Mealtimes in hospitals

mirrorwall14

Can anyone explain to me the strange timetable of meals in hospital? I'm currently in the coombe on observation. I came in unexpectedly overnight so didn't have time to pick stuff up.

Was woken before 7 for the ward checks, didn't get breakfast until 820 (a big problem when you still have lingering morning sickness).

Dinner was at 115 and quite filling with desert

I got beef stroganoff for tea at1615 don't get me wrong it's lovely but it's only three hours since I ate a substantial dinner and this is way to much food this fast.

I don't know what happens after this!


It just seems mad, more and more the advice is 3 small meals, 3 small snacks but there is no acknowledgement of this in hospitals. Starving overnight, stuffed at tea time! Maybe it's just me?

RentDayBlues

There's nothing after that, so 3 meals and then a break of 16 hours, which is ridiculous

When I had my daughter my husband brought in snacks, when you're up all night breastfeeding you need some food!

Having said that, the food in the coombe was quite edible, a lot better than some reports from a few years ago. I had pretty much salads only while I was there and they were tasty

mirrorwall14

RentDayBlues wrote: »

There's nothing after that, so 3 meals and then a break of 16 hours, which is ridiculous

When I had my daughter my husband brought in snacks, when you're up all night breastfeeding you need some food!

Having said that, the food in the coombe was quite edible, a lot better than some reports from a few years ago. I had pretty much salads only while I was there and they were tasty

Christ just as well I robbed the bread. I think a trip down to the shop is warranted.
It has been very good I agree, much better than other hospitals in the past

nikpmup

One of the nights in Holles Street, the girl next to me got moved elsewhere during the night and someone didn't tell the catering and they left her breakfast. I nicked it :P

I was admitted for a kidney infection a couple of days before I had my son. Between feeling really sick and being on IV antibiotics, then getting home and my waters breaking the next morning, then on the day of his birth I had a c-section under GA. My son was in NICU overnight, between one thing and another I missed breakfast. All told, by the day after his birth at lunchtime, I hadn't actually eaten a thing for about 4 days. I arrived back to the ward just in time for dinner. I was within munching distance, when the catering lady came back, whipped the dinner away and told me I was on a ''light diet'' because I'd had a section!!!!!:eek: I almost cried! Then I was on hospital rations while trying to breasfeed. Hunger hunger hunger!

Moonbeam

do you not get tea and scones or brown bread too?
Holles st kept feeding me,it was awesome!

nikpmup

Moonbeam wrote: »

do you not get tea and scones or brown bread too?
Holles st kept feeding me,it was awesome!

No?! Tea and scones would've been amazing! I got breakfast at about 7.30 - cornflakes, slice of brown bread and an egg. Dinner was 12ish, meat, potatoes, veg, and maybe some jelly (yuck!) Tea was about 4.30, scrambled egg or a salad or something. Then nothing till the next morning. There is only the crappy little coffee shop downstairs with prepacked sandwiches. Next time along with the labour bag I'm packing food supplies lol!

Nomis21

Get over to Offaly next time...

They bring round sandwiches around 7.00pm at Tullamore General

Xdancer

My local hospital didn't stop feeding us.....breakfast at 7.30, mid morning drink and snack at about 11, lunch at 1.30/2, afternoon tea and biscuits at 4.30, dinner at 7.30 and drinks again at 11pm

January

You should get a sandwich and tea around 7pm... I did in the Coombe in 2010 anyway and in the Rotunda back in May.

It makes no sense giving you your dinner so early in the day...

mirrorwall14

Particularly when you end up with two dinners! It's 10 past 7 now. I was offered a cup of tea a few mins ago but not food

Its strange to see the discrepancies between hospitals. I went down and got a sandwich in the cafe (they do make them up at least) and it's in the locker for later!

lazygal

I was pretty well fed in Holles St and I was pleasantly surprised at the choice. Apart from the restrictions the day after sections I had no complaints and I loved the morning scone!

Sligo1

Moonbeam wrote: »

do you not get tea and scones or brown bread too?
Holles st kept feeding me,it was awesome!

I'm pretty sure that's only if you're in a private room moonbeam? (Perhaps semiprivate aswell?). I got scones . Were you perhaps in a private or semi?
When I was in the antenatal public ward for a night we didnt get it.

nikpmup

Sligo1 wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that's only if you're in a private room moonbeam? (Perhaps semiprivate aswell?). I got scones . Were you perhaps in a private or semi?
When I was in the antenatal public ward for a night we didnt get it.

Ah, that must be it! The Great Unwashed public wards get fish heads thrown at them from buckets, the private rooms get afternoon tea

Sligo1

nikpmup wrote: »

Ah, that must be it! The Great Unwashed public wards get fish heads thrown at them from buckets, the private rooms get afternoon tea

Lol... I always love your comments... Always make me laugh...

mirrorwall14

Husbands response to that was, well you could have gone private. I was like, at 5k that would be one heck of a scone. We agreed it would be raisen and cherry and about the size of the hospital rofl

Sligo1

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Husbands response to that was, well you could have gone private. I was like, at 5k that would be one heck of a scone. We agreed it would be raisen and cherry and about the size of the hospital rofl

Lol... In fairness they were pretty dry. I've had better

John Mason

in HS i got breakfast at 730, a bowl of cereal, i wanted Bran Flakes, i was given cornflakes, a slice of brown bread and an egg (only got the egg one day).

Lunch at 12, some pasta thing

Dinner at 5pm, a piece of lettuce, 2 slices of cheese, half a tomato and 2 slices of brown bread.

it was all fine but as a vegetarian, they gave me no protein bar the 1 egg.

got my husband to bring me some food and snacks. Breastfeeding makes you into an eating monster.

Ginny

In rotunda we had breakfast at 7, soup at 11ish, lunch/dinner at 1 then a salad thing at about 5. Meant all staff serving food could be gone by 6. Easy way of reducing the playbill. If you were lucky the nurses made toast.
Pain in the arse the day before I was induced, the lunch that day was rank, so I didn't eat it, tea salad was awful too so I left that, then at 10:30 I was told I was nil by mouth from 12 and given toast. After that I wasn't allowed eat for 24 hours. Starving!

dublinlady

Ate like a pig in holles st... Was semi private and private - didn't actually make any difference.. The menu was the same - and I still needed snacks of my own for my midnight feasts! But I could fault them for other things - quite a few actually - but not the food!

contrary_mary

I went private in holles st and I can't attest to the quality of the food as I'm a coeliac and the kitchen just couldn't seem to give me a suitable meal! I generally asked for a salad as the "safe" option - one came on brown bread and another with both couscous and pasta! Even when a meal seemed okay I was getting sick so obviously there were cross-contamination issues in the kitchen. By day 3 (I had a section) I was living off cereal I brought in myself and just asking them to bring me a bowl of milk at mealtimes. I was feeding a baby who wanted to be on the boob 22 hours a day so it was a bit of a nightmare

I keep meaning to write in to hopefully make it better for future patients but I'm not sure whether to contact catering (who apologised profusely while I was there but couldn't seem to improve things) or the hospital dietician? Anyone have any ideas? Otherwise the care I received was phenomenal and I'm quite used to fending for myself food-wise so it wasn't the end of the world for me. I was just glad to get home and get a proper dinner!

January

I'd write to the dietician, cc'ing both the catering department and the master of the hospital.

contrary_mary

January wrote: »

I'd write to the dietician, cc'ing both the catering department and the master of the hospital.

Thanks, I was thinking the dietician would be a good starting point alright. I just need to get the time to do it now! It's a job for the laptop which can't be managed as easily as a phone while feeding!

RentDayBlues

contrary_mary wrote: »

I went private in holles st and I can't attest to the quality of the food as I'm a coeliac and the kitchen just couldn't seem to give me a suitable meal! I generally asked for a salad as the "safe" option - one came on brown bread and another with both couscous and pasta! Even when a meal seemed okay I was getting sick so obviously there were cross-contamination issues in the kitchen. By day 3 (I had a section) I was living off cereal I brought in myself and just asking them to bring me a bowl of milk at mealtimes. I was feeding a baby who wanted to be on the boob 22 hours a day so it was a bit of a nightmare

I keep meaning to write in to hopefully make it better for future patients but I'm not sure whether to contact catering (who apologised profusely while I was there but couldn't seem to improve things) or the hospital dietician? Anyone have any ideas? Otherwise the care I received was phenomenal and I'm quite used to fending for myself food-wise so it wasn't the end of the world for me. I was just glad to get home and get a proper dinner!

This is the reason I had so many salads in the coombe, coeliac too!

All was well, they were actually really careful until the last night (typical!). TMI but diarrhoea and a hungry baby do not mix, I spent most of the last night on the toilet with the door open shooshing my daughter

Penny Dreadful

January wrote: »

I'd write to the dietician, cc'ing both the catering department and the master of the hospital.

And the Chair of the Hospital Board if you want it to be raised at any serious level.
Otherwise your letter could well end up getting........."lost"/ "mislaid"......

Nutrition in hospitals has improved and will always be of a higher calorie content than we think it should be but given that quite a few people are sick and require higher energy foods. However, the quality of the food, especially for those on a restricted diet needs continual improvement especially in relation to salt content.

contrary_mary

RentDayBlues wrote: »

This is the reason I had so many salads in the coombe, coeliac too!

All was well, they were actually really careful until the last night (typical!). TMI but diarrhoea and a hungry baby do not mix, I spent most of the last night on the toilet with the door open shooshing my daughter

Same! I was just glad I had my own room - and praying that nobody would come in at an inopportune time! I really didn't need the stomach cramps on top of the post-section pains!

Betsie_xr3i

In clonmel it's breakfast between 7.30and 8 dinner which consists of soup main meal desert and a cuppa at 12 and at 4.30 you get your tea and then a sandwich or a biscuit at about 8pm

indigo twist

I'm jealous of those who got eggs for breakfast in Holles St!

I was on the public ward for around four days ...

Breakfast at 8am was cornflakes and two slices of soda bread. Possibly orange juice as well?

Lunch was the "main" meal at around 12 - meat that was honestly inedible. It came with veg, though, completely overcooked and watery, but edible at least. Think possibly some sort of jellyish dessert too ... not very appetising.

Then "tea" at around five. There was stuff like beans and fish fingers offered, I don't eat that at home, and was amazed it was being offered as an evening meal to women who have just given birth and many of whom are breastfeeding. Anyways I went with the salad option, it wasn't great, but the two slices of brown bread kept me going at least.

I was prepared in advance with food in my hospital bag, thankfully. Cereal bars etc - nothing too nutritious, but it kept me going for the few days at least.

On a related note, everyone makes such a big deal about the tea and toast you get after giving birth. The midwives were shocked when I refused the tea - I don't drink it, never have. The toast was pretty nice alright, although I was shaking so violently (shock!) that the butter and crumbs ended up smeared all over my face.

SmokeyEyes

I don't drink tea either so had nice cold water and toast after labour! Food in rotunda was ok but not great, especially for a vegetarian. I asked very nicely for poached egg and toast as substitute a few times and that was much better!

natty_asha

So I'm on day 2 in kilkenny at the moment and overall the good has been better than what I remember last time.

Breakfast is at 8/8.30 cornflakes, tea and 2 slices toast or brown bread with marmalade.

Soup served around 11.30 mushroom yesterday, veg today.

Dinner is at 12.30 got choice of veg spring rolls with sweet chilli sauce and veg and spuds or bacon spuds cabbage with parsley sauce yesterday. Both served with two mini eclairs for dessert and a glass of milk.
Today was roast beef with all the trimmings! And choc sponge with fresh cream for dessert.

Tea is at 5, got a chicken and mushroom vol au vent with a slice of bread yesterday. Today was a choice of mixed grill or scrambled eggs and toast.

Cup of tea served around 7 with a small 3 pack of biscuits.

Overall not bad and they always seem to have vegetarian options. Only fault is no fresh fruit but I brought in a bag full anyway so don't mind.

73trix

Any recent experiences of Wexford General??

lilmissprincess

CUMH was breakfast (cold toast, brown bread, weetabix, tea) at 8.20, then 3 course lunch (soup, semi-edible something else and a dessert) at 1, then dinner at 4 (scrambled egg/sausage chips beans/sandwich). Tea at 8pm, with perhaps a biscuit - one day there was cake and I rejoiced.

Stuck in there for 5 weeks - I never want to see Weetabix again, or a scrambled egg that watery - and the time between 4pm and 8am always seemed ridiculously long, I used to hoard things I'd gotten downstairs or yoghurts they'd given earlier in the day... god help you if you're admitted after 5 and haven't had dinner, you're given toast or a sandwich and thats it!

Ocean Blue

73trix wrote: »

Any recent experiences of Wexford General??

I found the food in Wexford fairly decent and reasonable portions at mealtimes IMO. Cereal, toast, tea for breakfast at maybe 7.30am. Could ask for OJ if they didn't give it. Usually a roast dinner at lunchtime (12.30ish) if I recall correctly - roast beef, roast chicken, baked cod etc with potato and veg, dessert also. Tea was maybe a cold meat salad, soup and a sandwich etc (5ish). I could have lunch and dinner mixed up but you get the idea. Then a few other times they would come around with tea or coffee.

I didn't finish most meals in hospital as I had a tough few days and had little appetite. Plus baby had a knack of waking when I tried to eat!!! I had brought a box of snacks - rice cakes, crackers, cereal bars etc - which I found handy for when I did feel peckish outside of meal times cos id you miss one meal especially tea it's a long wait til breakfast.

Rogaine2

My local hospital has the following:

Cereal and/or Toast or brown bread with tea or coffee at 8am

11.30am Tea or a bowl of soup

1pm Hot dinner (meat and two veg type). Jelly & Icecream or a yoghurt.

5pm Salad/Sandwiches/Crap - the crap could be sausage rolls or a fry or an omelette.

9pm Sandwiches

galah

uhg was pretty manky (in the maternity ward after a section and a few weeks later in the pediatric unit when baby was sick with a virus). how they get away with serving patients this muck is beyond me. the food was processed within an inch of its life, all 'beige' (breaded, fried, or those supermanky burgers where you are not sure which bit of roadkill they used), the definition of a 'salad' is very loose (coleslaw, mashed potato and a slice of ham? not sure in which universe this could be called a salad?), and desserts were pure chemical jellies. you couldn't tell the difference between the "chicken" and the "fish cake."

i complained a few times, and always got offered really dry sandwiches as an alternative. no fresh fruit or veg in sight, and i doubt they took the dietary requirements of breastfeeding mothers into account at all.

really horrible experience, and i hope we never end up there again with a sick child as you couldn't feed them that cr*p when they're sick.

comongethappy

In Holles St public ward for the moment. Breakfast at 8ish, brown bread, butter, jam, cereal, tea. Lunch around 1ish, choice of 3, usually meat/fish, vegetarian, or salad/sandwich options. Serves to be main meal. Dinner around 5ish, usually fry, vegetarian, or other option available.

Food isn't great, but is all edible. Veg option Doesn't contain enough protein IMHO, but don't choose the cheese option here. I was going to but decided on veg sweet and sour instead, a wise choice, as the cheese was easy singles.