Help - Baby starts full time soon but still breast fed

[JMcG]

Hi,

I have a really lovely family that have just signed a contract for full time care for their 7 month old. He's been for two 2 hour settling in sessions. Both were fine apart from he got upset for the last 20mins and both times I think it was because he was hungry.

He is breast fed at the moment and is slowly being introduced to solids. He's taken a couple of ounces of formula from a cup with a spout before but that's it. I should be having him for his first full day in a month's time but I feel like we should get a sound plan in place for both settling in and getting him to drink from a bottle/ cup or whatever mum decides. Anyone have any suggestions on best way to go about this. I know it's mainly up to mum to decide but we do communicate well and she has been asking for some guidance.

I was thinking that maybe she hold try to get him to take one feed a dy from a bottle etc maybe get dad to do this so he isn't expecting breast from mum? The full day's care isn't for a month but if we're going to up the hours for settling in I'll have to offer him feeds before then.

Any advice would be great! :) xx

[Cammie Doodle]

I had a breast fed baby who came with bags of expressed milk that I put in a bottle for him. So Mum could do that, but only if like you suggested she gets little one used to taking milk from other people ie Dad or yourself from either bottle or cup. So If it was me i would be suggesting that to her, to use the next month to ease baby into this "new" way of getting his milk

[sharonmanc]

If baby takes a bottle then it should be ok as mum can express, and can give you the milk in bottles of bags to make up later. If liek my little one who would not take a bottle, or cup, I reverse cycled, which meant she breastfed at night instead of the day, and was offered solids during the day, worked perfectly. so she woudl have a feed before i took her to my childminder, expressed milk was mixed with food, liek weetabx for breakfast, and she was given home cooked dinners during the day, once i picked her up and got her home she fed again, so no need to express ( thank goodness - i hated it)

May be worth looking up and if mum is having problems can suggest it, may look good for working with parents ect :thumbsup:

[blue bear]

I had a lo who was breast fed and not had a bottle or cup, bless her she screamed the place down that first visit. We tried alsorts and found a combination of Brest flo bottle ( got two teats so collapse like a breast) and me singing and dancing with her in my arms to feed her worked best.

[The Juggler]

it won't hurt a baby not to have a milk feed during the day if they are having a good feed morning and night. The biggest issue will be baby getting used to not having the comfort of the breastfeeding.

It is hard, I have been working with a new mindee going through this. Sleeping can be hard if they are used to nodding off whilst breastfeeding and my LO hardly eats anything and waits until she sees mum later. We've tried a cup of milk. We're getting there but its not been easy for the baby - bless her. HOwever, I totally support mum in wanting to continue BF her.:)

[JMcG]

Thanks for you suggestions! I totally want to support mum and think its fab that she's still breast feeding. I think she's just quite confused herself on the best way to go forward introducing a bottle/cup. I suppose from my point of view I just want to make sure whatever we do over the next month prepares her little one as best we can. He is still nursed to sleep and isn't taking solids well but I suppose things can change quite quickly and he might also be fine taking milk feeds and solids from someone that isn't mum!

I think I'll suggest her husband introducing a milk feed once a day without her in the room. Then maybe also ask her to let me start doing a milk and solid feed while he's here on settling in sessions so we can see how it goes. Hopefully things will start to become easier once we start trying.

Fingers crossed everyone!

[Toothfairy]

I have a LO who was breast fed when he first came to me.
Mum sent breast milk in to use during the day and she also gave him a quick feed when she got to me at pick up too.

[crazyhazy]

My eldest was a bit older when I returned to work, 11months but was still breastfed and refused all attempts with a bottle, cup etc, in the few weeks before I cut back to only breastfeeding her in the morning and at bedtime which she seemed ok with and just introduced snacks in place of the mid morning and afternoon breastfeeds, just little things like rice cakes. She was a bit older though so not sure how easy it will be to reduce a 7m olds feeds in a short space of time. You might find though that mindee will take a bottle fine from you after a few goes cos there is no other option available, whereas both mine always refused if I was anywhere nearby! Interestingly my eldest still doesn;t drink milk at 5y, she'll only have it on cereal, so I do wonder if she just liked the comfort of breastfeeding as opposed to loving the milk, unlike my youngest who we should probably buy a cow for!

[sarah707]

I cared for a baby recently who was totally breast fed until parents had an emergency situation and had to use a childminder.

Mum expressed and gave me a bottle... I asked if dad could try to give baby some milk during the week so she would be used to the bottle.

When she was here (only for a few hours) she took maybe 1 - 2 oz of mum's milk, chewed the teat quite a lot and was otherwise very contented.

Mum gave her a good feed before she arrived and as soon as she collected.

I would have been very concerned if baby had only taken a couple of oz over a day but this was only a few hours.

I think working with parents to at least get baby used to a teat and bottle / cup is the way to go unless baby is older and you can supplement with a little food.

I hope it all goes well for you :D

[mandy moo]

it won't hurt a baby not to have a milk feed during the day if they are having a good feed morning and night. The biggest issue will be baby getting used to not having the comfort of the breastfeeding.

It is hard, I have been working with a new mindee going through this. Sleeping can be hard if they are used to nodding off whilst breastfeeding and my LO hardly eats anything and waits until she sees mum later. We've tried a cup of milk. We're getting there but its not been easy for the baby - bless her. HOwever, I totally support mum in wanting to continue BF her.:)

The 1st child I ever minded was 7mths when he started with me, he never had a milk feed during the day at all, in the 2yrs he was with me.
As Juggler said above, he apparently had a good feed in the morning and in the evening and didnt seem to worry him or his mum, but it did me :o

[The Juggler]

The 1st child I ever minded was 7mths when he started with me, he never had a milk feed during the day at all, in the 2yrs he was with me.
As Juggler said above, he apparently had a good feed in the morning and in the evening and didnt seem to worry him or his mum, but it did me :o

sorry I should clarify that is what I meant, a baby of this age (i.e. 7 months plus) :blush: under 6 months and being weaned of course they need to have several feeds a day.

[Babycat]

Oh gosh reading this and nearly crying! Sorry OP not much help. I couldnt get my boy now nearly 16 months to take a cup or bottle- also have just now stopped day feeds so we are down to morning and night for the last 4 days- this is the reason I couldnt dream of going back to work so your support OP will be great for the parent. My boy now has a cup but after so long trying to express and going back to trying it just was sore long and painful- perhaps way forward is to ask mum about expressing then have the two solutions flip feeding or expressed- Also I would suggest mum keep a muslin or something close to her and then you keep it or LO while mum is away for a last resort if things get loud lol x