The health board said mothers are provided with meals while under the care of hospital maternity services as both them and their baby are classed as patients, whether they are breastfeeding or not.
But on paediatric wards, only the child is classed as the patient, however the hospital’s policy is to provide breastfeeding mums with meals as this directly supports the baby’s feeding and nutrition.
For babies who are formula-fed, the health board said formula was “provided as needed” by the hospital, but Sophie said she was told she would need to bring it in herself.
Sophie had only left the hospital – which earlier this week denied online claims it was “dangerous” and “dreadful” – for 24 hours before she and her husband Ryli Price had to return when they realised Florence was not able to breathe and the “colour started to drain from her”.
“Florence started to make some really harsh grunting sounds, it sounded like a death rattle coming from her chest up into her mouth,” she said.
Sophie ran into the A&E department screaming “she’s not breathing” and credited the quick response of medical staff who helped save her daughter’s life.
Florence was diagnosed with bronchiolitis, external, rhinoviruses – which causes the common cold, external – and a blood infection, which meant her lungs could not operate on their own.
She was placed on a machine that pumped air into her lungs via a mask.
