[JennP]

I am having a really hard time with determining if the solids dd eats are meeting her needs. I send 2 (4oz) bottles of breastmilk to daycare each day and she eats each meal there. Yesterday she did not take her am bottle but did take her pm bottle.

At home she still nurses in the evening 2-3 times and throughout the night 2-5 times. She is healthy active and growing but I have relied on breastmilk for so much of her nutrition for so long how so I know it is okay for her to not take her am bottle? Will she then drink more whole milk for her meals at daycare.

Anyone with advice? I would really appreciate it! I love nursing but I could really give up pumping 2X a day at work IYKWIM.

Thanks
Jenn

 

[foreverinbluejeans]

I would help to know how old your toddler is. Usually after 12 months it is not necessary for working moms to leave breastmilk. Since your toddler is nursing so much, I definately don't think you need to.

You may find some helpful info at www.kellymom.com by clicking on starting solids, there is also info on toddler nutrition.

There is no reason for toddlers to drink cow's milk and many reasons to avoid it altogether. For more info, go to www.google.com and type in 'don't drink cow's milk.'

 

[JennP]

dd turned 1 year December 10th. She has moved to the toddler room at daycare and they feed all the kids whole milk with the exception of one child who still gets formula because he is allergic to cows milk.

 

[manda99]

I stopped pumping around 15 months. By that time, he wasn't drinking much of the sippies of EBM that I was sending anyway. He doesn't drink any other milk because he is allergic. He doesn't nurse during the day anymore either (his choice). I just make sure that he's offered plenty of healthy foods for his meals and snacks during the day. If she's still nursing when you're together, she's getting plenty of of breastmilk. If she's able (and willing) to drink whole milk or some other type of milk while you're away, than you won't have to worry so much about getting enough calcium, protein, and fat.

I had a hard time making the decision to stop pumping. I wanted to stop soooo bad, but I had a lot of guilt about doing it. So far (I stopped pumping November 1), everything has worked out fine. DS didn't even seem to notice that he's drinking water now instead. LOL!

Manda

 

[foreverinbluejeans]

I found another website about cow's milk, this one is rather graphic.
www.milksucks.com

 

[velcromom]

Toddlers who are offered a variety of nutritious food each day will, by the weeks' end, have selected a balanced amount of each. There's no need to stress over the days they don't eat much or will only eat certain things.

If a toddler is nursing 4 or more times a day there is absolutely no need for any other milk, and in fact it might fill them up and displace some other foods. Drinking whole milk with meals at day care could be the reason she is skipping bottles of mama milk - not a good trade-off at all. Better to skip the cow's milk and give her breastmilk with meals if she has not already finished it.

 

[dawndup]

I stopped pumping when my DD was about 13 months old. She had gotten used to taking a bottle before naps... so before I quit pumping, we gradually mixed soy milk in with her breastmilk, little by little each day, until she was taking bottles of 100% soy milk. We haven't really figured out if DD is dairy sensitive, so we've kept her on the soy milk and she is doing just fine. I was worried at first because she was kind of a fussy eater, and I didn't know if she would get enough nutrition. But she surprised us... she gradually ate a bigger variety of foods, and now she'll munch on just about anything they put in front of her. I feel that she gets a good balanced diet by the time a week is over. day to day her diet isn't completely balanced, but she picks different "favorite" foods each day and it all evens out over time.

I still occasionally send a bag of breastmilk to daycare just to burn through my freezer stash, and have them put that in her bottle instead. I know some moms like to wean baby off the bottle about the same time they stop pumping... I decided to quit pumping first and tackle the bottles at some later time. She's now 16 months old and taking 1 or 2 small bottles a day, depending on how fussy she is. I know her teachers want her off the bottle by 18 months and I'm not sure how we're going to do it, but we'll see.

 

[Eviesmomma]

Yep, I agree with everyone here.

Our dughters were born on the same day BTW...thought that was cool.

Mine was 2 on the 10th though.

I would stop pumping if you want to, and I'm sure you are ready. Offer all types of foods throughout the day and continue to nurse on demand. She'll get a balanced enough diet. My DD has never liked cows or soy milk, and it hasn't been a problem. She'll be just fine eating what she wants when it is offered.

 

[Ravin]

When DD was 13 mos I could no longer pump enough to make it worth the effort (I'd get maybe 3 oz from both breasts put together), so I just started sending soymilk and watered juice for her to drink. She eats as much as she wants, drinks as much as she wants, and when not in daycare nurses on demand, plenty of times (as my engorged state after 16 hrs of her sick and nursing very little attested yesterday).

As long as the food being offered is nutritious, you've nothing to worry about.