Infant daycare question... what to pack?

The_Jen626

My daughter will be starting part time daycare in 3 weeks, she will be about 9 weeks old.  I breastfeed, and will be pumping daily and dropping off the milk with her.

Here is what I have on my list to send right now... Bag of diapers, Box of wipes, a few extra empty bottles, can of formula (if needed to supplement), 2 pacifiers, 3 extra outfits

Am I leaving anything important off??  Do you send a restocked diaper bag everyday, or just leave several necessities there with the provider? Also, can I leave a few extra bottles there for them to use as needed, or do they send home the dirty bottles every day? Do they wash the bottles?

Also, there is only one other infant there, she's 7months old.  Do I still have to label everything?

mailnsl@bellsouth.net

I would, if you can leave your stuff there, except pacifiers (I usually took mine home and wased those daily)... but what I did was just went to Target and bought a canvas cooler and an ice pack the kind that goes up the middle.  I made my bottles at home...one extra.  So if I needed to supplement I would just mix in my breast milk... 

 Hope this helps.

 

Be sure to label the tops of your bottles too as they get missed matched at the center!

YellowBride

I would ask the daycare center what they need and if you can leave things there - they all have different "rules."

I use an in-home daycare and when DD was an infant, I would send her with a packed diaper bag (carried it back and forth each day) with extra clothes and bibs. I provided diapers and wipes whenever she told me she was low. I brought prepared bottles with BM each day and I gave her a few freezer bags to have as back-up (can you do that instead of the can of formula?). I labeled the bottles with a bumpy label (bumpylabel.com) - they can go right in the dishwasher with the label on.

GL!

jlw2505

Some of these are questions you really need to ask your provider as everyplace has their own process.  I would label the things that you bring.  That being said, I don't label all the clothes - just my girls jackets, hats and stuff like that.  My center provided the bottles but when I was nursing, I took the bottles my DD needed for the day and not any extra.  If she ate more than I had brought (supplemented with formula) they used their own bottles.  My center provides everything other than diapers and cream and I bring in a whole packet/jar and they let me know when they are running low.  I keep a few extra outfits in my girls backpacks which I bring back and forth everyday and refill as needed.  Find out if your DD will be going outside at all and if so, make sure to include a sun hat and sunscreen.  When I brought the bottles to daycare, they did not wash them.  They sterilze all bottles/nipples/plates/cups that are the center owned ones.  My center has extra clothes as back-up if needed and if you run out of diapers, they will use someone elses for the day and then replace those that you used when you bring more in.  It works out really well. 

KathrynMD

I would ask the DC about their policies.  Our DC will not make bottles - I tried that whole "leave extra formula just in case thing" and they wouldn't/can't do it. 

At all times - DD has 3 extra outfits there - basically onesies and PJs and socks, 2 extra drool bibs, diapers, wipes and diaper cream (but obviously restock those).  I slept with her blankets for a few days before she started and the DC teacher wore those when she fed DD for the first week or so (that was their idea and it made me soo happy that they thought of that!)  We also take pacifiers back and forth most days.  I try to leave 2 or 3 there, but that got messed up today and she had no paci so DH had to go get her one. 

I also have an emergency outfit and 4 diapers in her diaper bag that goes with her every day.

katy75

We had a checklist of things to bring from our daycare so you should ask if they have one.  I think you are on track so far.  My only other things to add would be bedding (we have to supply 2 crib sheets/blankets - it stays there all week and we wash it on the weekend) and diaper rash cream if you use any.

We left everything there except the bottles and they would just send a note home when they were low on diapers or wipes.  They rinsed the bottles after use and put them back in our bag every day and we washed them every night and took them back the next day.

I'd still label everything even though she is the only tiny infant.

The_Jen626

Yellow Bride- I just ordered those labels, very cool!  Thanks!

Thanks everyone, I will ask the providers what their policies are.  They did say that I could bring some frozen milk or a can of formula, either way.

makclair

We just take packs of diapers when they get low- He has a cubby at daycare that they're stored in. Our dc provides wipes, so we only have to send diaper rash cream if we want them to use it. We bring in his bottles (have to be pre-made) each morning and put them in the fridge (always send 1 extra) and they put the empty bottles back in his diaper bag after he drinks them.

In his dc diaper bag: a few extra outfits, gas drops , a lightweight blanket, and a few diapers/wipes just in case we need them on the way home. We have a separate bag that we use to send to daycare.

shannm

On Mondays we bring a clean sheet and blanket.  In his cubby, I keep extra clothes, one backup ready to use formula bottle, an empty bottle, an extra jar of food, used to keep pacis there (not anymore), an extra sheet, an extra blanket, bibs, bibs, bibs - he was a drooler!

Each day, we bring ready to use bottles and his solid food and anything that needs to be replaced in the cubby.  We do not leave bottles, they have to go home every day and they rinse but do not wash the bottles for us.

Check with your daycare about what they suggest and the labels.  Even with seven other infants, most things were not labeled.  Mainly just food and bottles.

Printergirl

My son started at 10w. They provide the wipes and have a cubby area for his extras. Here is my list:

1 box of diapers as needed (we also send cloth 2x a week)

2 onsies, 2 'layering' outfits and socks as needed in the cubby, Sunhat for outside time

Bottles daily and I have 2 small bags of frozen as back up. (labeled)

Blanket Daily

kgwen

just wanted to add-- if you don't want to waste the whole can of formula if your LO doesn't need to supplement very often...we have an extra bottle of ready to feed formula in her cubby.  Similac makes an 8 oz size or you can get the 4 oz enfamil packets (i think similac makes theses too) since your daycare is able to mix the bottles.