Help! My baby won't eat at daycare.

Re: Help! My baby won't eat at daycare.

• D&D4Ever7

  January 2012

  I am so sorry you are going through this. I am in the same situation right now so I don't have advice. My DS has been in daycare and is taking an ounce or ounce and half at a time from bottle. It is very stressful. Everyone keeps telling me that this will get better. Sending hugs, I hope he takes a bottle soon.

  BFP 1: 08Aug10, EDD: 14Apr11, D&E 11Sep10 BFP 2: 29Jan11, EDD: 12Oct11, DS born 07Oct11!!!

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• TDishy

  January 2012

  I never post- but we lived this for a while and I was a mess.  I am a teacher and when I went back for the end of the school year DD took a bottle when at an in-home daycare.  Then summer break came and I was back to nursing during the day, so when we transitioned to a daycare center in August, she decided she was done with the bottle.  It was terrible, and I always felt like she was starving.  Everyone said when she was hungry, she'd eat.  We increased her cereal with lots of milk in it at daycare and lots of stage 1 fruits to keep her hydrated.  Nights were mostly normal with her STTN, but once in a while she's be up for a feeding, The hardest part was making sure DC didn't put cereal in her bottle or give her juice (things they were pushing to get her to take her bottle). We did start trying all kinds of sippy cups rather than the bottle, which finally worked for DD.  

  This is tough, but I can say that when she was hungry, she ate from DC.  On the bright side, it made weaning her from the bottle easier though!  Good luck and don't let it stress you out too much.  You know that he can drink from the bottle, he's just transitioning to lots of new stuff right now.  

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• honeybee111 member

  January 2012

  I went through this when I went back to work with DD.  She was older than your baby, but like yours, refused the bottle.  We have a nanny and DD spent the first day screaming and sleeping.  She didn't eat from 8-4.  She did a little better on the second day and a little better on the third, but I remember being SO stressed. 

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• kpowersw

  February 2012

  I'm new to the board, but just went through this so wanted to post.  My DD was never a fan of the bottle, but would take it....until she went to daycare that is.  It took a good two weeks to work out the kinks, but now she's taking it fine.  We switched bottles to one more like breastfeeding (breastflow bottles) and just kept working on it. Our pediatrician had us come in about a week and a half in to check her weight, and told us to watch for signs of dehydration (which never happened) but reassured me that otherwise healthy babies just don't starve themselves...and worse case she'd gut it through the day and feed a ton at night.

  It was a very stressful two weeks, but like I said she's doing great now.  Ironically, her night sleep was fine during all of this too...another sign she was still getting enough even through the strike.  Give her a few more days, most babies get it by then.  But even if she's stubborn like mine don't give up hope! 

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• 2-Step member

  February 2012

  Thank you so much ladies! He actually almost STTN last night and was very happy in the evening. It made me feel a bit better. Knowing others have been through this and have happy healthy LOs is very comforting!

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• sfurton31 member

  February 2012

  I worked in daycare in the infant room for 2 years and this happened a lot! Their whole routine has suddenly changed and that throws everything off. It will take a little time for them to become comfortable with the new environment, new people (both teachers and other children), and the bottle itself. Usually within a couple of days they'll learn that if they're hungry, they'll eat when it's offered from the bottle. Hang in there and good luck!

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• ai&Jas member

  February 2012

  Sorry no advice here except that hopefully he will take it eventually and I hope he is not as stubborn as my DD#2! Also just keep trying and let your pedi know so they can keep an eye on his weight.

  My baby refuses the bottle too. She plays with it in her mouth, stores milk in her cheeks then spits it out, and most days, pretends to fall asleep so that she doesnt have to take the bottle. It's been 4 weeks now and she is not backing down. But she's happy as a clam and doesnt even fuss!

  In the beginning she reversed cycled so I was up every 2 hrs at night and that was super rough. We tried 6 types of bottles and 7 types of nipples and still a no go. I am lucky that I work on campus so I still bring her expressed milk, she refuses it, it gets tossed then her teacher calls me and I come down and nurse her. If I'm in a meeting then she just fights the bottle then falls a sleep and I go and nurse her when I'm out of the meeting. We went a whole 2 weeks of just the bottle and it was hell for both of us.

  Now I bring 2 bottles knowing that she wont take them, but they are there in case a miracle happens. I then plan around her 2 feedings at daycare.

  For me, I'm glad she is my second because if she was my first baby I would be a complete mess!

  Good luck!

   

   

   

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