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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

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Original poster

Getting ready for nursery- dropping milk feeds

13 replies

redbird79 · 30/08/2011 22:02

I am after some advice and reassurance! DC1 starts nursery in early November when he will have just turned one. I am going back to work three days a week. As well as everything else to worry about I need to go from him being BF on demand, albeit on top of four smallish meals a day, to surviving without me! I reckon we have naturally dropped some milk feeds but I've not really kept track. He's ok with water from a beaker but not keen on formula from it, and is generally being v clingy recently. Any advice on getting him onto milk from a source other than me, and getting more solids down him too? We have two months (sob)

OP posts:

kellieb7 · 31/08/2011 15:00

Hi, I am no expert but will be in the same situation in December (DD will also be nearly 1 then). I have spoken to the Nursery manager several times about my concerns as my DD despite eating well still wants to nurse a lot in the day, the Nursery manager has reassured me that this is just because I am available and when I am not DD will make do with food/water/milk from a cup and then feed like mad when I am home. I have also read many threads on here about the same thing so I am hopefull we will all be fine

Erac · 31/08/2011 20:23

Hi. I too am in a similar situation so watching with interest.

I start working 3 days a week in November. DC1 will be 9 months. DC1 has just started doing 3 mornings a week at nursery in preparation for this and so far it's as kellieb7's nursery manager describes. She eats more solids and drinks more water at nursery and has little interest in the bottle of expressed milk I provide (she's just this month cracked how to use the bottle after weeks of diligently trying). And then she BFs like mad when she gets home.

I've also increased our eating frequency to match the nursery, so we're doing 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. This has increased her solids intake and also resulted in DC naturally dropping more feeds and also taking less when she does feed.

KittyBump · 01/09/2011 21:38

Can I join in too? I'm returning to work in November, DD will be 11 months. She completely refuses to be spoon fed and so doesn't eat a huge amount. I'm still feeding her to sleep for her naps. How the hell is she going to adapt to being with a childminder 3 days a week! I'm so stressed about this it's spoiling these last months of maternity leave :(
Kellie - your nursery sounds reassuring, I'm in denial so haven't discussed this with my CM yet!

toomuchteaching · 04/09/2011 14:53

I too will be watching with interest... I'm still feeding to sleep even for naps here as well. Sounds like November will be an interesting month! DD doesn't take a bottle at all and still thinks cups are just another thing to chew. Hmm...

KittyBump · 04/09/2011 19:52

Hi toomuch, sounds like we have the same DD! Any ideas? My DD does go to sleep in the buggy if she is tired enough so I think i'llhave to start walking her to sleep for each nap instead of feeding. This doesn't sound too bad but her naps act as a much needed break for me ATM!

toomuchteaching · 07/09/2011 15:48

I tend now to do a feed to sleep nap in the morning (cot) and a walk to sleep nap in the afternoon (buggy)... but neither is sustainable for nursery is it!?

I'm working hard on trying to get her to take a cup for water with her meals, but then I hope eventually she'll take EBM from it if she really needs to. But it's a bit hit and miss, as she's never had a bottle she doesn't really know what to do with the plastic thing in her mouth so just chews. I've taken the valve out and now she gets a shock when the water comes out, but I think she's getting used to it.

sophielouise · 08/09/2011 21:16

Hello all, I had to post as I've just been through my first week back at work and had the same worries.. although my DD is younger than yours - 6.5 months and was EBF. Anyway - wanted to reassure you about a few things. I 'prepared' my boobs and DD by dropping one feed a month ago - I wasn't really sure of my feeding schedule as it was 'on demand' but decided not to feed her after the 11am feed until 5pm. This was usually her smallest feed (around 3pm) anyway. Then I didn't drop the 11am feed until my first day back at work. I had some soreness and needed to express a little in the loo but it was ok. DD won't drink from a bottle, or take formula but she will have water. The HV said even at 6 months a BF first thing in the morning and then from 5pm onwards was absolutely fine, even without any other milk except in her food.

Anyway, my other major concern like yours was that I fed her to sleep for all naps (unless out in buggy etc). So to prepare for this I changed to the EASY routine from baby whisperer (Eat, activity, sleep). It didn't take too long - started with the morning nap as that was easiest. First day I fed her, then played until she was yawning (at this point I used to feed her again to sleep) but instead, I swaddled her and put her down in cot awake. I did have to do a little bit of CC for this but it really wasn't too bad and worked quickly. After just a couple of days she can nap without feeding, and with a bit of tummy rubbing and a few grumbles. I think it's what they call 'self settling' which I used to read on here and be really at other people's LOs.

Sorry for the essay!! I just wanted to share my experience of dropping daytime breastfeeds. BTW the nursery have got her to nap every day so far. Her second day she had 4 naps! Anyway - good luck. I'm sure with your older LOs things will be a bit easier on the feeding front anyway.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 11/09/2011 09:48

Please don't worry too much redbird, LO isn't going to starve. Both of mine refused all milk except bm until a while after they were weaned from me.

If you can try to get DC to bf at regular times, if possible, and then drop a feed a week until you are happy with it. At this age feedng on waking up is a good idea, before afternoon nap and bedtime.

If LO wants it more often try distraction, offering a snack or cuddle.

With DC1 I did the don't offer, don't refuse and he just seemed to go down to 2 feeds a day by 12 months all by himself.

The nursery will offer loads of snacks, food and milk and LO will be fine. Will probably just make up with an uberfeed when LO sees you .

toomuchteaching · 11/09/2011 19:20

This has given me hope it will just be ok without me doing too much... thank you!

cookielove · 11/09/2011 19:26

I work in a private day nursery, in the baby room, and we get lots of different babies with all different needs, the first few weeks of settling in we follow the babies routines, and really respond to the needs of the babies.

Your babies will be fine, i know it seems scary now but the nursery workers in your nursery will be very experienced and will help you and your baby start this new adventure in the best possible way.

tallulah · 11/09/2011 19:29

My DD started nursery 3 full days a week at 10 months. Like the others here she was feeding all day. I did express to start with but she really wasn't taking the EBM at nursery so I gave that up fairly quickly. I would sit and BF her at nursery when we arrived, then hand her over. She drank water at nursery and BF at home. The days I didn't work we just carried on as before. I didn't bother dropping feeds.

Same with napping. At home we fed to sleep. At nursery she slept in a cot. I've no idea how they got her to sleep but sleep she did.

The only thing is they make up for it at night...

In our case she would often have a 3 hour sleep at nursery so was happy to stay up until I went to bed in the evenings. I know a lot of people are desperate for their baby to sleep 7-7 so they can have their evenings, but for me I'd been away from her all day so I was happy to have her awake from 4ish when I picked her up from nursery until my bedtime. I felt less guilty about putting her in daycare knowing we still had 6 hours together after work.

RitaMorgan · 11/09/2011 19:34

I wouldn't worry too much - my ds started nursery at 7 months and is not 13 months. He had breastfeeds with me, and milk in a cup/water/food at nursery. At home I often fed him to sleep, at nursery they gave him his dummy and cuddled him. It was no problem, and I didn't have to do anything to prepare really.

Original poster

redbird79 · 11/09/2011 20:51

Thanks for all the advice ladies. Have had a mini-meltdown this weekend as I feel we are going backwards on a lot of things- sleep is rubbish, weaning is a bit rubbish, plus he now has tantrums when he's tired which no matter how often they happen put my teeth on edge. Thankfully a bit of a cry, a determination to try and get a bit more of a routine going (although I hate that word) and an understanding family seem to have helped for now at least!

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