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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Do nurseries not accept breastmilk then?

26 replies

BroccoliSpears · 01/08/2008 09:07

Was really surprised when I was speaking to my cousin - she is racing to wean her ds off breastmilk so he can go to nursery when she goes back to work. She's really sad about it, but apparently the nursery won't accept expressed breastmilk.

And, surely she'll still be able to do morning and evening / night feeds if she wants to? She thinks not.

OP posts:

ilovemydog · 01/08/2008 09:10

I think it depends on the nursery/creche.

DS has been to a creche where they didn't mind expressed milk, nor resusable nappies.

My friend's DS goes to a child minder and has expressed milk.

Maybe this would be the way to go - childminder where they may be a bit more flexible?

Littlefish · 01/08/2008 09:11

I've never heard of that before. The nursery where I worked certainly supported it and was happy to give EBM.

Not sure I would want my child's feeding to be compromised like that.

primigravida · 01/08/2008 09:11

My son's nursery accepts expressed milk and also has several mothers pop in during the day to breast-feed their babies. She'll be able to keep the morning, evening and night feeds if she wants to keep on breast-feeding then.

cmotdibbler · 01/08/2008 09:11

Both nurseries that my DS has been to were fine with it, and all the ones we looked round too.

I don't think it would fit into the Ofsted thing of meeting the needs of the child though ?

She could still feed mornings and evenings if she wanted to -lots of babies won't take a bottle in the day if bf and just feed morning and evening.

My personal theory was that if a nursery wasn't totally supportive of my parenting choices (like EBM and cloth nappies), then it def wasn't the right place for DS. His nurseries have both been totally flexible about food, sleep, routines etc which was what we wanted.

GillianLovesMarmite · 01/08/2008 09:12

My nursery is more than happy to give ds breastmilk and will use washables. All they have to do is put the milk into a bottle (and sometimes we do this is advance) - so it is actually easier than formula!

GillianLovesMarmite · 01/08/2008 09:14

Can she check whether they would do it if she prepared the bottles so they just had to warm them and give it to them - if they are freaked/concerned by the fact it is 'human' milk.
Otherwise is there no other choice for nursery... I would not want to be forced to wean on the basis that the nursery didn't want to do something - it should be her choice - not theirs...

ilovemydog · 01/08/2008 09:17

let me guess - the nursery refusing to take expressed milk is citing 'health and safety' reasons?

tiggerlovestobounce · 01/08/2008 09:23

I think that my nursery might have had a problem with breast milk - all the literature just spoke about formula, didnt mention breastmilk at all.
So neither did I, I just spoke about "bottled milk". I got the feeling that the nursery nurses knew what I meant though, but were hoping I didnt say anything they would have to react to, IYSWIM.

Littlefish · 01/08/2008 09:24

I agree with cmotdibbler. It would be worth speaking to Ofsted, or the local early years team.

VictorianSqualor · 01/08/2008 09:42

That's terrible.
DS's nursery were quite happy to have EBM, it's just milk in a bottle fgs, and much safer to be ready made than formula which is supposed to be made up at every feed.

Do they perhaps not have facilities to store it and make up formula as they go along? (though how would they store food for weaned babies?)

VictorianSqualor · 01/08/2008 09:49

Call Ofsted helpline on 08456 404040 to find out if this is even allowed, if it's down to storage she may be able to get away with using a cool bag.
(personally, I'd do some kind of fund raising to buy a fridge for storage and make a big song and dance, if the nursery complies it's good publicity for them as well)

WilfSell · 01/08/2008 10:09

They must have storage facilities: all kinds of kids will need to bring in milk or food for whatever reason.

This makes me very cross: if they're stubborn I would definitely bring it up with the nursery manager first, taking in a leaflet about storing BM and pointing out how its often easier to store than formula... And while you're at it, ask if they're complying with the DoH guidelines for making up and storing formula (heh heh heh) cos I bet they're not and if they're not storing milk they must be making it up and I bet thyey're not using ready made cartons...

Jackstini · 01/08/2008 10:15

My nursery was more than happy to give ebm and to let me pop in and feed her if I was working from home.
tbh I would not have put her in a nursery that woudn't - just something I would no way compromise on.

ellideb · 01/08/2008 10:19

Why on earth wil they not accept EBM? That is soooo backwards its terrible. What reason do they give? I can't imagine any justifiable one.

moondog · 01/08/2008 10:21

Eh Brocc?? That's bonkers? How old is baby btw? She could still b/feed at other times in any case.

EffiePerine · 01/08/2008 10:23

When is she going back to work? DS stopped having EBM from about 10 months and was fine.

The nursery thing sounds very odd - do they realise breastmilk goes off less easily than formula? A coolbag would be fine if they don't have a fridge.

caribee · 01/08/2008 10:24

If a nursery says they cannot accept a bf baby, I would put my concerns in writing to the nursery manager and cco to ofsted. It is a form discrimination.

I think ofsted, in the first instance, will respond that you have to try to resolve directly with the manager first, but copying the letter to ofsted would put a rocket up the nursery backsides that their policy is ill thought out and downright illegal.

My dd had ebm at her nursery till she was 18 mos old. They had never had such a request before but happily accommodated.

VictorianSqualor · 01/08/2008 10:27

formula guidelines
Definitely get it questioned like Wilfsell says.

Blu · 01/08/2008 10:28

DS's nursery were happy to accept ebm. I took in bottls each morning, and they kpt some in the freezer.
But in the end, i ended up just feeding morning and evening. And kept that up for about a year, so, yes, she can feed morning and evening.

Original poster

BroccoliSpears · 01/08/2008 10:35

Well having read these responses, I wonder if my cousin has perhaps got her wires crossed somewhere. It is a big central London nursery with a long waiting list (it's a Montessori I think), so the chances of them never having been challenged on this previously is a bit remote.

Will question her more throroughly and tell her to check again with the nursery before we start firing off letters to Ofsted!

Thanks all. Will let you know.

OP posts:

caribee · 01/08/2008 10:41

good idea to question her again, even to see if there is a possibility that it is a way of justifying a socially acceptable reason to family why she is weaning. your last sentence in your OP brought that thought into my mind.

Original poster

BroccoliSpears · 01/08/2008 10:44

V good point caribee. I was taking her at face value when she said she was sad to give up and wanted to carry on to over a year 'like I did' (her words). Will tread carefully because if she does want to stop but just doesn't want to admit it I don't want to go stomping in in my size 9s!

OP posts:

Notanexcitingname · 01/08/2008 11:11

I'd have thought it would count as discrimination not to accept a child with EBM, the same as it is reusable nappies.

Mine certainly didn't bat an eylid. But agree with caribee's point.

Jackstini · 04/08/2008 08:44

How did you get on with your cousin Broc?
(my nursery is Montesorri btw and they were fine - even encouraging)

snickersnack · 04/08/2008 09:05

I had exactly this problem when dd started nursery at 10 months. Nursery said they wouldn't accept EBM in a labelled bottle for "health and safety reasons" - apparently they were worried it would be given to the wrong child. . I did point out to them there was less chance of that than someone being given the wrong formula (which they supplied and made up for each child), but they wouldn't budge. I stupidly gave in - I was starting work the following week, she was having the occasional bottle of formula anyway and couldn't face a fight - plus I was happy with every other aspect of the place. But now I wish I'd stood my ground, because I'm sure that Ofsted would have had something to say about it.

It was a large London Montessori nursery. I wonder if it's the same one...

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