New Mom Wants To Nurse At My House?

[hgonzalez]

I have a new baby starting in one month. The Mom emailed me and wants to know if she can nurse her at my house at pickup everyday.

I see it as being a disaster, as my other kids are going to be really worked up and will act up and it is a super busy time for me. I just can't see it working.

I also worry that the baby will associate pickup time with nursing and we are going to create a big mess with that which will difficult to undo.

Have any of you had this request before? How do you handle it?

[Leigh]

I wouldn't go for that. Coming by in the daytime to nurse, I might allow (depending on the time), but at pickup time, I would absolutely say no. I'd offer to TRY to time the baby's bottles so that the baby would be ready to nurse when they got home.

[Blackcat31]

I wouldn't go for that. Coming by in the daytime to nurse, I might allow (depending on the time), but at pickup time, I would absolutely say no. I'd offer to TRY to time the baby's bottles so that the baby would be ready to nurse when they got home.

I agree. Pick up time is an odd time unless mom is driving more than 2 hours home.

During the day is understandable (and to each his own) but why not just pick up your baby and go home to nurse. Kind of a busy time to want to nurse...

[Unregistered]

Why can she just straight home and nurse on her own time and at her own place? My answer would be a big no, and I would just inform her when baby had last feeding.By the way, that would also be considered overtime in my book and would require an extra fee x5.Youre right that would cause a big disaster for you, no doubt about it. She wants special.

[blandino]

Right now I have one DCM who occasionally nurses at pick-ups. However the infant room is out of sight from most of the big kids and parents coming in and out so she gets privacy, and doesn't complicate my day. If her baby is due or a bottle right around pick-up, I will text her and tell her that she can skip pumping and come and nurse.

But I can totally see how pick-up, could be a disaster. I would explain the reasons, as you did in your post, and then you could tell her that you will work with her on giving bottles so that baby is ready at the time they should arrive home after pick-up. So whatever time that is, count backwards by the baby's TYPICAL bottle intervals, and figure out what time the baby needs to eat in the morning so that they are on schedule to nurse around the time they arrive home. Obviously, make it clear that there are times where baby will not adhere to a perfect bottle interval, but that you will attempt to help - provided she gives the baby the first bottle of the day at the time that it needs to be.

[Meeko]

I have a new baby starting in one month. The Mom emailed me and wants to know if she can nurse her at my house at pickup everyday.

I see it as being a disaster, as my other kids are going to be really worked up and will act up and it is a super busy time for me. I just can't see it working.

I also worry that the baby will associate pickup time with nursing and we are going to create a big mess with that which will difficult to undo.

Have any of you had this request before? How do you handle it?

At pick up time? NO WAY. NO HOW. Once a mom gets there at the end of the day, it is time to go home and nurse on HER time. I want to close up shop and enjoy my family.

I would make sure baby is fed and not hungry at pick up. And mom needs to wait until she gets home, pumps at work or whatever......but not expect to hang out here at the busiest time of the day and maybe going over into MY time. Geesh....people really think we have no life at all don't they?

[Cradle2crayons]

At pick up time? NO WAY. NO HOW. Once a mom gets there at the end of the day, it is time to go home and nurse on HER time. I want to close up shop and enjoy my family.

I would make sure baby is fed and not hungry at pick up. And mom needs to wait until she gets home, pumps at work or whatever......but not expect to hang out here at the busiest time of the day and maybe going over into MY time. Geesh....people really think we have no life at all don't they?

[Childminder]

Not a problem for me and I think its great.

Anytime it has been done here the mom is usually just topping off or appeasing the child till she can get the baby home and have a relaxed, non-stressful time to get their evening at home off to a smooth start.

I have a comfy quiet spot in my living room that they just spend 10 mins or so and call goodbye when they leave while the rest of us are going about our routine.

[hgonzalez]

I don't really have a private space for that, and I don't know that my other kids' parents really want to open their kids up to questions about breastfeeding and all. It really isn't my place to expose them to that, even though I would not have had an issue with my own children seeing a nursing mom.

[Brooksie]

I wouldn't go for that. Coming by in the daytime to nurse, I might allow (depending on the time), but at pickup time, I would absolutely say no. I'd offer to TRY to time the baby's bottles so that the baby would be ready to nurse when they got home.

This. I encourage nursing moms to stop by SCHEDULED during the day if they want to, but would not allow that at pick up. Way too crazy time of the day and if the other feedings are timed, it is totally possible that she can wait until she gets home. I don't have any one that lives more than 20 minutes away from me, so its not an unreasonable amount of time.

[GabsKids]

Not a problem for me and I think its great.

Anytime it has been done here the mom is usually just topping off or appeasing the child till she can get the baby home and have a relaxed, non-stressful time to get their evening at home off to a smooth start.

I have a comfy quiet spot in my living room that they just spend 10 mins or so and call goodbye when they leave while the rest of us are going about our routine.

I do see both sides. It can be a very hectic time. But I have had babies in the past who nursed and didn't always take a bottle very well throughout the day. And a dcm who is a nurse that didn't always have time to pump as much as she wanted. So I agree, instead of a rough start to their evening, by having a hungry, crying baby and an uncomfortable mom, I would offer a private area to nurse. We would just go about what we normally do. It didn't cause a disruption with the other kiddos at all. Normally in the afternoon, we go outside so we would just head out and dcm would leave when she was finished.

But if it something you truly feel uncomfortable with and you think it will cause a disruption, I would tell her it may not work for you, and give her the reasons why.

[nothingwithoutjoy]

I think nursing is a natural way for moms and babies to reconnect after a long separation. Nearly all my nursing moms have nursed at pick-up. They sit on the couch right in the midst of things. Usually just a quick reconnection, not a full nursing session. I was just very clear that I close at 4:30, and that knowing they're going to want to nurse, they should arrive with plenty of time to do so and be out the door on time. Sometimes, I'd even end up with a nursing mom reading books to other kids as she nursed. As for privacy, I think it's a great lesson for the other kids.

[Karena]

If there is an adult sized couch or chair in the dc room, and if she wears a nursing collar, and if she is out the door by closing, why not? Just go about your routine and don't worry about her or try to make special arrangements, unless there isn't seating or she wants to leave late.

[Josiegirl]

I would probably allow it as long as she's still out the door by closing time. If it were to become a problem then I would have a talk with her to see if something else could be done.

[MotherNature]

I think nursing is a natural way for moms and babies to reconnect after a long separation. Nearly all my nursing moms have nursed at pick-up. They sit on the couch right in the midst of things. Usually just a quick reconnection, not a full nursing session. I was just very clear that I close at 4:30, and that knowing they're going to want to nurse, they should arrive with plenty of time to do so and be out the door on time. Sometimes, I'd even end up with a nursing mom reading books to other kids as she nursed. As for privacy, I think it's a great lesson for the other kids.

This exactly. I could see how it might get chaotic if you have a lot of kids, but eventually everyone would get used to it, something I think more people need to do.