Community› The Bump Message Boards› Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding
New Discussion

Daycare Overfeeding Baby

whitney4126whitney4126 member
in Breastfeeding
LO will be 4 months tomorrow and started daycare Monday. She has been EBF since birth, and I've never had a supply problem. I really like the daycare workers so far, as I think they treat my LO well and work to accommodate my desires. They asked me whether I wanted her to be on a schedule or fed on demand, and I said fed on demand. But the last 2 days they have fed her more than she usually eats during the day. Yesterday she was there 5 hours and they fed her 3 times, and she drank 11oz. Today I fed her at 8:15 and my friend whose child goes to the same daycare said they were feeding her a bottle at 9 when she was dropping her child off. At this rate, I'll never keep up. I think they are just assuming she's hungry and offering a bottle everytime she fusses. There is no reason I should suddenly not be making enough when I've been with her constantly and she always feeds every 2-3 hours during the day and I've always had more than enough. But, I don't want her to be forced on a strict schedule or not be fed when she's truly hungry or going through a growth spurt (which I don't think she is). Any tips on how to politely explain this to the daycare? I'm not sure how to approach this, but I want to EBF as long as possible and my supply has always been good and I have a job that allows me to pump frequently, so this shouldn't be an issue. But I can't pump as much as I'd need to if they're always feeding her more frequently than every 2 hours. Any help would be appreciated!
image<a href="http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Parenting Tips"><img 
Report Reply to Post

Re: Daycare Overfeeding Baby

  • vvvvvfeevvvvvfee member
    unfortunately this is a common occurrence, but it's great that you realized it's happening!  kellymom has a great page on how to bottle-feed the breastfed baby, including a printable PDF you can give to your care provider. they also have a page with a calculator where you can estimate your baby's daily intake per feeding. you can remind your DCP that BF babies don't need increased quantities as they get bigger the way formula-fed babies do, as breastmilk changes to meet your baby's dietary needs.

    one thing you can do is give your DCP more bottles with a smaller quantity in each. give them 2 or 3 ounce bottles. then the temptation to overfeed might be lessened. is your LO using the slowest-flow nipple? will she take a pacifier? even if she hasn't in the past, you might want to get one and bring it in for them to offer. sometimes babies just want to comfort-suck, but you can't really comfort suck on a bottle the same way you can on a breast. you could ask them to try offering the pacifier first if she seems hungry/fussy right after a feeding.
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • whitney4126whitney4126 member
    That is great advice. I talked to them very briefly about paced bottle feeding, but I hadn't seen that kellymom page before. I think I will print that out. We do use the slow flow nipples, and actually experimented early on with several different ones when I was pumping more and DH was helping. I've been sending in 3 4oz bottles, but maybe I should send in some more in smaller quantities. She has just started to take the pacifier to sleep in the last couple of weeks, so I have been sending it. But I don't know if they offer it at other times. Thanks!
    image<a href="http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Parenting Tips"><img 
    Report Reply
  • surpriseadditionsurpriseaddition member
    I BF my toddler, but am also watching my friend's 4 month old.  I do feed her on demand, but also follow a general feeding schedule to ensure her mom and I are in synch.  She provides me with three 4 oz bottles and that lasts from 7am - 4:30pm.  Open communication is key.  Since I only have 3 bottles, I sometimes need to "stretch" her another 20-30 minutes by using the pacifier.  That usually buys time.  If she isn't satisfied with the paci I go ahead and give her the bottle even though it may be ahead of schedule.  I would just ask them to try and use the paci if it's been less that 2 hours, but go ahead and use another bottle is LO really needs it.  I also "work the paci" when the bottle ends and she still wants more sucking comfort.  It works for us, and having been a mom who worked FT and pumped, I know how precious that milk is, and how hard it is to get it!  I don't always think daycare workers can relate.  GL!


    **DD1 - 7/9/98**

    **DS - 11/9/00**

    **DD2 - 4/30/13**

    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"