Childminder and breastfeeding- what to do?

[Laino]

My dd is just past 9 months old and is feeding 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm and again at 11pm. Suits me fine but now have returned to work p/time and expressing. Childminder says dd isn't setting well and it's the bf - so 'can I express and feed her from a cup' instead? Well how am I sposed to do that. On my own with mobile child, express and then sit her on my knee to feed - what a stupid roundabout way of doing things. What if we are out? Will reduce feeding in own time as I think she is dropping the 11am feed anyway but I feel presured by the childminder. Don't think she has a great deal of experience of bf, even tho she has 3 kids. Comes across as nervous of bf though she is a good childminder. Help!! It;s starting to upset me.

Please don't express. Babies learn that different people provide comfort for them in different ways. DH obviously never breastfed DS, but had no problem with him being unsettled when I returned to work part-time - nor did my mum, who also looked after him.

It's because she's in an unfamiliar situation with someone she doesn't know as well IMO. I think once she begins to know the childminder, she will be more settled. If you go down the route of expressing for when you're with her, you'll create more work and have a baby who is possibly even more unsettled - she'll be at a childminder and also not have the comfort of feeding from somebody she knows feeds her, iyswim.

It is not up to your childminder how you feed your baby - please don't let her bully you. It sounds like she is nervous of bfeeding as you suspect.

Hmmm
My ds's started at nursery at 4 and 6 months, having been (almost) exclusively bf until then (only ds2 had had a little spoon feeding, neither would tolerate a bottle)
I know I was really lucky with staff at nursery who persuaded ds's to have expressed breastmilk from a bottle.
Friend found that her dd wouldn't take to a bottle at all. Her dd settled well at a nursery, breast fed for england before and after nursery (beware that she might need night feeds if you can't get enough milk down her during the day...)and had lots of calcium/yog etc while at nursery.
Stick to your guns if you can, you're right about reducing feeding in your own time,in my opinion.

I agree. I've never had to use childcare for work as I've always worked from home. I was lucky that ds would take a bottle of breast milk from time to time (i.e. night feed when exhausted etc) but I would never ever have done that myself. When with me it was 'from me' ifkwim. I'm a childminder now and if I had an unsettled child, I would ask what the parents want/how they feel, I'd NEVER tell the parent what to do!

You say she's a good childminder so maybe it is just her being nervous with bf babies? Just do what YOU want and tell your childminder what you expect. It's our job to make sure baby AND parents are happy!

please don;t be pressured like this - at least give it a little more time. I have bf my dd and have had not had any problems with her being unsettled with anyone else - dh, grandparents, babysitters on occasion. the bf is a red herring - dd will adjust and so will childminder!

I also expressed from 7-10 months when I went back to work & gave the child minder bottles of ebm to give to dd. She wasn't that bad to settle (fine after the first couple of weeks). What I would check with cm though is she just offering the bottle or trying to get the lot down her.

For the first month dd would only take an oz or so and even after 3 months would only take 3 or 4. Just ask her to offer the milk and make sure she gets water as well (my dd was taking water from a sippy cup by then).

I also gave the cm a couple of feeds for the freezer to be used in case she was hungry. These were never actually used but just provided an emergency supply if needed.

Also, have you asked work about somewhere to express, my work though very accomodating, waited for me to suggest that the first aid room wasn't used very often and would be an ideal place for me to use.

Thanks Debbie but I have a great place to express. No probs on the work front. I'm breastfeeding coz I like it and I'm lazy and really don't want to switch to formula full time. She's never had a bottle. Is it correct that babies should have a pint of milk a day till 12 months -if I drop a feed or 2 should I be replacing with formula? How rubbish do I sound?

Just keep doing what you are doing. Your childminder should have a range of skills to settle a baby - and 9 months old is too old for people to be blaming breastfeeding for anything.

If you tell her you have taken her advice - then she may perceive your dd as more settled - which will lead to her being more settled.

I know it's not a great advertisement for breastfeeding lying about it - but if you continue to push and your cm continues to be nervous it's your dd that gets the stress.

I lied by omission to bob's paed, and his treatment was more focussed when he wasn't blathering on about bfing so we got more value for money!

Laino

I never worried too much about dd not getting very much in the day of ebm, because she made up for it in the evening !!!!

Also don't forget the pint a day, also includes yoghurts, cheese etc and if she is also getting 3 full feeds from you a day as well as the ebm that should make up the pint easily.