need to provide your own bottled water to mix the formula you bring into the hospital. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says you can use bottled water to reconstitute (mix) powdered or liquid concentrate infant formulas, but be aware that the fluoride content in bottled water varies. To this point, the CDC says parents may choose to use low-fluoride bottled water some of the time and these bottled waters are labeled as de-ionized, purified, demineralized, or distilled and are without any fluoride added after purification treatment. 

Do I need to tell the hospital staff, my doctor, or my newborn’s pediatrician I’m using my own formula at the hospital?

Informing the medical practitioners around you of your feeding plans will be a topic brought up for discussion before you give birth. However, if this is overlooked, yes— inform the hospital staff, your OB/GYN, and pediatrician that you’re planning to bottle feed and bring your own formula with you to the hospital. Chatterjee supports this by saying, “Being a partner in your care is essential, and this begins with transparency to ensure everyone is on the same page. “

What should I ask the lactation consultant if I’m exclusively formula feeding? 

When exclusively bottle feeding, you might think chatting with the hospital staff isn’t necessary. The maternal child health registered nurse is there to successfully implement the cessation of human milk production, Chatterjee says. If you need demonstrations of how to safely formula feed your baby, use PACED feeding recommendations for formula volumes, or frequency of feeding and burping your baby, Chatterjee says these nurses are there to support you. When it comes to talking to your lactation consultant, she says: “You would engage the lactation consultant if you have questions that are beyond these basics, like having a baby who is struggling to drink from the cup or bottle or is very spitty following feeding.” 

What can I do if I run out of baby formula in the hospital? 

No need to worry about running out of formula, Chatterjee reassures. “The hospital has stocked formula,” she says. So, if you happen to run out of your preferred brand, the hospital can quickly supply you with the formula they have on hand. 

What infant formula does the hospital use?

“Most hospitals have one formula vendor they contract,” Chatterjee explains. She goes on to say that there’s usually a variety of options to offer NICU babies, and usually only one option to offer well babies within the brand’s line. A good way to find out what brand will be available for you and your baby is to ask the hospital staff when you complete your maternity tour. 

Do I have to bring baby bottles to the hospital? 

“Yes, you need to bring your own baby bottles to prepare your baby’s formula in the hospital,” Chatterjee advises (if you’re bringing your own baby formula). There are many types of baby bottles on the market based on materials, size, and shape. So, bring your preferred bottle with you and know that the average number of bottles to have on hand for your newborn is one to four. 

How do I sanitize baby bottles at the hospital?

It’s good practice to sanitize your baby’s bottles at least once a day, and The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says keeping bottles clean is particularly important when your baby is younger than 2 months, was born prematurely, or has a weakened immune system. Be sure to rinse bottle parts and other feeding items by holding them under running water, don’t set them in the sink. The water can be warm or cold, and Chatterjee says to bring a small container of soap to use when cleaning. 

How do you pack formula for the hospital?

When you’re adding baby formula to your hospital bag, if you’ve chosen to use powdered formula, bring an unopened can. Chatterjee says a can stay good for 30 days if they remain unopened. If you’re bringing the nursette-size bottles, you can open those and feed as necessary. Look into starting with a “starter pack” which generally contains 6 bottles. 

What ingredients should I be wary of in baby formula? 

Chatterjee says all formulas sold in the US are regulated by the FDA, so there are no ingredients to be wary of if you’re using US-sold baby formula. When choosing a formula, the CDC reminds you to make sure it’s not expired, the container is sealed, and it’s not labeled for toddlers. 

Will the hospital give me formula to take home?

Yes, the hospital will give you formula to take home if you ask. Hospitals will send new parents home with 2 to 3 bottles, Chatterjee says. This is designed to get you through 2 to 3 feedings after you leave and head home. 

Bringing your own infant formula to the hospital

If you have any questions when it comes to feeding your little one, check in with your doctor or healthcare provider. With so many things to think about during this time, it’s good to know bringing your own formula to the hospital is an easy addition to your to-do list— and your hospital bag.