breastmilk substitute at nursery for 13mo

[MamaChocoholic]

my dts are 13mo and started nursery a few weeks ago. at first they would drink cow's milk there, but now they refuse. they drink water and eat food and bf through the night it seems, so I would be ok with that except they are miserable by the end of a day. if I manage to collect them and bf them, they are quite ok. but if I don't bf them, or if dp collects them which is more often as the nursery is near her work, they can scream the whole way home.

it's not possible for me to collect them every day. so is there any alternative anyone can suggest that they might take at nursery? have tried and can't express hardly anything by hand or with a hand pump. if I believed I might do better with an electric pump I'd consider one, but I don't really believe that would work either.

are they being given the milk from a bottle ? When I was expressing dd would drink from a bottle, but refused to let me put a bottle in her mouth when I tried to switch to formula. Have you/nursery tried giving the cow`s milk from a cup ?

no, cow's milk only from a cup. which is how they will drink it at home. never tried a bottle with them, not sure they'd know what to do with one!

Has DP tried offering another sort of snack on collection? It's probably not the B milk they're especially missing, maybe just the snuggling or the drink/food? It could be any number of things.

yes, we've tried alternative snacks, including a piece of malt loaf (that they love) in the car! nothing seems to help except bf. not convinced that expressed milk in a cup would make any difference, you may be right it's partly the snuggling too. but clutching for any ideas that could make the 15 minutes from nursery to home less awful for everyone.

I doubt that BM in a cup/bottle from DP would be any better received than cows milk or water. Is DP stressed when she picks up? Maybe they just want you, do they know they'll see you when they get home? It's quite normal for small children to want the parent they see the most, DPs need to grow thick skin and understand that in a few months and at odd moments, they will be the favourite, but after a long day at nursery DCs generally just want the one who has been the primary care giver.
Can she keep talking to the twins and soothing them and making it clear they'll be home soon. Yes, they must miss mamachoc, but she's not here right now, never mind let's hurry home etc. Sudden distract - Ooh, look at that big dog out of the window, woof woof, I love dogs don't you, blah blah, ooh, there's a cyclist going by, doesn't he have a funny bottom, blah blah.....