Going to daycare at lunch?

cosima

I was wondering if anyone here goes to their child's daycare at lunch? I'm breastfeeding so it was a huge positive that we were able to get a spot at the daycare less than 5 mins from my office. However, now I'm thinking I wasn't being realistic. In December she will be going to daycare twice a week and we aren't even close to a feeding schedule. How do I handle this? Just go every day at noon and if she just ate then I head back to the office and pump? I'd hate to ask the day care to have her crying and hungry waiting for me.

skittles_123

I breastfeed my dd twice a day. She pretty much has a consistent schedule of eating now, especially since I have to "schedule" her feeding times on my work calender. She has adjusted pretty well. You may want to try to get her on a consistent schedule if possible. It is doable. I have to take an earlier than normal lunch during her first feeding at 11:00 am, but it seems to be working fine so far. 

erinmdtobe

Can you be flexible with your lunch hour?  I'm very fortunate to have an employer that allows me to go to the daycare (across the road, affiliated with the employer) whenever she needs to eat.  The daycare just calls me when she is hungry. 

Luckystar2

DD started daycare at 12 weeks and I went everyday to nurse her at lunch until around 4.5 months.  From then on I started going just 3 days a week (I have stuff to do on the other 2 days that makes it a pain to go see her).

It actually works out pretty well.  I feed DD before I leave for work around 7.  She then will eat a bottle at daycare around 9:45.  Then I nurse her around 12:15.  And she'll have another bottle around 2/2:30 and I pick her up around 4.

The first week, I called daycare around 11 and asked them what time she had her bottle and that helped me determine what time I should stop over.  My lunch time is flexible so I could go earlier or later.  DD fell into a routine and she eats her first bottle pretty much the same time everyday.  Most days when I get there she is hungry. Somedays she isn't that hungry and is sleepy.  On those days she usually just takes her 2nd bottle a little earlier than normal. 

Its worked out great for us!

Luckystar2

Oh, and DD had no schedule at all before starting daycare.  I had no idea when she would take bottles. But she fell into a routine pretty quickly.

slwprincess

DS is at daycare here at my office so I still go down to visit a couple times a day even tho I stopped BF at 7 mos.  I always wrote down the times I would be coming and his teachers just planned his day around that.  There were days when he didn't eat and I either suffered or pumped.  They were great about it- but I'm sure some wouldn't be so accommodating.  Just be up front with them and be flexible enough that you don't mind pumping if she just had a bottle.  Eventually she'll learn the routine and will be ready and waiting when you get there!

azuremama

My DS goes to dc across the street.  I thought I'd feed him at lunch (or more often) but it hasn't worked out too well for me.  If I want, they will call me when he's hungry and I can run over and feed him.  The problem is that he doesn't like to nurse at dc.  I think there's just too much else going on, so he won't nurse long enough to really get a full meal.  So I ended up just pumping and I go over and play instead.  It's easier for me than trying to force him to eat.  Plus this way I can plan my schedule a little bit better.

Another woman with a DD at daycare does go feed multiple times a day.  Her daughter won't take a bottle, so they just call her when she's hungry and she runs over.

Mango2

I had planned to do it, but with my work scheduled it didn't always work out. If it works out, then great. If not, then don't be disappointed. There were also days that I just personally found it really difficult to go see her during the day and then leave again.

GL!

tiff16

I started working at my daughter's daycare this year.  I visit her during my lunch everyday.  She's a little older and sometimes cries a bit when I leave but calms down after a few minutes.  There's a couple other moms that visit during lunch too.  If she's hungry tell daycare to give her a small bottle and nurse when you get there.  Or if she's really hungry and takes the whole bottle pump in your car on the way back to your office.  Definetly try it for a couple weeks and talk to daycare about whether or not it's working.  If dd knows you come at a certain time she will probably hold out until you get there.