Wellington Regional Hospital U-turns, toast to stay on the menu for mums after birth

Health NZ says toast with spreads will now be offered to women 'as part of the range of meals'. Photo / 123rf

Wellington Regional Hospital will now keep toast and spreads on the menu for mums who have just given birth, following public outrage and disbelief from the Health Minister.

The hospital was planning to ditch toast, citing advice from dietitians that the provision of bread and spreads was “nutritionally sub-optimal”. The plan was to offer women an after-hours meal instead.

When the Herald first reported on the situation, Health NZ Te Whatu Ora Capital, Coast & Hutt Valley hospital operations group manager Kaye Hudson acknowledged there were instances where the change had not been implemented correctly and some women may not have been offered a meal post-birth.

Toast would be offered while the hospital improved its process, Hudson said.

However, a Health NZ spokesman said today toast and spreads will now be offered to women “as part of the range of meals”.

“This is not going to change.”

A father posted about the situation on social media over the weekend after his partner had a baby at the hospital.

“The staff told me that they have had their bread supply taken off them so they can no longer make mums a quick bite.”

Wellington Regional Hospital is keeping toast and spreads on the menu for mums who have just given birth. Photo / Mark Mitchell

He was told it had been taken away to cut costs, he said.

Several outraged people replied to the post saying a Milo or cup of tea with toast after giving birth was “the most amazing thing ever”, an “absolute godsend” and the “best toast and tea I had ever had in my life”.

Asked this morning on Newstalk ZB how the situation with Health NZ had got “so bad” that there was a debate over toast, Health Minister Shane Reti said he had asked Health NZ to reconsider its position because it made no sense to him.

”These are adult women who can make choices and furthermore, toast is an easy comfort food after having a baby.”

Parents Centre Aotearoa operations general manager Nicola Eccleton agreed nutritionally dense food should be provided in a hospital setting but a slice of toast with jam made sense from a comfort perspective in a post-birth situation.

“Sometimes, I think we do forget about the nurturing, comfort aspect of food and that is important in a hospital setting too. I grew up when I was sick with Marmite on toast when I didn’t feel well.”

She said many women wouldn’t find a full meal palatable after birth.

“After I gave birth, I don’t think I could have stomached a lovely chicken breast and a salad.

“It’s just really important that when we consider nutrition, we also consider emotional and mental comfort in the healing process.”

College of Midwives chief executive Alison Eddy told Newstalk ZB tea and toast after birth was an age-old tradition.

“Women often don’t feel like a full meal, just like marathon runners don’t feel like sitting down to a nutritious meal or a big meal after running a marathon. Women who have been through the process of labour often want something light and comforting and warm.”

Eddy acknowledged the health system was under incredible pressure to save money but if the move to ditch toast was due to cost-cutting, she said a loaf of bread was not an expensive commodity.

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.