Oh No!!!!

[Potty Diva]

We just enrolled a 6 week old little girl into our center. A coworker asked me is it normal for a 6 week old to be fed every 4 hours? I was like, NO! She should be fed when she is hungry. Then this coworker showed me the feeding form her mom filled out. it said:

Formula: 6:30 am, 10:30, 2:30 pm Please follow this routine with A. sleep/wake/eat encourage these times.

please WAKE for routine feedings if she is asleep.

I want to freaking vomit! I ranted to my coworker who has never heard of these "programs" and then asked my boss how we could legally deny an infant food if she were hungry? She said we have to listen to what the parents say. I just don't get it and I won't back down with this.

Anything I should be doing? I can't speak to the parent since the baby is not in my room or in my care.

[Potty Diva]

is she using the baby whisperer? ezzo? the pearls? ferber?

[Pandora114]

Originally Posted by Potty Diva

is she using the baby whisperer? ezzo? the pearls? ferber?

Ezzo

[Potty Diva]

VOMIT!
I can't believe this. I never thought I would even come across someone who does this. I know I'll be fired for sure now. There is no way I can keep my mouth shut!

[pianojazzgirl]

OMG poor baby! And poor you! I would totally feel sick to my stomach too. I am wracking my brains for some advice to give you but I'm at a loss. Hopefully someone here can help.

[rowansmomma]

OH man.........what a tough spot. Yeah, I'd probably have a hard time zipping it too. How do you just sit idly by and watch this happen?? Yeah......impossible. But know what? I bet there isn't a DAMN thing you can do. You could stop the mom on her way in or out, sure.....but I bet she just gives you some lip or some other bull**** that she read in some book, or in her "experience". And then you risk losing your job..... I'm glad I'm not in your shoes.

[cmb123]

Is the baby happy?
Give the mom a chance. Especially if she's a new mom. Maybe this schedule is working out well. I imaging that if I had a formula fed baby, and was putting it in daycare, I might feel like I had to provide the center with some sort of guide to what they should do with my child. You women at the center are the ones with the experience. Maybe you could offer a little tip here and there gently. Offer her observations of what happens during the day with the child if it turns out that the baby is really hungry inbetween her scheduled times. Share with her what has worked for you.
But honestly, you may just find that the baby is perfectly happy on that routine. I've seen that to be true many times.

Just a note- I despise Ezzo. I just know that there are many new parents who will follow his advise early on, because if your a new parent and you don't know any differently, it can really seem like a perfectly reasonable idea.

[Leilalu]

that is so ezzo. Ick. To go along with that is INSANE and I would talk to her.

[TinkerBelle]

Originally Posted by cmb123

Is the baby happy?
Give the mom a chance. Especially if she's a new mom. Maybe this schedule is working out well. I imaging that if I had a formula fed baby, and was putting it in daycare, I might feel like I had to provide the center with some sort of guide to what they should do with my child. You women at the center are the ones with the experience. Maybe you could offer a little tip here and there gently. Offer her observations of what happens during the day with the child if it turns out that the baby is really hungry inbetween her scheduled times. Share with her what has worked for you.
But honestly, you may just find that the baby is perfectly happy on that routine. I've seen that to be true many times.

Just a note- I despise Ezzo. I just know that there are many new parents who will follow his advise early on, because if your a new parent and you don't know any differently, it can really seem like a perfectly reasonable idea.

I think that is a good suggestion. Give the mom a chance. My oldest 2 were BF, and after about a month, THEY put themselves on "schedules". By 2 mos old, they both were eating every 3-4 hours. And they were BF, exclusively. So, you cannot always blame being FF.

I am sure she would not want you to let her baby scream and cry with hunger, either. Perhaps her "rules" are just a guide.

[Potty Diva]

Thanks mamas.
I agree with giving mom enough time to see if this schedule is working out. They are going on vacation this next week and are taking the baby so maybe they will change their minds. But, she may well be happy on this schedule.

I'm going to ask the morning caregiver if she cries like she is hungry between feedings.

[eggplant]

Is it a licensed childcare center? I think in some states licensing rules require that infants be fed on demand.

[sophmama]

My ff / scheduling family does newborns on 3 hour feeds and then moves to the 4 hour schedule later. I think the 4 hour rule receded Ezzo and their ilk. I think it's what most of our grandmothers used in the US.

One thing to note though - doesn't formula take twice as long to digest? So the baby won't be hungry as soon, but still 4 hours? I don't think the stuff stays in their belly *that* long!

[moondiapers]

If your center is on the federal food program you HAVE to feed an infant ON DEMAND!!! It's a requirement of the program.

[sunnysideup]

Originally Posted by Potty Diva

Formula: 6:30 am, 10:30, 2:30 pm Please follow this routine with A. sleep/wake/eat encourage these times.

I would just assume that by "encourage these times" the mom does not mean force those times. If this baby were in my care, I would try to follow the mom's suggestion, but if baby were hungry or unhappy I would assume the mom would want me to help her baby in whatever way the baby wants.

[Fuamami]

If the babe's regularly crying for an hour because she's hungry but it's not time to eat, maybe you could tell the mother that it's too disruptive to the other children, and you're going to try to stick to her schedule but feed her when she's hungry.

[Potty Diva]

Yesterdy I talked to C who is theregular caregiver in he infant room an dshe IS concerned. Baby cries in between eedings and will not settle until the time she eats. We cannot giv her any more formula than wht the mom brings. My oss sai they were goig to hav a talk with er.
We are licensed but do not qualify for the federal food program.

I was just doing some research trying to find more info on Ezzo and in his book, he says this:

Examples of the many other unsubstantiated medical claims in "Babywise" include:

"Lack of regularity [in feeding intervals] sends a negative signal to the baby's body, creating metabolic confusion that negatively affects his or her hunger, digestive, and sleep/wake cycles."
"Demand-fed babies don't sleep through the night."
"A mother who takes her baby to her breast 12, 15, or 20 times a day will not produce any more milk than the mom who takes her baby to breast six to seven times a day."
"Mothers following PDF have little or no problem with the let down reflex, compared to those who demand-feed."
"Colic, which basically is a spasm in the baby's intestinal tract that causes pain, is very rare in PDF babies but is intensified in demand-fed babies."
"In our opinion, much more developmental damage is done to a child by holding him or her constantly than by putting the baby down. In terms of biomechanics alone, carrying a baby in a sling can increase neck and back problems, or even create them."
"Some researchers suggest that putting a baby on his or her back for sleep, rather than on the baby's tummy, will reduce the chance of crib death. That research is not conclusive, and the method of gathering supportive data is questionable."

From this website:
http://ezzo.info/Aney/aneyaap.htm

[sesa70]

OMG! I had heard of ferber, and ezzo, but never actually read anything or knew much about what they advocated. I just looked up the websites and seriosly I am sick to my stomach. Its disgusting!

I hope for the baby's sake this is a new mom who doesnt really know any better and is open to your suggestions.

[octobermom]

s the baby happy?
Give the mom a chance. Especially if she's a new mom. Maybe this schedule is working out well.

But every 4 hours means that in a 12 hour period shes only eating 3 times the fact she follows a sleep/eat/wake cycle has me thinking she does Ezzo and their for also has her sleeping long hours at night. I'd at least try to find out because unless shes feeding her around the clock at this 4 hr schedule shes not being fed enough. Even if she is its the bare minnium and goes against the bodys natural patterns.

[moonfirefaery]

I would tell the woman to feed the child when he is hungry, maybe wait a few minutes if it's close to the 'scheduled' feeding time so that the child at least eats near the time the parents desire, but if four hours go by between feedings, then wake the child, and try to do it right around one of the times mom wants the baby fed. I would just take the schedule and make it flexible. I think it is neglect to deny a hungry infant food even if the parents have ordered you to do so. Parents have no right to neglect their children, and caretakers do not have to neglect their children becuase the parents neglected it. Maybe you could accidently slip her some information about the infants that became depressed and malnourished because of the Ezzos.

[Fuamami]

Originally Posted by Potty Diva

Yesterdy I talked to C who is theregular caregiver in he infant room an dshe IS concerned. Baby cries in between eedings and will not settle until the time she eats. We cannot giv her any more formula than wht the mom brings. My oss sai they were goig to hav a talk with er.
We are licensed but do not qualify for the federal food program.

I was just doing some research trying to find more info on Ezzo and in his book, he says this:

Examples of the many other unsubstantiated medical claims in "Babywise" include:

"Lack of regularity [in feeding intervals] sends a negative signal to the baby's body, creating metabolic confusion that negatively affects his or her hunger, digestive, and sleep/wake cycles."
"Demand-fed babies don't sleep through the night."
"A mother who takes her baby to her breast 12, 15, or 20 times a day will not produce any more milk than the mom who takes her baby to breast six to seven times a day."
"Mothers following PDF have little or no problem with the let down reflex, compared to those who demand-feed."
"Colic, which basically is a spasm in the baby's intestinal tract that causes pain, is very rare in PDF babies but is intensified in demand-fed babies."
"In our opinion, much more developmental damage is done to a child by holding him or her constantly than by putting the baby down. In terms of biomechanics alone, carrying a baby in a sling can increase neck and back problems, or even create them."
"Some researchers suggest that putting a baby on his or her back for sleep, rather than on the baby's tummy, will reduce the chance of crib death. That research is not conclusive, and the method of gathering supportive data is questionable."

From this website:
http://ezzo.info/Aney/aneyaap.htm

I'm sure this is all substantiated by well-organized and conducted research. My SIL does Ezzo, sort of. She always says she's doing it, but I've never seen her once be able to make her child cry for more than 45 seconds. Instead, she constantly frets about how she's "off her schedule". She's done this now for four kids. Personally, I think it sounds like a huge PITA.

Though I will say that my two children have thus far pretty much put themselves on an eating routine wherein they only nurse 6-7 times a day by two months. They might nurse for 45-60 minutes at each session though.