Did/Do any of you pump to provide milk for LO during the day past one year? I'm just thinking ahead and curious. Did your DCP say anything to you about it? How much milk are they drinking at that point?
I'm really not into feeding her straight cows milk. It really skeeves me out now that I've breastfed to feed her dairy so directly. Cheese and yogurt are OK but for some reason a big jug of milk gives me the heebies.
Re: Extended bfing- daycare Q
I didn't do daycare, but just wanted to jump in and say we didn't do cow's milk when DD was younger. Once she stopped taking bottles of EBM (around 15 months, when my freezer stash ran out), she went right to drinking Yobaby yogurts or just water if I wasn't around to BF her directly.
Milk is not necessary as long as they're getting calcium and good fats from other sources.
I've only sent EMB a couple times since she's been in the toddler room. I sent it to her infant room until she was about 13.5 months. It's just not worth the hassle for me to do it regularly now. DD and I were separated for longer than usual a few times since she's been a "big giril" so I HAD to pump. I figured, "Why waste this milk?"
DD doesn't consume cow milk so I asked the daycare teachers to put the EBM in her cereal (which she usually eats dry). Basically, they later gave me a hard time & I had to push back a bit, but they saw the error of their ways.
Later in the day they left me a VM message saying that EBM was a "bodily fluid" and could not be put in an "open container" like a cup or bowl in case it spilled. They said she had to drink it from a sippy cup (which she had long stopped using). I printed out info from the CDC's website saying that milk does not need to be handled like a "bodily fluid" and that if it spilled alll they had to do was clean it up. There was no reason to treat it like a biiohozard! I told them that they should handle her milk like any other food a parent brings in--make sure it goes to the right child; and clean it up if it spills. They did some research, consulted with someone and finally agreed with me. However, I don't anticipate having to send EBM in often, if at all.
Sorry. That was a long story.
Charlotte Ella 07.16.10
Emmeline Grace 03.27.13
Thanks so much ladies for your stories! I really appreciate it. She eats a ton of yogurt and cheese already so I guess it won't be an issue if I can only give a few ounces here and there. I'm trying to start back up pumping to rotate through my freezer supply, that will help out a bunch.
CCharm- thanks for your story, I'm glad to have that as reference in case I ever get any flak.
Francesca Pearl is here! Josephine Hope is almost 3!
I EBF, but give DD almond milk in lieu of cow's milk.
It's easy to make or you can buy it ready made from whole foods or most grocery stores
I'm familiar with it, DH drinks almond or soy milk with cereal and coffee. Thanks!
Francesca Pearl is here! Josephine Hope is almost 3!
With both of my kids I pumped until around 13-14 months. I had a huge freezer stash and continued to send pumped milk in until it ran out. Neither of mine really took to bottles/sippies of breast milk (hence the huge stash) - I don't think either of them really drank more thank 3-5oz a day.
Cow milk skeeves me out too and neither of my kids drink it. I send kefir for my youngest and he drinks a cup at lunch. My daughter drinks kefir at home but doesn't get any at daycare.
Just a ?... why does cow's milk skeeve you out? do you not drink it yourself? Hope this doesn't come off as judgmental or defensive. Just wondering...especially if yogurt and cheese are okay.
DD actually started drinking cow's milk because she wanted to try it when I was drinking it, so it doesn't seem like an unnatural thing...maybe the degree to which it's pushed on toddlers?
I guess it can be equated to people who can eat meat, as long as it's not on the bone. Now that I've lactated the thought of drinking milk of another animal makes me retch. It may not last forever but I really get grossed out thinking of it. I also wasn't 100% sure that it was necessary and these responses have confirmed that for me.
Francesca Pearl is here! Josephine Hope is almost 3!
Thanks for explaining