Preparing for daycare, so many questions... Need help mamas!

[@llli*davidsmomma]

I'm going to attempt to make a very long story short...
Today was my DS's 4 month dr visit (he is 4 months, 11 days). Dr said everything is great, very responsive, good weight gain, etc. but I am concerned because he is only at the 12th % for weight (he's always been a peanut, born 6 lbs 15 oz, consisten weight gain, but each visit the percentile decreases slightly- 25th, 20th, 12th...). Dr said noto worry and suggested starting solids, but I was planning on exclusively bfing until 6 months- now not so sure cause would like to see him go up on the weight charts. What to do? Has 6-8 soaking wet diapers daily and feed on demand/ doesn't act hungry. Sleeps long at night though- 8 hrs w/o feeding- dr said that is good and not to wake him. Just concerned because when I go back to work, I will have less opportunities to nurse during the week days. Which leads to my next concern. I've been on kellymom and looked at the formulas for preparing bottles of breast milk. According to that sight, I should prepare 3-4 oz bottles with one or two 2 oz "extras" and have dc feed on demand. Dr. said he should be eating 4-6 oz bottles every 3-4 hrs, which to me seems like a lot, but with his small size I want to make sure he has more than enough- on the other hand I don't want him to eat so much when he's away from me that he won't nurse enough in the evenings- scared I'll either lose my supply and/ or not be able to pump enough for him and have to end up supplementing, which I Do NOT want to do- would rather start solids and have dc feed that during the day to offset amount of milk needed. Suggestions? Advice? I want to do what is best for my LO and our BFing relationship and don't want to do anything that will sabatoged my goal of 1 yr min bfing. Last question- I would like to be able to feed him2x in the am before I leave for work, but with his current sleeping habits, that would mean I' have to wake him2x before leaving. I have to leave at 6:45, I was thinking wake and feed him at like 4:39, put him back down while I get ready and then feed again at 6:15 til I'm out the door and of course adjust as needed if/ when his night wakings and sleep habits change w/ age and me being gone during day. Thoughts and suggestions? Soooo overwhelmed- wish I could just stay home, but since that's not an option, want to do what's best for my little guys and I need help- clueless first time mom. Thank you mamas!

[@llli*pizanite]

Yes to having the DCP feed on demand, and the rule of thumb is 1 to 1.5 oz per hour you are away. The maximum my LO would eat in one sitting was 4 oz and even that was rare. I would make 3-4 oz bottles with maybe one 2 oz extra and see how it goes. Make sure you are using the low flow nipples so he doesn't get used to the faster flow of a bottle.

As far as starting solids, if your goal is EBF for 6 months, you shouldn't feel pressured to start solids. My DD wasn't even interested in solids at that point and didn't have more than 1-2 tablespoons until she was closer to 7 months.

I think it's OK to wake and nurse him, especially if it means you will have to pump less. I never had to do this as mine woke frequently at night. I think it's a good plan to nurse him right before you leave so you don't have to pump as soon as you get to work. How often do you plan to pump at work and do you need help with a pumping schedule? I would nurse at 7 a.m., pump at 9:30, 12:30, and 3:30, and then nurse at 6 and throughout the evening on demand.

The transition to going back to work is so overwhelming, but you can do it! Give yourself a few weeks to get back into the groove and you'll get into a good rhythm with all of it. Good luck mama!

[@llli*worknpump]

You can do it! I think your doc's advice on the bottles is a little high - I would start with 3oz bottles and take it from there. If DCP says he is hungry, make them 3.5 ounces, then eventually up to
4oz if necessary.

I would see how he does with "dreamfeeding" (waking to feed - but my DD never actually "wakes" when I dreamfeed) - if it works well, then definately feed him before you leave.

So just try things out. Babies this age change so much anyways - as soon as you get it figured out, he'll change his schedule up on you and you'll have to make adjustments! But it always works out and you'll be just fine.

[@llli*davidsmomma]

Thanks mamas! Few more questions:
Should I be concerned w/ weight gain? Is this trend normal?

Also, plan to pump at least 2 x at work, 3 if possible, no more than every 3 hrs. I was thinking if he ate at 6:15, then I'd pump at 9 & 12, and nurse from 3:15 on (work at a school and will be home w/ him most days by 3:15-3:30. If i get the chance I'd sneak in an extra at like 2 or if I had to stay late the at 2:30 when the students leave. But time is an issue, as I'm sure it is for most moms so- tips for maximizing time for pumping? I plan on having 2 pumping kits to cut down on cleaning but if need to pump 3x will need to wash- anyone have any tricks of the trade to make this easier and less time consuming? The room that is reserved for pumping doesn't have a sink and the only sinks available are bathroom (gross) and e teachers lounge, which lacks privacy.

[@llli*mer.mer]

I like the idea of 3 oz bottles and move up half an oz as needed. But no more than 4 oz. The doc was off about that.

After battling OS I have found that I need to pump the same number of bottles that are given. So if DS has 3 bottles I need to pump 3 times even if that means that is an hour before I see him. You'll just have to try things out and see what works best for you. I remember freaking out about all this stuff but like my mom said take a deep breath it will work out. If things are working then just try something different before giving up. You can do it.

Some people will use the wipes made for the pumps to just clean up inbetween pumps and then really clean once at home. Others refrigerate the parts in between pumping sessions. I think a wet paper towel and very little soap with dry towel to follow up would be fine for the time period you are thinking of. Remember BM can stay room temp for 8hrs and still be fed sooooo..... I don't see why the pumping parts wouldn't last a couple with a wipe.

[@llli*pizanite]

I think you are probably fine with the schedule you described, as long as you do get to nurse around 3. If you stay later I think you would want to add a session in. You are totally fine without rinsing the pump parts. And if you have two sets ready to go I would just do a quick wipe and use one of the sets again. I threw all that in a ziploc bag. Milk went in the little Medela cooler. So I never had the need for a fridge or a sink. To maximize output do breast compressions while pumping, stay hydrated and try to relax.

It didn't sound like your doc was concerned about your LO's weight gain, right? Low in the charts is not off the charts. I think all is well unless your mama instinct says otherwise.

[@llli*djs.mom]

Time is an issue, as I'm sure it is for most moms so- tips for maximizing time for pumping? I plan on having 2 pumping kits to cut down on cleaning but if need to pump 3x will need to wash- anyone have any tricks of the trade to make this easier and less time consuming? The room that is reserved for pumping doesn't have a sink and the only sinks available are bathroom (gross) and e teachers lounge, which lacks privacy.

My advice for saving time time is don't do it. DO not waste any time cleaning your pump during the day. Put the whole kit and caboodle in the fridge and you don't even need to clean it at the end of the day. But even if you just store it somewhere cool and dry breastmilk can be out for 6-8 hours at room temperature so leaving some in your pump between sessioins is FINE. Bam. I just saved you a half an hour a day.

[@llli*blue2000]

My advice for saving time time is don't do it. DO not waste any time cleaning your pump during the day. Put the whole kit and caboodle in the fridge and you don't even need to clean it at the end of the day. But even if you just store it somewhere cool and dry breastmilk can be out for 6-8 hours at room temperature so leaving some in your pump between sessioins is FINE. Bam. I just saved you a half an hour a day.

I agree. Don't wash pump parts during the day. I would put them in the cooler with the little ice pack that I stored milk in and pulled them out whenever I needed to pump. I'd also just dump them in the dishwasher at night, and skip some of the more complex sterilization regimens that I had read about. Even if they just get put back in your pump bag, unless the pump bag is in direct sunlight it should be fine.

[@llli*tallmadre]

I don't want him to eat so much when he's away from me that he won't nurse enough in the evenings- scared I'll either lose my supply and/ or not be able to pump enough for him and have to end up supplementing, which I Do NOT want to do

This is just my experience, but my daughter has been in daycare for three months and she still nurses in the evenings/nights and in the morning when she wakes up and we've had no issues with supply. Obviously that's only my personal experience, but wanted to offer some reassurance. I was very nervous about how returning to work would affect my milk supply and nursing and none of the bad things I envisioned happening have come to pass. It takes some getting used to, but it has all worked out.

As for how much to take, you might ask your daycare provider how much to expect. Obviously, doctors can be a great resource, but the daycare people are the ones who live it day in and day out and they should have lots of experience as to how much a LO will realistically take.

tips for maximizing time for pumping? I plan on having 2 pumping kits to cut down on cleaning but if need to pump 3x will need to wash- anyone have any tricks of the trade to make this easier and less time consuming? The room that is reserved for pumping doesn't have a sink and the only sinks available are bathroom (gross) and e teachers lounge, which lacks privacy.

I think having two sets of parts is a great idea. That saves me the time of assembling the valves/membranes, which isn't much but it helps. I also don't wash the parts during the day. If I need to pump a third time, I just use the Medela wipes (in my area, I can only buy them at Target) to clean them out. I think the papertowel trick would work fine, too.

Also, my daycare likes to get her milk all in one big bottle so they can just pour out servings as needed. I pump into the regular medela bottles and when I'm done, just pour that into a 20 oz rubbermaid-style bottle for the next day of daycare. If I fill up a bottle while pumping, but I still have more milk coming in, I just quickly unscrew it, pour into the big bottle and then reattach it to the pump. In the event that I pump more milk than needed, I put a lid on the bottle I pumped into and transfer it to the freezer when I get home. That way I only have to worry about bringing two bottles with me to work, which means I have less to keep track of and clean in the evenings and her milk for the next day is already ready.

[@llli*mer.mer]

As for how much to take, you might ask your daycare provider how much to expect. Obviously, doctors can be a great resource, but the daycare people are the ones who live it day in and day out and they should have lots of experience as to how much a LO will realistically take.

In theory this should work BUT not all DCPs will know the first thing about BFing and volume. My DCP is great but it took a lot of convincing on my part that my child was getting enough milk even though formula fed babies were taking 6 or more oz. Usually what happens is in the early months the DCP is fine with just a few oz because that is also what FF babies are suppose to have but once they get past the age where FF go up in volume the DCP thinks BFed infants' volume should go up too. And this isn't true. Just a word of warning so if they start asking for more and more and more you know you need to talk to them.