Babies: 3 - 6 Months

WDYT? Daycare and feeding

We are on day #3 of daycare and DH and I have been calling once or twice a day to check up and see how things are going.  For the first two days, DD (3.5 months old) has finished 3 of the 4 bottles I've prepared for her. She is EBF and she drinks only pumped milk.  Well, today the owner of the in-home daycare answered the phone, said DD is doing well, and said that she gave her two bottles back-to-back this morning, and that she thought DD might do the same this afternoon because she seems really hungry.

Now, I know they have been doing this for years - but I'm not sure I like the idea of DD having 2 4.5 oz bottles in one feeding.  First, I could never produce enough to feed her like that at home - even if I gave her both breasts at the same time.  Second, I worry that she would be overstuffed and that's why she has been taking such great naps in the afternoons (both days we've picked her up mid-nap and she rarely naps at home).  

I talked about it briefly with DH, and he agrees that we should ask them to feed her just one bottle every 2-3 hours.  I know she eats the bottles quickly, and I'm sure they aren't lying when they say that she acts like she wants more after she finishes.  I'm happy to give her bigger bottles, but I think it's better to feed her move often than to feed her so much at once.  They say she hasn't been spitting up much if at all. 

I'd be grateful for your views on this.  I'm sure they will do whatever we ask, so I just want to make sure I consider all angles....  TIA!  

Re: WDYT? Daycare and feeding

  • How much are they feeding her and how often? 

    How often do you feed her at home?

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  • Don't know how old your LO is but 9oz seems alot for one time. I'd go up maybe an ounce to see how she does.
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  • It's not really any better to feed her smaller bottles every 2-3 hours.  Babies don't overeat.  If they're full, they stop.  So if she's taking two bottles back-to- back, she's really that hungry, and you need to be increasing how much she's being fed at each sitting.

    Plus, longer naps are a good thing.  She's moving in the direction she should be, don't stop her. 

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  • I BF too and my LO started DC at 4 months, and she was ~16.5 lbs.   Per the pedi he said about 6-8oz would be about right.  So I was sending 6 oz. bottles - 1 extra just in case and for the first week. DD ate it all.

    Then the second week she was back to the 6 oz that I figured she would eat and has been since - with an occasional hungry day. I think the extra milk was really more about comfort for the first week.

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  • imageJulzRulz:

    It's not really any better to feed her smaller bottles every 2-3 hours.  Babies don't overeat.  If they're full, they stop.  So if she's taking two bottles back-to- back, she's really that hungry, and you need to be increasing how much she's being fed at each sitting.

    Plus, longer naps are a good thing.  She's moving in the direction she should be, don't stop her. 

    Yes

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    DD {6.13.10} & DS {5.19.12}
  • DS is EBF and almost 6 months.  I send 4-4.5oz bottles.  He only eats one every 2.5-3hours.  He is 21lbs.  I would say they are over feeding.  Maybe send them with slower flow nipples so he slows down a little. 
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  • imageBrewtowngrl:
    DS is EBF and almost 6 months.  I send 4-4.5oz bottles.  He only eats one every 2.5-3hours.  He is 21lbs.  I would say they are over feeding.  Maybe send them with slower flow nipples so he slows down a little. 
  • imageBrewtowngrl:
    DS is EBF and almost 6 months.  I send 4-4.5oz bottles.  He only eats one every 2.5-3hours.  He is 21lbs.  I would say they are over feeding.  Maybe send them with slower flow nipples so he slows down a little. 

    Seriously?

  • That seems like a lot, but maybe that's what she needed.  If she didn't spit up a ton after eating all of that, then it isn't a problem.

    DS is probably around 18lbs and takes a 4.5oz bottle every 3 hours.  Sometimes he doesn't even finish that much.

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  • Maybe try sending 6 oz bottles. I started off sending DD to daycare with 4 oz bottles, and when they told me she still seemed hungry I started sending 6 oz bottles. I now send 3 - 6 oz bottles (and one extra 4 oz bottle just in case). Sometimes she drinks 2 of the 6 oz bottles, sometimes she drinks all 3. I would rather send extra milk than have her be hungry.
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  • I give DD a 5 ounce bottle at bedtime and she has been crying when I take it out. Now I have the pacifier right there and as soon as I take the bottle out, in goes the paci. She is happy as a clam and sleeps for 12 hours straight. If she was actually still hungry she either wouldn't go to bed, would refuse the paci, or would wake up sooner. Perhaps she just wants to suck a little longer?

  • 9 oz does seem like a lot...but my 5 month old is taking 3, 7oz bottles at daycare.  I started with 4, 4 oz bottles and he was quickly going through those.  I suggest what others suggested, try sending an ounce or two more and see if that makes a difference.
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  • You can't really go off of what other people feed their babies, regardless if they are the same size, DS is 3 months old and weighs 13lbs and 2 ozs, he has a 6oz bottle every 3.5 to 4 hrs.  I have told the ladies at daycare that if they think he is still hungry afterwards, go ahead and give him more, if he has a bottle and an hour later is hungry again then feed him.  I'd rather he be happy and comfortable, I wouldn't want him to go hungry.  9ozs does seem like a lot, but it could be a growth spurt, she could be looking for a little extra comfort, possibly teething, etc.  It's probably a fluke incident and will go back to normal shortly.  I would bump her up an ounce at each feeding and see how that goes for a few days.  DS has some days where he has a total of 22ozs and some days where he has 30+ ozs.  He is 50% for weight and 75th for height, he's long and lean so I'm sure he's not overeating but some days he's just hungrier than others...  Good luck!

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