Breastfeeding
chesnutridge
member
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Daycare Feeding
chesnutridge
member
My son started daycare about a month ago, and we are getting a lot of feedback from the daycare about the size of his feedings and the amount of BM that we are bringing. Everytime I pick him up, the afternoon girl makes a comment about how he needs more food. He gets 4 to 4.5 oz bottles. We currently send 1618 oz. of bm and and extra eight oz. Of formula. I started putting the formula in because I was not able to get twenty oz. of bm while pumping at work. I pump constantly at work to get the sixteen to eighteen he is already eating. He is there from 7 to 5 most days and is always bringing one formula bottle home.
I really just don't know what to do? This whole situation is making me feel bad. One for not being able to keep with supply, then for the fact that they are making me feel like I am starving my kid. DH is no help. He just wants to feed the baby and would have a bottle in his mouth all day if he could. Between this and pumping what seems like all day, I want to give up.
I really just don't know what to do? This whole situation is making me feel bad. One for not being able to keep with supply, then for the fact that they are making me feel like I am starving my kid. DH is no help. He just wants to feed the baby and would have a bottle in his mouth all day if he could. Between this and pumping what seems like all day, I want to give up.
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Re: Daycare Feeding
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Daycares do this all the time. They are used to formula babies who have 8oz bottles, so whether or not your kid actually seems hungry, they decide you need bigger bottles. My DS1 never took more than 4oz in a feeding. I usually sent 3 bottles. They don't understand that breastmilk naturally increases in calories per ounce, so he's getting enough calories. Formula must increase in volume to increase calories. Also, they probably force every drop into him. Print this for them and just say no to providing more milk.
https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/feeding-tools/bottle-feeding/
And some reading:
https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/employed-moms/childcare-breastfed-baby/
Lo is four months. He is getting bottles every two to two and a half hours. He does not take a paci. I nurse him when we get home and about two times before he is put to bed, once in MOTN and the in the morning one to two times.
I also have a 4month old that doesn't take a paci either. I send 3 4oz bottles; he has been taking them for the last month at DC. I had an issue this week, where DC gave him 5 4oz bottles. They have some of my frozen milk, and I was extremely upset!!! I asked them why and requested they make some changes....mainly pausing during the bottles to slow it down and burp him. His issue was that he was gulping down the whole thing in minutes, and ended up spitting most of it up. Naturally, he would get hungry again shortly afterwards.
This is my second child, and I am much more confident that I am NOT starving my child. I know that I am still feeding him plenty of times at home too. He is gaining weight like its his job. I just don't want to waste my time pumping milk that is essentially being wasted.
It sounds to me like they are over feeding him. I only send what I pump and DS will make up for it with extra nursing sessions in the evening.
The Blog
I'm going thru a similar situation, except I can only send 12 oz. BM and then I send the forumla container - LO is 5 months (been in DC for about 3 months now) and I figured 12 oz. was enough, she's been feeding him 2 (8 oz.) bottles while in her care from 7:45-5:00 pm. We've argued many, many times about how BF babies eat differently than FF babies, she insists he 'screams' cause he's starving, I've given up at this point and just let her do what works for her, I've heard babies in DC can tend to eat more while out of your care though.
One thing that might help is to track all LO's feedings say, on the weekend and bring it with you to DC - show them exactly what he does while with you. Also, you can ask your Pedi what they think is the appropriate amount just for more proof of your LO's schedule, just a suggestion.
The other issue is the USDA food program. If your day care uses it, it requires them to offer 4 to 6 ounces of breastmilk or formula every 3 hours to infants under 6 months of age and 6 to 8 for infants over 6 months. I know that influenced me when I worked at a center.