Sophie Price Says Hospital Denied Her Meals While Baby Was Ill

What changed

Sophie Price, 22, says she was denied hospital meals while her critically ill baby, Florence, spent three weeks being treated at Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran.

She says staff told her she was no longer classed as a patient because she was formula-feeding rather than breastfeeding. Her family says they spent more than £1,000 on canteen and takeaway food during the admission.

Why it matters

The policy creates a sharp divide between maternity and paediatric care. Mothers receive meals while under maternity services, regardless of how they feed their babies. On a paediatric ward, only the child is formally considered the patient, although breastfeeding mothers are given meals because breastfeeding directly supports the baby's nutrition.

That distinction became painfully practical for Sophie. Florence had bronchiolitis, rhinovirus and a blood infection, and needed breathing support. Sophie says she was hungry, exhausted and in significant pain after childbirth, with swollen feet and hip injuries that made walking difficult.

A hospital stay involving a dangerously ill baby is already physically and emotionally consuming. Food is basic support, not a reward for choosing one feeding method. The health board said it was sorry about Sophie's experience and committed to supporting families during their child's stay.

The immediate question is whether that commitment changes the treatment of parents whose babies are formula-fed. The reported case leaves that unresolved.