https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 11 May 2026 09:57:16 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1291262 Thu, 19 Dec 2013 11:52:15 +0000 Sparkler 1291262@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went through this and I think it helps to just relax and do what is easiest for the daycare workers (much easier for me to do with my second). Taking care of a room full of babies is TOUGH and even more so if babies are grumpy and fussy. If they think that a few ounces of extra breastmilk or formula will make your LO more content and happy while there, I have trouble seeing what the harm is. I also am only able to pump 12 oz a day and I just tell them to give my LO extra formula if need be. My LO is a bad daycare sleeper, so being awake much longer there than at home I think is what accounts for the extra ounces beyond what I pump because on the days LO has good naps, they don't use any formula! Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1291243 Thu, 19 Dec 2013 11:48:01 +0000 Adira 1291243@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jetsa: Oh yeah, if he's nursing all night, then he definitely (in my opinion) doesn't need to be supplemented with formula during the day! He can always make up anything he's missing (IF he actually needs more) at night. I would tell your provider to stop supplementing and try paced feeding and that when he's done a bottle, immediately do something else with him so he's engaged in another activity. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1291216 Thu, 19 Dec 2013 11:42:53 +0000 jetsa 1291216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: yep he nurses all night long, that's why my child is huge lol ;)<br /> Haha, exactly they drive me batty! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1291190 Thu, 19 Dec 2013 11:38:26 +0000 Adira 1291190@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jetsa: Do you nurse in the middle of the night? If so, then you know he's probably definitely getting enough to eat and he probably doesn't need the additional formula during the day! It takes a while for a baby to recognize he's full too, so if she's feeding him too quickly, then of course he's going to keep acting hungry once he's finished a bottle!</p> <p>I actually just had my daycare ask me if they could feed him solids immediately following a bottle and said that he was still hungry after he finished the bottle *eye roll* and I said "Uh, sure, I guess so" even though when they DID offer him the solids an hour after the bottle, he only ate half of it, so he CLEARLY wasn't still hungry! These people are nuts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1291167 Thu, 19 Dec 2013 11:31:53 +0000 jetsa 1291167@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: he still wakes every 2 hours but he's never been a good sleeper ;) what you said about still acting hungry is so true and that's why she continues to feed him he's not hungry let him process a bit and if he's still hungry feed him more in 30 mins.</p> <p>@Revel: thanks all good things to know. That's so true on solids, 3 more months lol I'm sick of buying formula so that should end there too. Woohoo! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1291151 Thu, 19 Dec 2013 11:27:32 +0000 Revel 1291151@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO is EBF, and I've had lots of back and forth with day care about milk, so I feel your pain. A few thoughts in no particular order.</p> <p> Like @Adira: it's only really eased since we started sending solids, like last week. Also like you, I struggle to stay on top of her needs - I often pump 5x a day!</p> <p>I would not want my daycare portioning bottles - I always sent pre-portioned amounts. </p> <p>You might try having them feed four smaller bottles - I know this works for some. We send four for my LO, even though she's 6.5 months and she doesn't need to eat that frequently. </p> <p>What I ended up doing was upping amounts slowly, and when I was confident she was getting enough, I would just send 2 oz of frozen for days they really needed it. It would usually end up they used it once a week, so that did save me from having to send extra every day. </p> <p>Every baby is different, but it sounds like you are sending enough milk. My baby had topped out at about 13-14 ounces for a 9 hour separation, occasionally taking the extra two ounces.</p> <p>Good luck! What I reminded myself was that it will get easier once solids are introduced, and it has. So keep in mind you hopefully have about three months of this challenge as opposed to nine months. It will get easier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1291150 Thu, 19 Dec 2013 11:27:24 +0000 Adira 1291150@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jetsa: Yeah, it sucks giving bottles during the day when you're home with your baby, but it might give you a better idea of what he really needs is. I had my husband feed him bottles while I pumped and my husband is good about doing paced feedings. He NEVER drank the full 5 oz bottle, but this was also at 12 weeks. When he was older, he'd down a 5 oz bottle in a couple minutes! Also, even now, I KNOW he doesn't drink that much from me when nursing, but we give him almost 7 oz bottles (because I dropped two feedings, so I just pump them so that he has more during the day) and even after finishing a bottle, he acts like he's still hungry, even though I KNOW he's not. He just needs something ELSE to do immediately or he continues to act like he wants more. This could be what your LO is doing. Xander just keeps reaching for the bottle and making sucking motions, but I know he doesn't actually need more milk! And he definitely doesn't drink that much from ME!</p> <p>Plus if he doesn't get more milk during the day and he really IS hungry, he'll just nurse more with you at home. That's what I kept telling (and retelling and retelling) my daycare. If he was hungry, he would wake in the middle of the night to eat. Babies don't just go hungry. Xander was STTN and would wake happy and not starving, so I KNEW he was getting enough during the day. You could always insist she stick to the 12 oz you're providing and then see how he is in the evening at over night. If he's not waking up more to eat, then you can feel pretty confident that he's getting enough! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1291099 Thu, 19 Dec 2013 11:14:42 +0000 jetsa 1291099@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: :) daycare while a neccessary evil is so stressful. We nurse exclusively at home without supplementing, I work 4 day weeks so almost half the week he just nurses. I did a weighted feed awhile ago but I don't think it would be accurate now, also he got 1 ounce so yea...I almost gave up there but now at 13 weeks we are doing great. I think I need to do what you did and just feed bottles for a day at home and that way I know what he wants, I never feed bottles but I think it'd be helpful to know because at this point I have no idea other than her telling me he's hungry and you don't want your kid to be hungry, ya know? At this point the only reason I don't think he needs 15 ounces is because I can't pump it and everything I've read is that I should be able to pump what he needs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1291056 Thu, 19 Dec 2013 11:04:18 +0000 Adira 1291056@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What do you do at home? Do you exclusively nurse when you're with him or do you find you need to supplement with formula? I think if you're able to nurse at home without supplementing, then you presumably should be able to pump enough to meet his needs (although granted, babies are better at emptying the breast than a pump is). For me it was really hard to pump 15 oz, but I was really determined not to supplement, so if I wasn't able to pump the 15oz at work, I'd add in pumping in the evening after nursing to get the extra ounces I needed. But if you really feel like he doesn't NEED 15 oz, then I would be firm on that to your daycare provider. You could also do what I did and try to do a weighted feed with an LC to see how much he normally eats from you. Obviously that's not always accurate, but it might give you an idea of how much he actually needs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1291034 Thu, 19 Dec 2013 10:56:51 +0000 Adira 1291034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jetsa: Woohoo, I got a shout-out!</p> <p>So I did a bottle bootcamp before Xander started daycare at 12 weeks and found that he drank anywhere from 3 oz to 4.5 oz in a bottle every 3 hours. So I sent 5 oz bottles for him right from the get-go, even though I was sure he didn't really need that much. After the first couple weeks, he always finished the bottles (they don't do paced feedings) and insisted insisted INSISTED that he was still hungry and needed more. I was CONVINCED he didn't and just kept telling them that NO, he was not still hungry and they needed to find other ways to pacify him instead of just giving him more food. Finally around 5-6 months, I set up an appointment with an LC to do a weighted feed because I KNEW he didn't need more food, but wanted some proof of it. At home, we exclusively nursed and I really didn't think he was getting 5+ oz out of my boobs and he could often go MORE than 3 hours between nursing. At our weighted feed, he only drank 4 oz and ended up not being hungry for 4 hours. So I felt validated and just continued to tell daycare that no, he was not still hungry, he did not need more than 5 oz, I was not sending anymore milk.</p> <p>When he finally started having lunch at daycare (8 months) was when they FINALLY got off my back about how much I was sending in the bottles because they had another food-related thing they could do with him, which I guess kept him happy. The whole time was so frustrating and I'm just glad we're finally pass that hurdle. NONE of the daycare people seemed to understand the difference between BM and formula, so all the other babies were drinking 6-8 oz of formula and I was only sending 5 oz of BM and they just didn't understand how that could possibly be enough! It was very frustrating. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1290984 Thu, 19 Dec 2013 10:41:28 +0000 jetsa 1290984@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: She treats him like a second son so I love her for that but hate how she doesn't listen to me. If/when I find another daycare we'll be switching I just haven't had the time/energy to find someone else. ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1290670 Thu, 19 Dec 2013 09:02:18 +0000 hilsy85 1290670@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would be furious if she purposely ignored instructions that I had left for feeding my child (aka, giving him extra formula without asking you after finishing the milk you sent). Personally, if she continued to do that, I would make it known how unhappy I was with her behavior and threaten to switch daycares. To me, that's completely unacceptable--you're the mom, what you say goes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1290658 Thu, 19 Dec 2013 08:58:18 +0000 jetsa 1290658@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: she keeps and washes 1 bottle otherwise I think that would really help. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1290651 Thu, 19 Dec 2013 08:56:07 +0000 Mamaof2 1290651@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jetsa: Also I would pre fill the bottles - that way she sees that he has 3 bottles for the day and will make it last! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1290633 Thu, 19 Dec 2013 08:51:29 +0000 jetsa 1290633@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: he doesn't really like pacifiers. I guess I just need to push that this is what I pump so this is what he'll get she keeps talking about needing to up my supply but we nurse exclusively 3 days a week and he's fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1290537 Thu, 19 Dec 2013 08:03:37 +0000 Mamaof2 1290537@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I could only ever pump 12 oz per day so my kids only got three 4 oz bottles while I worked - this was from ~14 weeks to 1 year old.</p> <p>Does your LO use a pacifier? If so after he eats the 4 oz bottle have her give him the paci - maybe he just wants to suck, not necessarily eat </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1290272 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 21:40:13 +0000 jetsa 1290272@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: @danda: @MrsStormy: right? I don't understand, he'll eat whatever you give him put of a bottle. We started at 4-3oz bottles 6 wks ago went to 3-4oz bottles and now 3-5oz bottle bc the last week she's been feeding him between 4-5 which I don't want (I have to pump at work an extra time) but I understand that he gets very upset when he's hungry so idk what to do. Luckily he's going to be home with DH until jan 6. So when I send him back I guess I'll just be like this is what he was doing at home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1290243 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 21:25:37 +0000 danda 1290243@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Kellymom recommends 1-1.25 oz per hour away from mom with no more than 4 oz per bottle. I send 12 oz as 4 x 3 oz bottles for my daughter who loves to eat frequently and that has worked for us so far - from 4 months old /15 pounds to 5.5 months/16-17 pounds now. .Maybe show them the Kellymom article on bottle feeding the breastfed baby and the appropriate amounts? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1290180 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 20:47:46 +0000 MrsStormy 1290180@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jetsa: My LO is is also 3 months, and she definitely does not eat 5oz at a feeding. Her bottles are normally more like 3.5oz, she is a lot smaller though... The lactation consultants I have worked with have told me BF babies don't have a ton of increases from 1-6 months of milk intake, so they shouldn't be needing to increase the ounces I wouldn't think, unless there is some reason they think he is still hungry? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1290098 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 19:54:55 +0000 regberadaisy 1290098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jetsa: my daycare would never increase the amount they are feeding without confirming with us first. We did the same breast milk first but formula as a back up. We have agreed amount per bottle and how often she was fed. Any time that changed we let them know. Or when they felt she needed more they called and confirm first. </p> <p>My LO never drank that much at that age. If you don't think your LO needs that much I would insist daycare lady scales back. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1290096 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 19:51:48 +0000 jetsa 1290096@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Corduroy: was your LO on a schedule? Jack's not at home, he feeds on demand closer to every 1.5-2 hours. Also he's demanding if he's hungry he wants food immediately. That's tge other thing she's doing is feeding him at 4:15-4:30. I pick up at 5 and we'll get home around 5:30 I want to feed then but instead I'm adding an extra pumping session at work at 4:15 which is a pain. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1289997 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 18:32:16 +0000 Corduroy 1289997@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It seems like day care employees should know how to feed breast fed infants but they don't or they play ignorant because it's easier to quiet the baby with more milk. My daycare had LO drinking up to 19oz a day. </p> <p>With encouragement from HBers I took charge. I wrote up LO's feeding plan. 3x 4.5oz bottles. Nurse before drop off, bottles at 9:30, 12:30, 3:30. No bottle after 4pm because I was ready to feed at pick up. LO went from 19oz to 13.5oz without any problem. Another mom at the same daycare went through the same thing less than a month later and they treated her like nobody had ever raised this issue before. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1289981 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 18:16:54 +0000 brownie 1289981@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jetsa: If you are concerned, then you should let the daycare lady know. La leche recommends 1 1/2 to 2 oz per hour you are away. You are away for 9 hours so at most that is 18 oz which is more than the 15 oz. But, breastfed babies are different from formula fed babies. If the daycare lady only knows formula fed babies, then she may be upping bottles because that is what formula fed babies do. Whereas, this isn't as much of a concern for breast fed babies. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1289961 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 17:59:30 +0000 ladybee 1289961@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jetsa: LO is 9 weeks old and I send 4 - 5oz bottles. He's at daycare from 8-5 and eats at 9, 12, and 3. Most of the time he eats 3.5-4.5 ounces. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1289925 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 17:33:03 +0000 jetsa 1289925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: she has formula and I don't send prepared bottles just a water bottle type with the milk I pumped from the previous day. She splits it up into feedings if that makes sense. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1289918 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 17:29:25 +0000 Smurfette 1289918@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jetsa: How does she have extra milk? If you don't think he needs it then can't you just send 3 4oz bottles. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1289915 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 17:27:27 +0000 Smurfette 1289915@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sounds totally normal to me. I sent 5oz bottles at 3 months. Most of the time she drank 3-4ozs cause she was eating so much in the middle of the night. And she hated bottles then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1289905 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 17:21:10 +0000 jetsa 1289905@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@adira: didn't you have an issue like this? What did you do? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bottles-at-daycare-3#post-1289902 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 17:20:08 +0000 jetsa 1289902@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daycare lady keeps upping the size of bottles she gives J. He's up to 5 oz bottles at 3 months. I think she's doing it so she doesn't have to feed him as often. He was there from 8-4:45pm and he had 3 - 5 oz bottles. He nurses at home, I never pump 5 oz so he's not getting that much.</p> <p>Does it matter? Should I care? How much do your little ones eat at daycare?</p> <p>Also its a stretch for me to get 15 oz pumped at work I normally get around 12 which worked because she fed him 3 - 4 oz bottles. She tells me he finished every drop which while fine doesn't mean he's hungry. He's a 15 lb 3 month old, he likes food. Also she doesn't do paced feedings which I should push but I don't. He's not EBF so any deficit is formula. </p>