EBM and long day care...How?

Hello!

I have not had a huge need for feeding V ebm before as I am on matl for a year and am happy to use just boobs but I would like to still give her ebm when I start introducing her to long day care (1 day a week from 6 months). The day care say its all good and Im happy with them but Im not sure how much to give her or how often as Im doing demand feeding... How will the day care go about feeding her and how can I make sure I give them enough? V is not on a strict routine at all...Do I need to ater this or will the day care learn by trial and error? How can I make it easier on V?

Is there a calculation I need to use to find out how much milk per feed?

Thanks...

There is a calculation which I think is on the ABA website. I always stored it in 50ml lots and took it in like that with the empty bottles. Then they'd give DD the EBM in 50ml lots. As I wasn't there, she wouldn't drink as much as she normally would (which is quite common).

Nat, often babies drink less at day care and make up for it when they are home with mum again, so don't worry too much about leaving enough. By 6 months you will have also started to introduce solids, and Violet will be able to have water as well.

From 1 month to 6 months of age, babies generally drink about 750ml of breastmilk in 24 hours. This will not be evenly divided between feeds, however in order to work out how much baby will take on average, divide 750 by the number of feeds in 24 hours. From 6 months, the amount will gradually reduce as solids are taken up by the baby.

All the best with it hun.

50mL lots is a great idea. I work in LDC, and if I knew you were trialling to get the amount right, this would suit quite well. So if she just inhales one lot, I'd give another straight away and note it down. Conversely, if it were a 200mL bottle and she didn't have any, I'd feel awful for having to chuck it away and wasting your liquid gold.

If you can work it out this way with your LDC, I think you'll figure it out eventually.

I started out (when DS was about 4mths old) with 60ml lots as I freeze milk in 30ml lots (when I have excess EBM) and soon after CC let me know that it was probably a little bit too little for him; sometimes he would go through a bottle and a half for a feed so I upped it to a 90ml bottle which is where he is now (at nearly 8mths) and has stayed at that volume since about 5mths.
He currently takes 4-5 bottles to CC and drinks 2-3 most days, some days 4 bottles, usually get to take one home, which ends up being his first bottle the next day - DH is a SAHD 2 days and we have CC 3 days a week.

ETA - they (CC people) will soon work out when your DD is hungry and feed accordingly. My DS has no feeding schedule (demand fed mostly - set times for solids at CC and is coping beautifully with that) and CC has done well with feeding DS - he definitely hasn't lost any weight :D If your DD gives you some cues about when she's hungry let CC know so they can look out for these to make it a little easier on them (particularly at the start)

Thanks Ladies,

Jodi, yes the 50ml idea is great! I do a similar thing here now I am trying to get V to take a bottle with 20 ml "practice" bottles which sometimes she takes and others only booby is good enough lol.

MantaRay thats good to know that she may adjust her eating around daycare too I never thought of that, that she might hold out for the real thing lol

snugglybean its nice to hear the pov from the carer too, thanks :)

Leckert, thats also good to know she will be a bit more predictable as she goes..I take it you collect the ebm through the week for the daycare days? Thank God I only am doing one day at first lol or Id have to get an electric pump!

I was so embarrassed when discussing with the carers today I could not ask these questions as I was starting to cry thinking of leaving my baby anywhere with anyone.

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Leckert, thats also good to know she will be a bit more predictable as she goes..I take it you collect the ebm through the week for the daycare days? Thank God I only am doing one day at first lol or Id have to get an electric pump!

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I applaud the exclusive expressers, I express every school day (should be doing it at least 3 times a day there, lately it's only been 1-2 times :doh:) so I've got fresh EBM for the following day (Friday's milk lasts til Mon in the fridge). I'm already over expressing and I only do it 5 days a week for the last 4 months. (at least I've got a bit of stock in the freezer so when I don't get enough that day I can still send EBM to CC; just have to make sure they use that milk first)