This is long...so thank you in advance if you read it all!
LO has reflux. Therefore, she gets rice cereal in her bottle to thicken it.
She has been at daycare for about 4 weeks now. They provide formula and the rice cereal for "free" - meaning it's not extra (which is really rare!), so they are in control of making her bottles. I gave them instructions to give her 4oz and 1 tbsp of rice cereal in the bottle. I provided a size up in the nipples so that the opening is large enough for the thicker formula at her age. So anyway, with the reflux she spits up A TON. They say something about it daily. Well at the beginning of last week they decided to feed her 2-3oz at each feeding to see if feeding her less would make her spit up less, without asking me. I found out when I looked at her daily sheet and asked why she had ate less that day. Whatever, I can get over it. But then last Friday I came to pick her up and they said "She spit up less today!" and I said "Why?" and they said that they had been making 4oz bottles with TWO tablespoons of rice cereal - which obviously made it super thick. First of all, why would they alter her diet before asking me? Second of all, this is too thick - she could choke on the spit up. Third of all (and this is what I'm most pissed about), I know that that thick of formula could not flow through the nipples I provided. So I asked, "It went through the nipples ok?" and she said "Oh yea, it was fine". I KNOW this is impossible, so I say "Really?? That doesn't make sense" and she finally goes, "Oh...well...we actually put a thumbtack and made the opening wider". WTF. I didn't even know what to say, so I left. So I get home and look at the all my bottle nipples.....they are ALL CUT!!!!!!!!! Every single one of them are CUT! This has explained why I had been feeding her the past few days before that and she was gulping and choking and I couldn't figure out why. Well now I know it was because the holes were HUGE and she was getting it too fast. I kept checking it make sure they were the right level, I was just confused. Now it makes sense.....it was flowing too fast because THEY CUT ALL OF THEM.
DH thought "they were just trying to help her reflux" and I am pissed. Your thoughts?
Re: Would you be pissed? (daycare)
DD1 born 5/24/10.
Missed M/C at 14 wks Feb 2012.
DD2 born 5/14/13.
Missed M/C at 9 wks July 2015.
they thought they were helping and doing what was best for your LO. Try and not get any more upset and talk to them that it was not ok. Get some new nipples and let them know they are to continue on your feeding schedule. Remind them that with AR babies and even babies without AR still spit up, but what you are doing is just to make it less painful.
They absolutely should have been discussing this with you. They have no right to be making decisions like this for your LO. If they felt trying smaller servings might help they should have discussed this with you prior to experimenting. I would be particularly pissed that they added more cereal. I didn't notice your ticker but since we are on 3-6 I assume you LO is under 6 months. There is a reason you were only giving 1 tbsp of cereal...her gut may not be ready for the 2 tbsp. It also sounds like they were trying to be secretive about it all. Personally I would be looking for a new dc. If you want to stay put I would talk to manager or owner and explain that no decisions like this are to be made on your behalf ever. And if this happens again you will be taking you child out immediately.
DD1 born 5/24/10.
Missed M/C at 14 wks Feb 2012.
DD2 born 5/14/13.
Missed M/C at 9 wks July 2015.
omg i would blow a mind gasket.
This is another good point. Some nipples actually have multiple layers and by altering the hole you could actually break off pieces of the rubber that LO could then be swallowing.
Oh yeah, I'd be pissed! Regardless of *what* they did, they shouldn't be making any decisions like that without you. My daycare calls me sometimes if they think they need to change her feeding time.
I would just be worried of what other decisions they are or will be making without you. I don't think I would continue leaving my child there...
OMG. they went over your head on way too many items at once, many of which could be actively dangerous to your LO. not to mention that it indicates a general disregard for parents' wishes and probably they have made similar clandestine decisions regarding other peoples' kids without the approval of parents. not only would i want to take LO out of that daycare and have a very stern discussion with the director, I would consider aggressively suggesting someone lose their job. a THUMBTACK?? seriously??
See, I completely disagree with this. They were doing it for their own convenience. It's a daycare and baby's spit up. That should be baby knowledge 101 and if they can't even deal with that, its a complete dealbreaker.
Mine asks me anytime something changes. Last week I forgot the CA baby diaper rash cream I always send and she asked if she could use desitin because that's all she had.
And get new nipples? Hell no, those b1tches would be buying me new ones!
Sorry lurking from 0-3! I work as an assistant director for a center and we too provide formula and cereal, BUT that would never mean that we have any right to alter an child's feeding especially if there are health concerns like AR. And using a THUMBTACK??? Are you kidding me...that is just disgusting! I would be so angry with my teachers if they did anything like that.
You should talk to the director immediately and you should also ask to be reimbursed for the nipples that they ruined without your consent. GL.
this is what i was thinking, too...i'd be livid!!