breastfed toddlers in Daycare

[sg784]

What food/drink do you have the provider give during the day?

DD is a yr old now. Should I be pumping during the day? Or can we just give an alternate drink while Im gone. (soy, rice milk, etc)

DD eats 3 meals a day and nurses every 2-4 hours during the day. If she nursed a lot at night, she will nurse less at night, I read somewhere that babes "make up for" what they missed during the day?

Im going back to work, I originally thought Id make it to 6 months on my savings but I have made it a year along with some help from the state. I have a job Interview today and If I get the job I will probably start next week or the week after. To start its only about 5-6 hours per day.

Any advice?

[stafl]

I would post in the working mamas forum.

[Eman'smom]

Ds went to a baby-sitter starting at 16 months, he started out going 4 hours a day 4 days a week then up to 5 hours a day 4 days a week, dh took care of him the rest of the time, I worked 4 10 hour days. Anyway he did fine with other drinks during the day, he nursed about every 1.5 hours a day before hand and handled it just fine, at that age at least for him it was very "out of site/out of mind". I think dh did start out rocking him with a bottle for nap time but then they quickly dropped the bottle.

He did nurse more in the begining when I was home, but then it droped back down to normal.

[abranger]

GA started daycare at 9 months. I continued pumping until about 15 months when she started refusing bm in bottles or cups ar daycare. SHe also started nursing every 1-2 hours at night. I knew I could not do that so I kept pumping and night weaned her. She still wouldn't take it at day care so I stopped pumping. She is 27 months now ... drinks only water and breastmilk from the tap

Amy

[Ravin]

My DD started daycare at 10 1/2 mo. She didn't know how to drink out of a bottle (made a big mess) and didn't like ebm warm, so I sent a sippy w/ her and pumped the first few months and she drank cold ebm from a sippy.

I stopped pumping around 13 mos because I just didn't pump much so it wasn't worth the effort. I sent soymilk or almond milk for the first couple of months after that, but now she just drinks water or watered-down juice at daycare. She eats what the other kids eat (the provider makes home-cooked meals except on Friday, which is pizza day), but without the meat (we're vegetarians). She wasn't eating much at 12 mos, I stopped pumping once I saw a noticeable increase in the amount of solids she was consuming.

This semester she's in daycare for 2 8 hr days and 1 4-6 hr day a week, and we do just fine w/out pumping.

[Angie676]

My son didn't start daycare until he was 18m, and he only went about 6 hours per day (3 days a week). He was at the end of his cow's milk allergy so we just left a quart of goat's milk at the daycare every week or two.

At my son's daycare, in his age range (2 years), they only give the kids one small 3oz cup of milk per day. At one year, he was nursing often enough that I probably would have tried pumping, but I doubt I would've gotten much. In that case, my suggestion would be either cow's milk, if she tolerates it, or goat's milk, or rice milk. Or you could even alternate it, and let her have the cow's milk some days, pump on occasion, and send goat/rice milk at other times (rotation works good in our family with all of our allergies). You wouldn't have to worry about the whole-milk issue (babies from 1-2 years old should have whole milk) because your child is still nursing 2-4 times per day and is getting all the stuff she needs. REally, you'd probably even be fine telling them to just give her juice,or water during the day, if she eats well. If she's nursing fine after work, and eating enough, she doesn't need any additional milk.

Goat's milk is pretty good for babies, and it may be gentler on their system. My son loves it (blech!)

[MsMoMpls]

I sent 8 oz a day until he was about 9 months old then I just decided I hated pumping too much so we switched to some watered down juice and some soy with an occassional breastmilk bottle if I get around to pumping. Nothing makes up for nursing however and boy do we make up for it. I don't think he will ever night wean while I am working. We need so much nursing time, especially if I work a long day.

[pln]

Hi!

Ds started daycare at 1 yr. He was nursing 3-5 times during the day at 2-3 hour intervals and 2-3 times at night.

After he went to daycare (6 hrs a day, 8-2), he drank soymilk or water during the day and nursed in the late afternoon, evening, and night.

After he was there fro a few months, he started drinking cow's milk/soymilk
alternating on different days. Now he only drinks cow's milk (and nurses n teh evening and night).

I never bothered to pump--I don't think I would have gotten much and really didn't want to spend the time at work pumping when it might have meant that
I would have to stay later to finish work.

Good luck!

Priya :-)

[sweetest]

I sent ebm to daycare until dd was about 16 months, but mostly because I was sore and needed to pump. I actually just stopped pumping a few weeks ago (almost 20 months).

Since you will have short work days, you will most likely be fine. Your body will adjust to not nursing during the day, just make sure you dont make the same mistake I did and ignore when you are full and end up with a blockage

Like some pps said - be ready for some more night nursing! :LOL

[mamangazelle]

Dd started daycare when she was 15 mo. They fed her everything they fed other children (2 snacks and one meal). I did not pump, so I asked them to give her water. She was there from 9h30am to 3pm. BUT, she had already tasted cow's milk at home (dd1 drinks it, so it is hard not to give her), so she clearly asked for it at daycare (she signs) when she realized all the other kids where getting milk. I agreed she could get some.

I had some leaks (very small) on mondays. Not anymore.

She is still nursing great in the evenings and at night, and on week ends, she doesn't get cow's milk most of the time.

[doctorjen]

Dd has been in daycare since 9 weeks. I pumped and sent ebm until 15 mos. She stopped using a bottle around 10 mos (just flat out refused it - she had never been crazy about bottles and only tolerated them when really hungry as an infant) She drank my milk in a cup until about 15 mos. At that point, the daycare provider was having to throw most of it away since she wasn't wanting it in a cup anymore. Now she mostly drinks water during the day, just a little bit of juice, and occasional sips of cow's milk. She's still nursing morning and night, usually during the night, too. On weekends she nurses several extra times a day. I don't pump anymore, and don't feel full, although I still feel a letdown every time she nurses so who knows.