Advice please- what milk should 2 day a week CM be giving my 15 mo baby?

[Parttimelover]

Hi

Sorry for the long post...

Am happily BFing my 15 mo on demand alongside her meals at the mo. Finally have found a PT job after months of looking. I have to start work very soon (ten days time) with two consecutive office days per week. Planning to continue as long as DD wants with BF in general and on the two office days with offering the BF overnight and morning. Co-sleeping btw.

DD will be with childminder 8am- 6pm. Childminder says I need to bring in milk and a bottle for the baby, for her to give after their lunch to get her ready for lunchtime nap. Was in such a tizz about the prospect of handing over the baby at all I didn't remember to ask her what she actually meant. What milk is this I should bring? Cows? Follow on? Expressed breast (but will that bring back all my crazy oversupply issues?) And what kind of bottle?

DD still gets a bit of silent reflux back arching etc at night so likes to BF a lot for comfort hence the cosleeping has been easiest way to cope with that and get enough sleep. She naps in day with me holding her uprightish or in pushchair if we're out and about. I am worried how she will cope trying to kip down in a cot at CM's after lunch after the bottle- or will it be fine? Don't know if this is something she will be able to adapt to.

Sorry if I am asking seriously dumb questions I just feel in a huge flap, as I am under pressure to start work so abruptly and having luckily managed to sort the office days' childcare at short notice, I don't know what I should be doing re daytime milk, when I am only going to be away from DD two days a week. (the other days will be worked from home with informal care at my mum's so I can see her as and when for a BF and will try to continue as before in general). Any advice gratefully received....

[MoaningMingeWhingesAgain]

If she is BF the rest of the time I certainly wouldn't start any bottles now

She could have some cows milk in an open or sippy cup. EBM in the same. Or just water and food with the CM and breastmilk when she is with you. Any of those is absolutely fine.

[ImFineThankYou]

It might be a case of trying different things. Perhaps try full fat one day and see how she gets on. I know my dd would be happy to take water if someone else fed her but wouldn't take it from me iyswim?

[ishchel]

You can request that she sleeps in her pushchair semi upright, the CM can shoggle the pushchair indoors to help her drop off?

It is up to you which milk to provide. The CM is probably assuming you will bring formula but if you want to provide EBM then that will be fine but I would just mention it to her first as she may never have had this before and at least you can address any concerns she may have. I doubt that expressing now will bring back supply issues as you will probably be expressing milk from feeds she will not be having and stop you from experiencing engorgement.

It is up to you if you provide the milk in a bottle or a beaker. My dd2 never took EBM bottle or cup even when we transitioned to nursery at 8 months so I mixed it in with cereal which she had in lieu of lunch and waited till I came to nursery to feed her. I worked only five minutes from the nursery so I went in and fed her at 1pm.

Your daughter will adjust to a new routine quickly with the CM.

[Marrow]

You should send whatever sort of milk you want her to drink (although personally I wouldn't waste your money on follow on milk) If she doesn't drink from bottles now then I wouldn't start her on them - just use a cup.

I would discuss her routine and your worries with the childminder so you are happy with what will be happening. The childminder shouldn't enforce a completely different routine on her.

[dozily]

Tommee Tippee beaker of full fat cows milk should be all you need. No need to start bottles or follow-on milk at that age.

You may find she prefers the milk warmed up as that's obviously what she's used to.

Presumably the cm would provide the milk though if it's ordinary full fat? She may have assumed you use formula of some kind.

[dozily]

Tommee Tippee beaker of full fat cows milk should be all you need. No need to start bottles or follow-on milk at that age.

You may find she prefers the milk warmed up as that's obviously what she's used to.

Presumably the cm would provide the milk though if it's ordinary full fat? She may have assumed you use formula of some kind.

[galwaygirl]

I don't see why she would need bottles if she never takes them - my DD was formula fed but gave up bottles herself by a year old and used sippy cups. Cows milk is fine at her age, no need for follow on milk.

[BranchingOut]

Hello, firstly, don't panic!

With any luck, your supply should be really well established and you will be able to continue bf morning and night without problems. She will probably want to feed as soon as you pick her up, so be prepared for that!

I suggest that you say to the CM that you are happy for her to offer full-fat cows milk. There is no particular benefit to follow-on milk above first stage formula and it is not recommended by the NHS. The CM should be provided with this milk free of charge anyway.

However, bottles are not recommended after one year, for dental reasons. At your DD's age any drinks other than water should be offered in a free-flow cup. This is because bacteria can get trapped in the non-spill valves of some cups and contribute to tooth decay. This cup could be an open cup, a soft top cup like the 'Nuk' cup or a flip top cup like the 'tommee tippee first cup'. Either way, if you hold it upside down the milk should drip or fall out! The cup will not need sterilising, so if you just bring a clean cup to the CM each day, or give her a few to use, then there should be no problems.

Best of luck.

[BranchingOut]

Great minds post alike!

[FadBook]

Prudy- wrong thread perhaps?

Agree with others - send which ever milk you want her to have.

Personally, at 15 months she'll be likely accept cows/goats/soya milk during the times she's not with you, rather than faffing with pumping.

Dd wouldn't even take my milk unless it was straight from the source so my stock pile in the freezer just got wasted / given away because she wouldn't take it out of a cup or bottle.

Be prepare for a mammoth feed when you pick her up so definitely let CM know your are breast feeding as you may need to feed at her house.

It's easy to say don't stress but honestly, it will be fine, she will get used to you not being there on those days and so your supply will catch on too.

[bundaberg]

Surely the cm should be following your wishes rather than telling you that your child must have milk, in a bottle, at a set time?

I'd tell the cm what you usually do and provide her with whatever your daughter normally eats/drinks.

Certainly wouldn't be sending g bottle for a 15 no the old

[Parttimelover]

Thank you all so so much for the reassuring and very swift replies. Very much appreciated.

DD drinks fine from a cup for other drinks so when we go for the settle in days this week I'll ask if CM can try giving her a cup of (warmed) cow's milk after lunch followed by a shoggle in the pushchair. (Will be using that from now on Ischel) Fingers crossed and thank you.

[hettienne]

If she's breastfed then she might not be interested in a cup of cow's milk as a sleep aid. I'd tell the CM she can give her cow's milk or water from a cup as drinks. If the CM is providing food then she can provide cow's milk if necessary too.

[Parttimelover]

Hettie ah ok I was banking on the full tummy as the sleep aid but of course sucking has a lot to do with it under normal circs. Right. What would you suggest as sleep aid- maybe bottle with a bit of water? Dummy? She doesn't have a dummy or bottle at the mo so keen to keep her teeth protected as per branching's points but keen to try whatever is most comforting for her.

[ilovepowerhoop]

I wouldn't start with a bottle of anything at that age or a dummy.

[AmandaCooper]

DS is much younger but if you are still offering breast milk at every mealtime plus lots of breast milk in the night perhaps not that different. He has a nanny twice a week and goes to grandma's one day. I work three days and express at work just when I'd have offered the midday feed. Somehow his grandma manages to ram up to 12oz down him on her day (think fois gras goose) but the nanny gives him about 4/5oz over the course of the day and alongside that he has yoghurt and fruit and veg. He guzzles like mad as soon as I get home and always has a big morning feed. I should think your DD, being older, won't even need as much as that.

[AmandaCooper]

DS doesn't feed to sleep at nap time btw. He sometimes needs a bit of a shoggle though!

[hettienne]

To be honest I would forget about trying to introduce a new sleep aid at this point. When DS went to nursery he still fed to sleep at home, but there his keyworker just cuddled him to sleep in a chair before laying him in a cot. The CM will find her own way of getting her to sleep - rocking in a buggy sounds good.

[MyNameIsAnAnagram]

Personally I'm surprised the cm is asking you to bring milk in for a 15mo. I also think its up to her to find a way of getting your dd to sleep, you will probably find she sleeps easily for the cm, my 7mo bf to sleep baby certainly did

[poocatcherchampion]

my dd never had any milk in the day when I wasn't there to feed her. a couple of bfs and cows milk with breakfast from about 12 months.

I'd have laughed if someone suggested either introducing a bottle or that it was required at that age. it is possibly a misunderstanding and she thinks you give bottles anyway?

[Trying2bMindful]

My 16mo is with a CM 8am-6pm 4 days a week & has been since 10mo. He won't take any milk whilst with her. In fact I don't think he needs it as he eats 3 meals a day and 2 snacks + water. He is bf on demand whilst with me.
So don't fret. Your LO should be fine without milk. or you can tell her to offer cows milk in a sippy cup if you want LO to have milk.... otherwise Tell your CM to offer food & water at the usual times. LO will make up any milk when they see you.
Does that make sense? Happy to answer questions if you have any?

[Trying2bMindful]

Btw my DS sleeps in his push chair at the CM. he has never taken daytime naps in a cot & I asked her not to bother trying now. She did what I asked & he has 2 to 3 hours in his buggy with her just like he does at home.,,

[DanglingChillis]

Cows milk in a cup unless allergic or vegan. All three of mine have not had bottles introduced when they started nursery at younger ages than yours (but over 6 months), they went straight to cups of EBM and then on cows milk once over a year. Nursery has always managed to get them to sleep, I've told them I FTS but they cuddle or rock in a rocking chair or whatever is necessary, just like DH does when he's at home with the baby.