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Thanks for asking this! I have been wondering what it is like at all. I had a rough time attempting to breastfeed DD1 and have no desire to try again with DD2. Hospital's website has no information on formula/BF so I will add it to my list of things to talk about with my OB.
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In the non HelloBee world, formula feeding is a lot more common. Every hospital has formula. There are many reasons that a baby might not get breast milk and it's important that there is an alternative, so they'll have it unless you are going for an uncommon brand. I doubt you'll have any trouble at all.
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I gave birth at a baby friendly hospital in NYC and while all the nurses were experienced lactation coaches and there were lactation consultants everywhere, there was no pressure at all to breastfeed. The support was there if you needed/wanted it and breastfeeding was definitely encouraged, but formula was readily available and no one acted judgey if you asked for it. It makes me sad that people have bad experiences at baby friendly hospitals.
Also, I'd actually call and ask the Mother Baby/L&D part of the hospital instead of my OB to ask about formula. Maybe it's just here because doctors deliver at multiple hospitals, but in my experience, the hospital staff knows the policies way better than the doctors.
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I didn't go through this situation, but I have a little advice. Always ask for more formula when you are down to 2 or so feeds, last thing you want is a hungry screaming baby when your nurse is busy. You may want to bring a bottle brush to wash out the nipples. They'll give you wrapped ones and will give you enough to use but it felt wasteful to me to throw them all away. Most importantly, if you have any problems with your nurse get the charge nurse. No one should have to deal with being disrespected for making a personal choice. Good luck
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I found this thread really helpful when pregnant and planning to exclusively FF. Now that baby is 6 weeks old, I just wanted to say that no one batted an eye at my hospital when I said we were bottle fed. No one asked why or tried to talk me out of it. They just asked what brand of formula we wanted them to bring us. They provided tons of it.
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@kjpugs: I'm glad you got clarity from your OB. I had a traumatic nursing experience, and I feel for you. I'm happy your partner & OB support you. You might get a rogue nurse who tries to push an agenda, but having everyone else on the same page ahead of time should mean they'll be your advocates. Best wishes!!!!
I'd also be sure you have everything in order to help make it easier for yourself to dry up your milk & avoid mastitis. I know you can wear a tight bra, take herbs, and use Ibuprofen for pain. Maybe ensure they have a pump if you need to for relief?
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