breastfeeding, pumping and working...finding the balance?!
LauraLynneC
member
LO is 3.5 months now and in daycare from 8:30-5:30 (or so...)
He started with 6 bottles, 2oz each (we were guessing - that's what he was taking at home when I went somewhere and DH watched him). He seemed fine to start and then one of the teachers said she thought he was still hungry after one bottle. So she was doubling up his first bottle - giving him a second bottle less than 20 minutes after his first. And asking me to send in more in each bottle. So I upped the bottles to 2.5oz each (25% jump) and he started spitting up more after each bottle. But they're still telling me he's hungry - I'm frustrated that they're not listening to me and frustrated because I'm at my limit of what I can pump and send - I have no more milk TO send!
This whole topic is frustrating on so many levels - I think they're overfeeding him, they think I'm starving him - and there doesn't seem to be a middle ground on any of it! I've talked to them about how to bottle feed a breastfed baby (he's the only breastfed baby at the center - and I'm under the impression it's been a long time since they've had one there), I've talked to them about burping him more, slowing down, etc. But I suspect they haven't changed anything on their end.
So - besides the obvious trust issue (we are trying to find a new daycare but it's a struggle commuting/working/etc and finding time to research, interview and tour) - any suggestions on how to handle this? I know my little guy doesn't eat much, he's a snacker - when it's just me all day, he eats 10-11 times a day/night. Kellymom.com has a milk calculator for oz in each bottle and it was around 2oz. I'm just at a loss here! My next step is to go to a lactation consultant and do a weighted feed to see how much he eats when it's straight from the tap...
Ok - thanks for reading this far!!
Re: breastfeeding, pumping and working...finding the balance?!
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I'm no help since I SAH, but I wanted to give you mad props for being so diligent with the pumping. DS was a serious snacker and I can't imagine trying to pump enough to feed him the same in one go.
Hugs and good luck with the LC!
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Now right off the top, I did not BF. Formula from the get-go.
But... your kiddo is 3.5 months, which is an eternity in babydom. Maybe he is having a big growth spurt and is ramping up his calorie intake?
I know I was kind of stubborn in my thinking especially in those early months,. "He ALWAYS has xx ounces at this time of day," etc. I was pretty dense in figuring out when it was time to step up the amounts sometimes.
Hmm, it is time for a growth spurt, but if he's spitting up more maybe not. I'd talk to the director. I am just astonished that they are working with you more and trying things out. I get that a snacker has got to be a pain in their tushies, but spitting up always seemed like a general sign of overfeeding whether the child was primarily BF or FF. So sorry you're having this problem - and I'd be looking for a new facility too with that attitude.
little update:
Thursday I sent 6 - 3oz bottles. He ate 3 fo them throughout the day and fell asleep eating #3 @ 2:30 - he was STILL sleeping at 5:15 when I picked him up!
I was feeling better about all of it (the regular teacher was in there that day)
Yesterday the regular teacher wasn't there - so they fed him 2 bottles at a time again. Yes - SIX OUNCES OF MILK AT ONE TIME. No reports on spitting up because nobody marked anything down - in fact they marked down that the first 2 bottles he ate were formula not breastmilk (but I send his bottles pre-filled so that's not likely). So now we have communication issues as well.
I'm now having nightmares about his daycare. I'm finding a new one ASAP.
The issue isn't just the feeding anymore - it's trust. and I don't trust them.
Lord help me. I want to just quit my job and risk being homeless (this isn't an option - I'm the sole breadwinner in our family with no options, it's a long story - my husband inherited a family business that doesn't bring in enough income to draw a paycheck so he works 50-60 hours a week for $0)
So this week, not only is DH gone to a trade show all week long but I WILL find a new daycare by Friday. I'm so completely stressed out over all of this.