L is still eating every hour or hour and a half, averaging about 12 feedings in a 24 hour period.
I've seen the kellymom calculator for the average feeding, but do I send a bottle for every 1.5 hours? That's six-8 bottles a day. It seems like a lot. He will be there about 815-545 at the latest and I can probably pop over for lunch most days.
The daycare requires all the bottles to be prepped ahead of time. They won't handle frozen milk.
How did you figure out the number of bottles?
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
My son was a little older, around 5.5 months when he went to daycare. He would drink 5 oz then, so I used to send four 5 oz bottles. He never drank the 4th so then I started sending 3. At 10.5 months he still takes three 5 oz bottles but also has breakfast, lunch, and snack.
Does your baby currently take a bottle, or just nurse? Have you tried giving a little bigger bottle to see if that will stretch out the time between feedings.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
We did bottles every 2 hours. So, at first, we did send 5 bottles for a 10 hour day. We found that once you factored in naps, she really wasn't eating 5 bottles, so we sent 4.
grapefruit / 4235 posts
@winniebee: he currently just nurses during the day. The daycare did say its better to err on the side of more, smaller bottles to start. He may eat more from the bottle since its faster.
grapefruit / 4235 posts
Forgot to add that they'll only attempt to refeed from a bottle for an hour, then they chuck it.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
I mean, if it makes you feel better, I would go ahead and send 8 bottles. But how much are you going to put in each, like 2 ounces? I know for my daughter, if I didn't put enough in, at the end of the bottle she would still be super fussy and hungry.
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
@dagret: How much are you putting in bottles? How old is your LO?
If I remember, around 12 weeks?
I'd try 3 oz bottles -- you're right, he may drink more since he'll have to work a little less. Maybe start w/ sending enough bottles for every 2 hours of eating, plus one extra just in case.
grapefruit / 4235 posts
@T.H.O.U.: he seems to only eat 2 ounces from the bottle if we feed him in the morning. At least, that's what he's been eating during our 930 church service each week.
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
@dagret: If he's taking 2 oz by bottle now, maybe put 2.5 in each bottle to start - if he finishes those, you'll know to put 3 oz in.
grapefruit / 4235 posts
@winniebee: he's 10 weeks now, will be 12 weeks when he starts daycare. I was thinking 2.5-3 oz to start.
Thanks for all of your help and replies everyone! It seems like a no brainer now that I've "talked" through it.
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
@dagret: It was right around 12 weeks that LO started spacing out feedings to every 2.5-3 hours and he started drinking a little bigger bottles (3-3.5 oz). It's a lot of trial and error, but after a week or so you'll have a better idea of what to send.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@dagret: That sounds good. I would put 2.5-3 ounces per bottle. That will make sure he is full and if there is a bit leftover they can reuse it in an hour. I would go ahead and send as many bottles as you need to in order to feel comfortable. You can always take them home at the end of the day and bring them back again the next day.
grapefruit / 4235 posts
@winniebee: @T.H.O.U.: thanks! There's so many logistics to figure out...as if transitioning to daycare isn't stressful enough...
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@dagret: Don't worry, it is really tough at first, but once you get a good routine down its not so hard.
The best tip I got, was to bring some sensory objects from home. A blanket that smells like mom, a picture of the family, familiar mobile or white noise, etc.
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