Community› The Bump Message Boards› Working Moms
Working Moms
New Discussion
Options

XP: When to increase the amount of BM to send DD to daycare?

akachanakachan
in Working Moms
DD has been going to daycare since she was 12 weeks. She's there from 8:30 to 5:30. I've been sending her with 4 - 3 oz expressed BM bottles, which she finishes all 4 bottles sometimes, and sometimes just 3.

I was wondering when and how much I should increase the BM I send her with as she grows...I've seen a milk calculator on the net but wonder how accurate it is. Also I heard that if you are feeding BM, the baby's intake doesn't change from month 1 to 6, because the contents of the milk itself changes as the baby gets older.

Does anyone have any idea on how to go about it? I BF whenever I'm with her so I don't really know how much she's taking from me directly.

Thanks!
Report Reply to Post

Re: XP: When to increase the amount of BM to send DD to daycare?

  • Options
    arlegsarlegs
    Did you try asking your daycare worker?  They may have some insight because they are feeding other babies...

    Also, you could tell the daycare worker to start at a certain amount and increase it if your DD still seems hungry.
    Report Reply
  • Options
    MrsAmersMrsAmers
    Her teachers will let you know when she finishes a bottle and seems unsatisfied.  At that point you can add half an ounce or an ounce to each bottle and see what happens.  Each child is different, so there are no hard and fast rules. 

    My DD was eating 3-5 ounce bottles at 12 weeks, so she didn't need bigger bottles until close to 6 months.
    Heather Margaret --- Feb '07 and Todd Eldon --- April '09
    image
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • Options
    flyer23flyer23 member
    ditto MrsAmers. We started off with 4 oz bottles and increased to 6 oz bottles at around 5-6 months, IIRC. Her nanny let us know when she needed bigger bottles.

    Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)

    Report Reply
  • Options
    roseroseroseroseroseroseroseroseroserose member

    She may never need more.  My DD just seemed to nurse more often at home when she wanted more to eat. 

    Also, your DCP will let you know.

    Report Reply
  • Options
    Luckystar2Luckystar2 member

    DD's DCP told me after the first couple weeks that DD was finishing her bottles really quickly and seemed hungry still.  I had been sending 3oz bottles, but upped it to 4oz.  She seems happy with that for the last month or so.  I expect them to let me know if/when she seems to need more.

    Lilypie Fourth Birthday tickers
    Report Reply
  • Options
    akachanakachan
    Thank you for the replies! I've been asking people at daycare, but they thought the amount we sent were fine since she seemed happy and content. They would feed her the 4th bottle if she was hungry and that only happened once or twice a week.

    Last week we took DD to a pedi for her cold and when they weighed her, I noticed that her weight gain has slowed down a bit. Now, the doctor was not at all concerned about her weight, and she told me that DD looked great. I went home and looked up the chart and noticed that her weight has been constantly around 50 percentile but now it's around 5. So that got me little concerned. (I didn't even ask about the weight because I didn't look up the chart until I got home.)

    We started sending her with 4-4oz bottles now and we have 4 months check up next week, so hopefully the doctor will give us better advice than daycare.


    Report Reply
  • Options
    flyer23flyer23 member

    What is her weight? DD dropped in her weight percentiles every appt up till 9 months. And I'm not talking little drops -- she dropped from 95th percentile at birth to 25th percentile at 9 months.

    Her doctor wasn't concerned at all. She was big at birth (9 lbs 7 oz), but I'm average sized and DH is short, so we knew she wouldn't stay there forever. She now seems to have settled in at the 25th percentile and has been there at her 9mo, 12mo, and 15mo checkups.

    It's really common for weight gain to slow in breastfed babies around the age of your daughter, so if your pediatrician isn't concerned, I wouldn't be either.

    Also, make sure you're looking at the percentile charts for a breastfed girl baby -- boys and formula-fed infants gain weight at a more rapid rate, so you'll see your DD at a lower percentile than she actually is if you use the "wrong" chart.

    Finally, I wouldn't expect your doctor to necessarily give better advice than daycare :) Daycare is with your daughter almost every day, your doctor is with her for a few minutes every few months. Unless there is something medically wrong with her, trust that she won't starve herself.

    Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)

    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"