https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:38:44 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918991 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 10:16:30 +0000 T.H.O.U. 918991@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Corduroy: Good luck. I would explain that there are more then enough ounces total, but you are willing to discuss more frequent feedings or less feedings with larger amounts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918963 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 10:08:48 +0000 Corduroy 918963@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for all the help!!</p> <p>When we started daycare 2 weeks ago she wouldn't take the bottle at all so I couldn't really give feeding instructions. I wanted them to do whatever it took to get her to take something, anything. I couldn't be at work picturing her starving at daycare. Now that we seem to be mostly past that hurdle I see I have to put my big momma pants on and take control of this situation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918879 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 09:39:27 +0000 BlueWolverine 918879@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I send 4 4oz bottles to day care. About half of the time, she only drinks 3 of the four bottles. My day care asked me to send more on multiple occasions, but I asked them to feed her more frequently if she seemed hungry. I think they were reading her sleep cues as hunger cues. She didn't really sleep well at day care, so she was fussy. When she started sleeping better, she started not finishing all four of her bottles. I felt vindicated. </p> <p>I even tried a day where I sent what they had asked for, and she didn't drink it all. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918875 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 09:37:02 +0000 DillonLion 918875@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would try condensing the bottles so she's eating more at each feeding. That might keep her happy and satisfied longer and you wouldn't need to worry about sending any more milk. </p> <p>Mine is 7.5 months old and she eats 18 oz (plus solids) at daycare but that is over only three feedings. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918871 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 09:34:05 +0000 mrsjyw 918871@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS has been taking 5 oz 5-6x a day since 3 months. I think they are feeding her too frequently. At that age, DS was feeding every 3 hours. Sometimes 3.5 hours. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918818 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 09:10:56 +0000 MamaMoose 918818@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Whoa... they are way over feeding her. They are feeding her too frquently. By now your LO should be fine going 3 hours between each feeding. At that age my LO did bump up from 4 ounces every 3 hours to 5 ounces every three hours so it's possible that 3.75ozs is a bit on the low side for a full feeding for her. But they certainly shouldn't be feeding her 3.75ounces at 11 and then 5.5ounces at 12:35!! It sounds like your daycare has too much control in how/when they divy up your milk. I send LO with three bottles of 5 ounces and that's it. Day care needs to feed each bottle in full and then wait three hours until the next one. </p> <p>It sounds to me like your LO is probably getting fussy throughout the day because she's tired and your daycare providers are reading that as hunger cues instead of sleepy cues. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918799 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 09:05:19 +0000 brownie 918799@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Kemma: that's the right numbers! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918761 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 08:57:40 +0000 pregnantbee 918761@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Corduroy: Good luck today. Forgot to mention that like the other posters' daycares, I don't think mine was used to breastfed babies either. During one of our first weeks they asked when my son would be switching to formula. I stared and answered with "never." :) We also had him on a 3-hr feeding schedule, and they didn't give milk outside those hours. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918690 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 08:43:28 +0000 kiddosc 918690@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is such a common problem! If you search for it, I'm sure you'll find a dozen threads just like this. I had the same problems with my daycare too. It seems most providers just don't have as much experience with breastfed babies and expect them to consume like the ff babies... and that's just not the way it works. </p> <p>Plan for 1-1.5oz for every hour at daycare, give your providers a copy of the bottle feeding tips for breast-fed babies from kellymom, and ask them to try to soothe her in other ways before assuming she's hungry. If she's not napping well (my baby totally didn't sleep well at daycare) she may be fussy because she's overtired, not because she's hungry. Crying does not automatically equal hungry... you would think daycare providers would know this, but it really seems like they don't. Good Luck! Stick to your guns Momma! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918660 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 08:36:56 +0000 Corduroy 918660@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for the reassurance. I should have checked this overnight. Even though I was telling myself not to stress I did lose sleep over it. Of course LO decided to sleep through the night since I wasn't sleeping well. </p> <p>I'll let you know how today goes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918608 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 08:22:26 +0000 JoyfulKiwi 918608@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daycare asked me for more milk/bigger bottles in the beginning too. I declined, for the reasons the others mentioned. He was/is the only breast milk only baby and they were comparing him to the formula babies. They are overfeeding him and what you're sending is enough. </p> <p>It was awkward to tell them no, but I had asked this question of our pediatrician (regarding amount of milk) before he started and she gave me the same information given here so I used that when I told them. They can't *make* you send more milk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918225 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 05:10:33 +0000 T.H.O.U. 918225@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Corduroy: I agree with every thing said above. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918220 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 05:03:54 +0000 Kemma 918220@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@brownie: I agree, my research says that an exclusively breastfed infant should be having between 24 and 30 ounces total per day and if Mum is nursing four times a day averaging 2-3 ounces per session then baby should only require 12-16 ounces max at daycare. </p> <p>Conversely, the general consensus is to allow 1-1.5 ounces per hour of daycare so based on this calculation, for eight hours you'd be looking at 8-12 ounces which indicates what you're sending is adequate for your LO.</p> <p>Not sure if you've seen these before, but here's a couple of Kellymom links that might be of help to you!</p> <p><a href="http://www.kellymom.com/store/freehandouts/bottle_feeding.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.kellymom.com/store/freehandouts/bottle_feeding.pdf</a></p> <p><a href="http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/#solids" rel="nofollow">http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/#solids</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918195 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 04:27:08 +0000 Smurfette 918195@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I send 4 oz bottles but we have them feeding every 3 hours. Sometimes they will do a bottle early if she shows signs of being hungry, but se usually doesn't.<br /> On the weekends how often does LO eat? Have them follow often she does then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918120 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 00:29:16 +0000 brownie 918120@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Breastfed babies do not eat the same way as formula fed babies. If they don't have experience with breastfed babies they may be trying to get you to do the formula feeding way. I believe (I am going off memory) that babies need between 1 1/2 and 2 oz per hour you are away. That is a MAX of 14 oz for your day way (plus a few possibly). </p> <p>I agree I think they are over feeding your baby. There are many threads on this already. You should ask them to try other techniques before feeding. How often was your baby nursing it should not be anymore frequent than that. Also I made them not feed my baby within an hour of me picking him up. So I knew he was hungry for me.</p> <p>Kelly's mom says they take in approximately 25 oz in a day for the breastfed baby. They want you to provide 22 of those 25 oz. does not seem right to me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918114 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 00:23:23 +0000 pregnantbee 918114@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a similar prob especially after I returned to work. Be sure of a couple things:</p> <p>- slowest flow nipple possible<br /> - ask them to hold LO at slight angle with frequent pauses during feeding. Hopefully she gets the "full" cue before guzzling too much precious milk<br /> - not sure she needs to be fed after every nap, but I'm guessing she'd want to eat more after a longer nap</p> <p>I had lots of trouble keeping up with my LO's needs. He was drinking about 3 6-oz bottles at daycare while I was only pumping 12-13 oz or so at work. I ended up adding another pump session a couple hrs after last feed of the night and right before I went to sleep. And then I'd also pray he didn't finish all of the milk from the previous day. Between that, my freezer stash, and starting solids at around 6 months, we made it work. He never had formula, and he still gets breast milk at 12.5 months. Luckily a month or so after starting solids, he dropped down to drinking only 12-14 oz per day. Huge relief.</p> <p>Let me know if you have any questions. It's so tough! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918105 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 00:17:37 +0000 MaisyMay 918105@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've always sent 4 oz portions for my LO and even now at 6 months, that's what she typically eats. Instead of increasing all of the feedings, perhaps you could send some 1-2 ounce portions for just in case? Also, if you know that you'll be there at 5, you could request they don't feed her after 4 and you nurse with her there/in the car before going home. This may work most of the time, but other times she really will need a few ounces to tide her over until you get there.</p> <p>Have you tried lactation cookies to boost supply? The brewer's yeast and flax seed meal help. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/daycare-wants-more-milk#post-918102 Wed, 10 Jul 2013 00:13:10 +0000 Corduroy 918102@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Daycare wants more milk than I'm pumping. Cue FTM freakout. I'm starting to do what I can to increase my supply: oatmeal, tea, hydrate, and I'm in the middle of a power hour. I'm wondering if any of you have perspective on the feedings. </p> <p>LO is 4.5 months and just started taking a bottle. She's been at daycare 2 weeks. I'm sending four 3.75oz bottles. Daycare wants 1oz more per bottle.</p> <p>I'm currently feeding 3am, 6:30am, 5:45pm at pick up, and 7:30pm at bedtime. Today she ate</p> <p>9:00 - 3.75oz<br /> 11:00 - 3.75oz<br /> 12:35 - 5.5oz<br /> 3:30 - 4oz<br /> 4:30 - 1.5oz<br /> Total - 18.5oz</p> <p>Some of that was from my freezer stash at daycare. </p> <p>Does it take time for babies bottle consumption to even out? Do naps affect how much they eat? She's only taking 30min naps if that matters. It seems like they're feeding her when she wakes up. Is it wrong to ask daycare not to feed her after a certain time? (Sorry if that makes me sound cruel, I'm just ignorant). But if she ate 4oz at 3:30 did she need more at 4:30?</p> <p>I guess I'm just hoping this magically works out. I don't know where I'm going to get 4 more ounces a day. </p>