thread: Does Koby *need* formula when at daycare??

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1
    Registered User

    May 2008
    Melbourne
    1,838

    DS1 was 8 months when he started fdc and he did have formula in a cup during the day. But he seemed to be ok with it, it kind of sounds like your DS doesn't like it very much

    DS2 was 11 months when he started at fdc and in the beginning i was giving him some EBM but was unable to keep up with having enough with storage. After asking a few questions myself i just include a little more dairy in the days he's in care. Cheese, yoghurt etc...

    I too feed about 6:30am and then again at 4:30pm when i pick him up, we do this two days a week.

    Also with the possibility of him wanting to drop a feed mentioned, it just made me think that formula is said to be more filling than bm so maybe he's not needing it as often as he would if it was a bf because it's filling him up longer. Just an idea

    HTH

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Apr 2007
    Inner South East suburbs Melbourne
    1,213

    My little Tombliboo has been having expressed breastmilk in a bottle twice a day when he goes to daycare two days a week... only he doesn't drink it, most of the time, and I know now I'm pretty much just pumping to make sure my supply doesn't dip. He started this when he was eight months old, and he's now ten months old. He also doesn't eat a whole heck of a lot at dc.

    They will get the calories they need by feeding more at night. Look at it this way - if your little one was sleeping through, they'd go ten hours without a feed. Our bf babies who won't drink at daycare just do their long stretch then, and have more frequent feeds overnight. (Well, Tom certainly does! LOL)

    I personally wouldn't push the formula during the day, to make sure that he is going for the breastfeeds for calories and helping maintain your supply.

  3. #3
    Registered User

    May 2008
    Melbourne
    1,838

    I suppose the other thing to consider is that he's happy whilst in care? Does he seem to be upset from missing a feed? If he's happy with the food you send and barely touching the bottles maybe there's no need to stress.

    I totally understand the 'nutrional needs' mindset though because i posted a similar thread when i was returning to work. I didn't get a definate answer on that side of things but i know my little man is happy and makes up for his feeds when he needs to. His daytime routine is fairly set but night varies and if he wakes i feed him.

    He'll tell you what he wants i'm sure

  4. #4
    Life Subscriber

    Jul 2006
    Brisbane
    6,683

    Chrissy, certainly he would be fine at day care 3 days a week without formula. He will be getting plenty of milk from you the rest of the time, and water and food will meet his needs at day care. Expressed milk is another option if you would prefer him to have a milk drink at day care and the formula isn't agreeing with him, but it's not necessary.

    There is no benefit to adding farex to food either, so don't worry about Koby refusing the farex, just get them to leave it out. They probably do it in the belief that it will boost his iron but the iron in farex is not easily absorbed by the body so he will be getting less than 5% of the iron in there. Meat is the best source of iron for babies and in fact is now recommended as the most important early food for babies (it is the best source of both iron and zinc, both of which are important for brain development). I didn't see meat in the list of foods Koby is having - does he have meat yet? If not, you might like to introduce it now. Most babies love things like bolognaise, and you can also give steak to chew/suck on, safe bones (eg smooth and not splintery), or scrape meat into a pulp.

    I hope this helps you with your decision.