This Sounds So Stupid...

[littlemissmuffet]

Silver-make sure you are legally allowed to take an infant that young. We are not allowed to take any child younger then 6 weeks.

Where I live, if you are legally unlicensed you can take a baby of any age... 3 hours old, if you really wanted to. I know Silver is legally unlicensed - but perhaps there might still be a rule?

[SunshineMama]

Wow you are a good friend! I would be terrified to take someone else's week old baby. I have never bottle fed an infant so young, but I would imagine to make sure you have the slow flow nipples, and maybe a few different types of bottles/nipples incase she wont take one kind or another.

If I were you, too, I would keep that baby with me at all times. I would be terrified about SIDS, which can be more common with formula fed babies. I have read that pacifiers can help prevent Sids by keeping the child focused on the ****ing motion, even when sleeping. Can you get a Moby wrap or something too, so you can hold the baby while tending to the other kids?

I feel sad for the mom who has to go back to work. Maybe when the baby is born she will change her mind. As a woman, I know I wasnt even physically recovered from birth until at least a week and a half.

[SunshineMama]

Oh, also, keep the baby far away from the other kids and make them use hand sanitizer all day long. If an infant gets a fever or ill at all before 7 weeks old, the emergency room doctors (at least at Children's hospital) have a protocol to do a spinal tap!

I know this bc my dd got sick at exactly 7 weeks old and they told me that had she come a day earlier they would have had to do the spinal. It was bad enough that they stuck her over 10 times with needles trying to draw blood but couldnt get a good vein bc she was so small.

[Meyou]

Silver, I was unable to breastfeed one of my children because I needed postpartum surgery so we bottle fed from day 1. The hospital recommended 2 oz every 2-3 hours and increase as demand required. To be honest I formula fed on demand. I just heated it up 1 oz or 2 oz at a time to minimize waste and threw away what my dd didn't eat in a sitting.

The baby will still offer the same hunger signs as a BF newborn, rooting, fussy etc so you'll be able to tell. They tend to eat slowly and you might need to try a couple of nipples to find one that has a flow that baby can handle. I burped after each oz for the first bit.

[Sunchimes]

The comment about monitoring her diapers and jaundice, etc, is true--it is a big responsibility. However, someone has to do it. If not Silver, than the mom. If this is her first baby, she won't have anymore idea what to look for than Silver-maybe less. Babies don't come with manuals and things usually turn out right. Just because you gave birth doesn't mean you automatically know about newborn feeding, meconium diapers, and jaundice

It's going to be a hard few weeks for Silver, but it would be a hard few weeks for the mom. As others said, keep a close eye on things and you will do just fine. Maybe a dose of exhaustion at the end of the day.

[Childminder]

Bless Your Heart Silver for being so good hearted and doing this for your friend. You will be fine, just use common sense and relax. You are only as far away from help and the mother as the phone and if it gets too difficult you can voice your concerns.

[Lyss]

Hopefully mom is able to take more time off (or chooses to - not sure what the situation is)!! That's a big responsibility and kudos for you taking it on!

The only advice I can offer is to make sure the bottle nipples are the slow flow or designed for newborn and young infants. Otherwise it may come out to fast and cause choking/spitting up issues.

Good luck!

[crazydaycarelady]

I bet once the baby is born she will decide to take time off. A lot of people have pre-conceived ideas BEFORE they have their baby and it all changes once Precious arrives and they fall hopelessly, deeply, forever in love!

[cheerfuldom]

The comment about monitoring her diapers and jaundice, etc, is true--it is a big responsibility. However, someone has to do it. If not Silver, than the mom. If this is her first baby, she won't have anymore idea what to look for than Silver-maybe less. Babies don't come with manuals and things usually turn out right. Just because you gave birth doesn't mean you automatically know about newborn feeding, meconium diapers, and jaundice

It's going to be a hard few weeks for Silver, but it would be a hard few weeks for the mom. As others said, keep a close eye on things and you will do just fine. Maybe a dose of exhaustion at the end of the day.

oh I agree with you. silver probably knows a lot more about babies than this first time mom. still, daycares have a HUGE liability that a regular parent does not. infant will be exposed to other kids from day one, not have as much bonding time with mom even if it is part time, and other factors. Taking care of another persons infant is NOT the same as taking care of your own. I dont know what issues this mom is having that is making her have to return to work but I know personally, I would never take a child younger than one month. It does not feel right to me and i just would not be a part of it period. I realize the topic has gotten a little side tracked but bringing it back to the original question......since I would not take a young infant like this, I would never encounter the feeding issue to begin with.

[SilverSabre25]

O. M. G. ::

Okay; I started to multi-quote and then realized how long the thread had gotten so I gave up. I'll try and clarify a few things. Let me know if I miss something you wanted to know

1) no, bottle feeding is absolutely NOT stupid! The QuESTION was stupid! I have two kids and have *never* bottle fed an infant that young. Breastfeeding them is different...so I thought bottlefeeding might be the same...teaching them, helping them figure out how, etc.

2)I'm not passing any judgement on the mom for expecting to go right back to work; I don't know the details of her financial situation but she did say that they can't pay bills if she doesn't go right back to work. I do half-expect her to have a C-Section in which case she will NOT be going back next week no matter what she thinks.

3)after we talked a couple months ago about things, and her main care option and her concerns about it, I decided that this was something I was willing to take on for the good of the baby and to help a friend.

4) It's only three days a week until mid-December, then it will be two days a week. It's not like it's full-time

5) thanks for the reminder of being super vigilant during sleep, etc. Not that I wouldn't be, but yeah--that's a great point in one so itty bitty.

6) I'll double check the nipples, thanks.

7) Thank you for the advice to have both mom and me keep track of things and pass it back and forth.

8) I *do* know about newborns, I know a LOT about newborns. I've had two and I read nonstop about things. I also have 8 nieces and nephews, 6 of whom are very close to me. I just don't know about *bottle-feeding* newborns.

[youretooloud]

I've done this twice. The baby was less than a week old both times. One baby was dropped off on his way home from the hospital so his mom could work for a few hours. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

Anyway... I personally really like the Tomee tippee bottles. But, the seem to flow faster than I would like.

I also suggest a really good ring sling.

*and I was also slightly amused by this thread...some people spend too much time on the icky parenting sites where too many things are judged harshly*

[lovemykidstoo]

O. M. G. ::

Okay; I started to multi-quote and then realized how long the thread had gotten so I gave up. I'll try and clarify a few things. Let me know if I miss something you wanted to know

1) no, bottle feeding is absolutely NOT stupid! The QuESTION was stupid! I have two kids and have *never* bottle fed an infant that young. Breastfeeding them is different...so I thought bottlefeeding might be the same...teaching them, helping them figure out how, etc.

2)I'm not passing any judgement on the mom for expecting to go right back to work; I don't know the details of her financial situation but she did say that they can't pay bills if she doesn't go right back to work. I do half-expect her to have a C-Section in which case she will NOT be going back next week no matter what she thinks.

3)after we talked a couple months ago about things, and her main care option and her concerns about it, I decided that this was something I was willing to take on for the good of the baby and to help a friend.

4) It's only three days a week until mid-December, then it will be two days a week. It's not like it's full-time

5) thanks for the reminder of being super vigilant during sleep, etc. Not that I wouldn't be, but yeah--that's a great point in one so itty bitty.

6) I'll double check the nipples, thanks.

7) Thank you for the advice to have both mom and me keep track of things and pass it back and forth.

8) I *do* know about newborns, I know a LOT about newborns. I've had two and I read nonstop about things. I also have 8 nieces and nephews, 6 of whom are very close to me. I just don't know about *bottle-feeding* newborns.

I think that you're a good friend. You will do fine. I do worry about the mom though. Doesn't her job require some sort of a release from the doctor and will the doctor give her one? That just seems so hard on mom. I understand the bills, but running herself into the ground with a newborn that isn't going to be sleeping all night just seems so hard. I feel badly for her. Excuse me for asking, but was this a planned baby? I mean if money is so tight that she can't take week off, I just feel so bad for her. I know that sometimes if you wait to be able to 100% afford a baby, then you may never have one, but man going back to work so early sends shivers down my spine. She's lucky to have you

[Country Kids]

I think that you're a good friend. You will do fine. I do worry about the mom though. Doesn't her job require some sort of a release from the doctor and will the doctor give her one? That just seems so hard on mom. I understand the bills, but running herself into the ground with a newborn that isn't going to be sleeping all night just seems so hard. I feel badly for her. Excuse me for asking, but was this a planned baby? I mean if money is so tight that she can't take week off, I just feel so bad for her. I know that sometimes if you wait to be able to 100% afford a baby, then you may never have one, but man going back to work so early sends shivers down my spine. She's lucky to have you

I guess it would be no different then when daycare providers go right back. I went back when my ds was a week old.

Never really recovered though and its been 11 years!

[SilverSabre25]

I think that you're a good friend. You will do fine. I do worry about the mom though. Doesn't her job require some sort of a release from the doctor and will the doctor give her one? That just seems so hard on mom. I understand the bills, but running herself into the ground with a newborn that isn't going to be sleeping all night just seems so hard. I feel badly for her. Excuse me for asking, but was this a planned baby? I mean if money is so tight that she can't take week off, I just feel so bad for her. I know that sometimes if you wait to be able to 100% afford a baby, then you may never have one, but man going back to work so early sends shivers down my spine. She's lucky to have you

Thanks I'm not sure what she does but I think it's a small business that she works for so I don't know. I do not know if it was planned...I think baby was *hoped* for but mom has a lot of issues herself and was told for most of her life that she would never conceive and if she did she would never carry to term. So...I suspect that babe is something of a surprise, to all involved.

[lovemykidstoo]

I guess it would be no different then when daycare providers go right back. I went back when my ds was a week old.

Never really recovered though and its been 11 years!

I cannot imagine going back to daycare after 1 week either. I had 2 C-sections and there was no way I could have done that. The first one was an emergency and the 2nd was planned (C-sections I mean)