Daycare Feeding Issues

bumptink

LO is 23 weeks and has started having some problems eating at daycare. I send 4 5-ounce bottles of breastmilk (some supplementation with formula...) each day. He eats around 5:30 in the morning and tends to take a long nap when he first gets to daycare. He usually wakes up around 10:30, and that is throwing his bottle schedule off so much. Eating around every 3 hours means he does not get in his 6 bottles a day, and he's been waking more at night too.

weve started some solids at night between his last two bottles.

Any suggestions?? 

Could he be trying to space out his feedings and I should be doing more per bottle less often?? Or should I start a lunch meal of solids in addition to supper?

dmbfan46835

We are EBF and mine also wont eat as much at the sitter:(  he is there from 9-5:30 and takes just three 5 oz bottles in that time.  She tries to get him to eat more while there but he is simply not hungry. He eats around 5 am and then about 8:30am and then when home at about 6pm and then again right before bed so he is also getting up at night to eat still. I wish I had some advice but I'm in the same boat as you unfortunately

Yiggle09

I don't have my son napping through meals at daycare but we have a 1 hour 15 min ride to daycare and back. I was getting lo up at 530 for his morning bottle and to pack into car and telling them his first bottle was at 530 then they go every 3 hours, well his last (not last for day but for them) bottle is due 530 pm I pick him up at 5 so in the middle of our trip he usually freaks out or sleeps through it and then we get home and he eats two bottles plus a puree in 2 hrs.... so I started lying to them saying his first bottle is 415 so that by 5 pm he has drank 5 5 oz bottles and I can spend some quality time with him instead of a feeding frenzy. My daycare won't feed him puree till he is 6 m. So my white lie is working for us. I would ask if the could try a bottle a little early when he's over slept his bottle or maybe add an extra oz. 

backatac

I literally just went through the same thing. My little guy is strictly on breast milk still - no solids. He was taking 3 x 5 oz bottles a day (eating every 3 hours) but then the way his naps started to fall he was only getting two bottles a day or 10oz in about 9 hours - not enough. So I switched to the larger bottles and he takes 2 x 7.5 oz bottles per day and it has gone well these first two days! Already he's started sleeping better. Hope that helps!

Peanut1128

I also lie to daycare about his last bottle time so they will feed him soon after he arrives. It works better for our schedule and he always wants to eat more in the morning and the evenings so he happily takes his bottle 1.5 hours after I have fed him. 

hmburchell

This might be a dumb question but why do you have to lie to the daycare?  Couldn't you just ask them to feed LO earlier?  My daycare will do whatever we ask but they're pretty accommodating. 

jlawson23

Just curious why 10 ounces in 9 hours wasn't enough. That's within the rule of thumb? 1-1.5 ounces for every hour you're away. 7.5 ounces is a lot. Max stomach capacity is 5oz. Anything more and you are stretching their stomach. It's always best to do what works best for you, but I am just curious! Also, look into Kellymom.com! Such a good resource for breastfeeding and parenting! 

Good luck mama!!

bumptink

I don't breastfeed-- I exclusively pump! And for him to get his 30 ounces in for the day, taking just 9 ounces in the 8 or so hours he is there just isn't enough to also try and STTN!

etayislove

This is actually a pretty normal occurrence for babies, they want their moms to feed them. It's called reverse cycling, you might try to look up some things to help. I could never get DS1 off of it though. He would even sleep more for his caretaker and be awake later at night so he could see me and breastfeed.