Nursing to nap, and going to daycare: what would you do?

[CrunchyMamaB]

I'm hoping to hear from some been-there, done-that mamas on this one.

My son is almost 10 months old, and will be 11 months 1 week when I return to work. I have found a wonderful daycare for him, and there will be a nice, quiet, warm place for him to take his afternoon nap.

My problem is...right now, I nurse him down for every nap. He's very busy and "alert" and the nursing really calms him down. He'll be wriggling and flailing his arms and his eyes are wide, and then he starts to nurse and you can just see all the busy-ness leave his body. it's also one of the only times he's focused enough to nurse thoroughly...if I nurse him right when he wakes up, he's just rearing to go and will only drink for a couple minutes before he's off and running.

I'm worried that when he starts daycare, he'll have a terrible time going down for his nap, since I'm not there to nurse him.

Will the daycare provider just do her own routine, and he'll recognize that? Should I start weaning him off the nap nursing session to prime him for daycare?

I plan to send breastmilk in a sippy cup for daycare (he doesn't take the bottle), and hopefully the dp will give it to him as part of the nap routine, but I think it's more about the breastfeeding connection than anything.

Am I setting him up for a terrible transition? Or should I just have confidence that he'll learn to recognize that when he's at the daycare, he gets ready for a nap differently? Any advice?

[christy005]

I'm curious about this myself. My son is only two weeks older than yours and will be going to daycare soon. Good luck mama!

[akwifeandmomma]

As a daycare provider, I look to the parent to let me know their child's naptime routine, so that I can follow/recreate it. I expect that you'll have a VERY cranky and upset little guy and a frustrated DC provider unless you ease him into another sleeptime routine before "go time."

So yes, I would work on giving him BM in a sippy for his naps *now*, if that's what you want your caregiver to do.

[dislocator3972]

I like pp's suggestion of trying BM in a sippy cup for naps now. I was *very* surprised to see my 5.5 month DD nurse to sleep with a bottle just yesterday. It was the first time I tried it, and I think because my DD was snuggled up close to me she didn't mind the difference.

A quick phone call to your day care provider could help you adjust your naptime routine now to be one that he/she can easily recreate.

It sounds like you're on top of things; way to go mama!

[tzs]

don;t have the daycare experience but...

thinking the sippy might work.
i gave my dd a bottle once instead of nursing just because it was sitting there and she passed out. totally unexpected. i thought it had to be the boob but i guess not.

[hotharmony]

We went to day care when Xander was much younger but for the most part have never had a problem. After a day or two he will learn the nap routine and it won't be any problem. I would not change my home nap routine and just let him adjust to being at daycare and following their nap routine.

[CrunchyMamaB]

thanks mamas,
I will try the sippy cup thing a couple times, just so it's familiar. My DH is going to stay home with him one day this week too, just to see how it goes, while I go out for 4 or 5 hours.
Fingers crossed!

[hakeber]

Originally Posted by akwifeandmomma

As a daycare provider, I look to the parent to let me know their child's naptime routine, so that I can follow/recreate it. I expect that you'll have a VERY cranky and upset little guy and a frustrated DC provider unless you ease him into another sleeptime routine before "go time."

So yes, I would work on giving him BM in a sippy for his naps *now*, if that's what you want your caregiver to do.

I am really surprised by this!

When we sent ds to daycare at a similar age they did their own thing and he adjusted just fine. I nursed at home and when he went to daycare he drank his sippy cup with the other kidlets and drifted off, and when he didn't, which happened plenty, they let him play while the other's slept. Never had any problems. Part of being in daycare/preschool is to learn how to adjust to new ways of doing things, schedules, group dynamics, etc. The caregivers will no doubt (unless your ds is the only kid they have) have their own schedule/way of doing things, and nap times will be a part of that. I really wouldn't worry. It may be your LO gives up naps during daycare, and prefers to cluster nurse when you are around. Mine eventually did this and it was no real hardship at all. He slept when we got home for a few hours (which was nice to cuddle with him then be able sneak away and make dinner) and was still ready for bed by 9pm, or even better fell asleep at 7:00 and slept for 14 hours straight (really nice on weekends )

Personally, I think it's really weird for the mom to offer a sippy cup of her milk if she is breastfeeding. I don't know about your kid, but mine would never take the bottle or a cup if I was available to nurse...he was happy to take them when I was not around but looked at me like I was a moron if I tried to give him a bottle or a cup of milk (actually, he never drank milk from a cup...not until he was about 4.25 YEARS old! Other liquids, sure, but milk, he simply refused.) He was like HELLLOOO lady, who do you think you are fooling?! WE adjusted just fine.

[GoestoShow]

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Edited by GoestoShow - 1/6/11 at 8:37am

[Snuzzmom]

Both of mine went to daycare at 5 months after having been nursed for every nap. Within a week they were both napping just fine without it. I am always amazed at how adaptable they are... they have a whole different routine there and they just sort of work it out. I still nurse DD for naps when she's home.

I don't know, however, how that might work for an older baby. I honestly think your DC may have few rough days, then will adapt.

[darcytrue]

I've had two children in daycare in the past and they routine they have at daycare is always different than at home and my children always did well with it. Try not to worry, although I know thats hard.

[aricha]

Both as a former childcare provider (my husband still is one) and as a mom who has had children in childcare, I agree that the childcare provider and your child will find their own routine. I would certainly tell your provider what you do at home, and let him/her give their way a try for a couple days. If it's not working, the childcare provider should certainly let you know and the two of you can talk about some ideas for helping your child find a new way to settle down for a nap.

As a childcare provider, I had infants who'd been nursed to sleep their whole infancy and I could put them to sleep patting their backs while they were lying in their crib. I also had babies who fell asleep on their own in their own beds at home who I had to rock to sleep when they were with me. A good childcare provider will be able to figure their own way out regardless of what you do at home.

[CrunchyMamaB]

Originally Posted by hakeber

Personally, I think it's really weird for the mom to offer a sippy cup of her milk if she is breastfeeding. I don't know about your kid, but mine would never take the bottle or a cup if I was available to nurse...he was happy to take them when I was not around but looked at me like I was a moron if I tried to give him a bottle or a cup of milk .

THIS! I tried the sippy with breastmilk today. Not a success. I'm going to try to relax a little, and like someone suggested, not worry about it till it's a problem I'm sure he'll adjust, and if he doesn't, I'll deal with it then! Good to know that others have been in the same boat and it all worked out fine.