Should I find a new daycare?

St3ph4ni3

So my workplace partners with the local YMCA childcare center for subsidized daycare and it's more affordable than anywhere else around. The problem is they are giving me grief about still giving my son breast milk. their reasoning for not wanting to give it to him is a lazy factor I feel. They don't have a fridge in the 1 year old room so his milk had to be put in the fridge in the kitchen ( the teacher thismorning said it was too much trouble to go and get it from the kitchen). If you have to go to the kitchen to get the food for mealtime then what does it matter if you grab his milk when your in the kitchen. She argued that he should only be having cows milk at his age. He just turned 1 on Monday! Am I being absurd with this or does this seem inappropriate?

dmbfan46835

That's bullshit. I'd be pissed too. and most daycare don't have fridges in each room, so that's a lame excuse on their part. They can store it in the fridge in the kitchen. Like you said, they have to go there anyway. I pack all food and drink for daycare and they keep all his stuff in the kitchen and just bring it when they bring the others kids stuff. It's not that inconvenient and they should support that you still want to BF. It's far better for your child than cows milk so they shouldn't pressure you to give it up. I'm mad FOR you. 

missliz53

Total bull. They just don't want to bother with it anymore. I don't know that I would find a new daycare just yet, is there a higher up you can talk to? 

chaser61

My daycare asked to give cow's milk in addition to BM. They have a fridge in the room so it is not a big deal. Can you offer to pack a cooler with an ice pack to leave in the room as a compromise? I would keep pushing back first and then consider another daycare.

Editing to say that every time I did something against the norm they would push to do it their way. I just stuck to saying no or compromising.

booksandcleverness81

Btw, what is even the big deal whether you want him to have cows milk or your milk? They both have to be stored in the fridge and given in the same method, their role in feeding it to your kid is not different at all (unless I'm missing something). So if they are willing to feed your kid milk then they should feed them whatever effing milk you want. End of story. Lazy lazy lazy. 

LoveLee85

missliz53 said:

Total bull. They just don't want to bother with it anymore. I don't know that I would find a new daycare just yet, is there a higher up you can talk to? 

This. Go above their head...someone in management will realize this could blow up on social media and make them look terrible!! And rightfully so because that is awful of them. 

St3ph4ni3

I talked to one of the directors before I picked my son up today and she said she would talk to the teachers. She said absolutely we support breastfeeding mothers. Went in to pick him up and one the teachers (a different on from this morning) told me I couldn't bring breast milk because it wasn't safe for the other kids in the class! She said it was a problem because the kids might share cups and it would be bad if another kid drank my milk. Maybe watch the kids, they shouldn't be allowed to share cups like its no big deal!  Talked to the director about what I was told and she looked shocked and upset for me so hopefully things will get better. If not, I'm starting research now in a better daycare that would be closer to home. 

vjlanier

My daycare is trying to push both my kids to have cows milk and they have a sensitivity to it. Not allergy but just gives them diarrhea if they drink it. Can't take my word for it and give the milk I provided... They have to have a doctors note. I feel your pain!

St3ph4ni3

That is so much worse than what I am dealing with! At least my son doesn't have any  sensativities to it. And the fact that they are still pushing the issue even with a doctors note. So infuriating.  

JessicaS0914

St3ph4ni3 said:

I talked to one of the directors before I picked my son up today and she said she would talk to the teachers. She said absolutely we support breastfeeding mothers. Went in to pick him up and one the teachers (a different on from this morning) told me I couldn't bring breast milk because it wasn't safe for the other kids in the class! She said it was a problem because the kids might share cups and it would be bad if another kid drank my milk. Maybe watch the kids, they shouldn't be allowed to share cups like its no big deal!  Talked to the director about what I was told and she looked shocked and upset for me so hopefully things will get better. If not, I'm starting research now in a better daycare that would be closer to home. 

Ok, I'm totally with you on being able to send whatever drink you want with your kid. However, I think you should calm down on the "Maybe watch the kids" rhetoric. Have you ever tried to feed that many kids at once?  In this age group, it's pretty standard that even in a playgroup with a 1:1 mom to kid ratios someone winds up with someone else's sippy in their mouth. 

ElleMF728

@JessicaS0914 This is so true lol! We do twice weekly play dates with my neighbor, we both have two boys ages 3,2,1 and 1 year old. They seem very determined to try out each other's sippy cups, its nearly impossible to keep them all separate.  Even with just my two I go through a bunch a day because one has decided to grab his brothers for some reason. 

I do think OP should be able to use BM if that is what she wants to do but this is a valid problem that I imagine would be difficult to deal with. 

yellow1daisy

It might be hard to keep the kids from sharing cups (which I've also seen in playdates) but I wouldn't say a kid drinking a bit of her BM would be somehow unsafe for other children...

LoveLee85

Either way, that's not a good enough 'excuse' to not being BM for your LO! 

ForeverEverAfter

I don't think cup sharing is appropriate at all in a daycare. At a play date it happens, sure, but these are daycare professionals and are accountable to health and safety rules. I have a registered home daycare, and there is no cup sharing allowed in my regulations. Heck, I have to sanitize high chairs and play pens between uses! Cups stay at the table, at the child's place. The infants are taught to sign for drinks, and get them on demand. If it's near a meal time, they sit at the table, if it's during play/activity, the child sits on my lap and has their cup/bottle (or boob if it's my own lol). 

I think the director told you all the right things, but needs to educate the staff better. You are following best practices by continuing. I permit breast milk as long as the parent wants to send it.

chelseajeanene

I was a teacher in the toddler room and I dealt with this first hand. It was frustrating with the breastmilk moms from time to time because a lot of the teachers agree with "they shouldn't be on it anymore" excuse. If you're not comfortable just leave 

St3ph4ni3

Thank you for all of your feedback ladies. He did great on Monday And the teacher he was with had no problem with him having breast milk especially since he is already experiencing so much change with starting daycare. They only hand out the sippy cups when all the kids are seated at the table for mealtime. I'm amazed at how good they are about sitting around the table in their little chairs, it's so cute!  

Yiggle09

This is absolutely ridiculous. They need to feed the baby what you provide end of story. Maybe they should invest in a refrigerator!