Bottles...

[Unregistered]

Hello,

I need some advice from care givers with experience. I am a stay at home mom of 2, a pre-schooler and toddler. I started caring for my neighbors 4 month old son about 3 weeks ago and from the beginning we have been having bottle issues. He is a breastfed baby and mother pumps while at work. He comes to me 3 days a week and stays home with dad 2 days a week. The mother insists that Avent bottles work fine for dad and to only feed the baby at 9 am, 12 noon and 3 pm. She is suppose to pick him up by 5:30 but often doesn't get here to pick him up until 5:45-6pm. He is very hungry by about 5, but she has asked me not feed him a 4th bottle so that she can nurse him when she picks him up. I don't know what to do. He struggles with the Avent bottles, and I have tried the Playtex nursers and he does great with them but Mom doesn't want me to use any other bottle. I'd like to talk to her about getting here on time to pick him up, but I did tell her early on I am very flexible if she is running late. What should I do?

[Unregistered]

Children need schudules, so i can understand, kinda. I would just explain to her that you can't withhold food from a child if they are hungry. He may be trying to change his schudule or he may just be growing and with that their demand grows. And if the child is doing better with another bottle, then use it when he is in your care. Let mom struggle with the advent bottles. I had a infant come to me not "bottle broke" and yes the parent expected me to break him ( the worst time in my life ever, and will never do again) here i was feeding this child with a med. dropper cause he refused to take any bottle, until we tryed the Dr. Browns Bottles and ta da the child loved it. So it may be that the advent nipples are just to stiff or long cause i've had some infant gag on them but my son used them with no problem.

[Unregistered]

Hello,

I need some advice from care givers with experience. I am a stay at home mom of 2, a pre-schooler and toddler. I started caring for my neighbors 4 month old son about 3 weeks ago and from the beginning we have been having bottle issues. He is a breastfed baby and mother pumps while at work. He comes to me 3 days a week and stays home with dad 2 days a week. The mother insists that Avent bottles work fine for dad and to only feed the baby at 9 am, 12 noon and 3 pm. She is suppose to pick him up by 5:30 but often doesn't get here to pick him up until 5:45-6pm. He is very hungry by about 5, but she has asked me not feed him a 4th bottle so that she can nurse him when she picks him up. I don't know what to do. He struggles with the Avent bottles, and I have tried the Playtex nursers and he does great with them but Mom doesn't want me to use any other bottle. I'd like to talk to her about getting here on time to pick him up, but I did tell her early on I am very flexible if she is running late. What should I do?

Hi,
I can see that she wants/needs to feed the baby, but she is cutting it close and what if she is really late? I would try her bottles a little longer (I have had babies that fed good at home, but needed a longer time to learn to latch on and feed well). Try feeding baby 15-30 minutes later (9:15-9:30 - 12:15-12:30 - 3:15-3:30), at least 15 minutes. To make sure she isn't late, charge a late fee (tell her, to leave breast milk with you, just in case she is extra late). Tell her, you don't want to be with a screaming baby and no milk, the milk can be kept in your freezer (in a breastmilk bag, put inside a ziplock bag). No one takes their baby to daycare with out enough milk, even if only supplying it just in case. Remember, you don't work for her, make sure you do what you feel is right or gomfortable.

Good luck.

[MissLisa]

Schedules are great BUT

I too agree that a schedule is great.. however... did you discuss the idea of just asking her if she can agree to move the schedule for feeding times by even just 30 minutes. I would let her know how hungry he is...and if he is crying? MOST parents don't want to allow their kids to cry...

As far as the bottles... As a rule we do what the parents request... HOWEVER... I can't say that this is right... but .. if he feeds better on another bottle for you and helps him to eat better and keeps him happy till mom gets there... I hate to say it... use what you want... and don't tell her...

[Arron]

Children need schudules, so i can understand, kinda. I would just explain to her that you can't withhold food from a child if they are hungry. He may be trying to change his schudule or he may just be growing and with that their demand grows. And if the child is doing better with another bottle, then use it when he is in your care. Let mom struggle with the advent bottles. I had a infant come to me not "bottle broke" and yes the parent expected me to break him ( the worst time in my life ever, and will never do again) here i was feeding this child with a med. dropper cause he refused to take any bottle, until we tryed the Dr. Browns Bottles and ta da the child loved it. So it may be that the advent nipples are just to stiff or long cause i've had some infant gag on them but my son used them with no problem.

Thanks for providing the tips on usage of bottles.Keep going.

[tymaboy]

I personally have bottles here in my home that I use. I have a supply of regular, playtex & advent bottles. For all these bottles I also have different types of nipple for them cuz babies prefer different nipples. If a parent brings a bottle with them I will pour the milk into one of my bottles & rinse it theirs out & put with their belonging that go home. Children will eat different for different people.

Remind the mother how babies grow at a fast rate & there are times when they want more milk then others. There are times when I have a baby only take 4ozs then the same baby later the same day will take 8ozs. Maybe when you talk to her let see how she will feel about giving 2ozs at 5:00 if she is dead set on breast feeding her baby when she gets home, that way the couple ozs will hopefully tied the baby over until then.

The being late part you should nip that in the butt now before it becomes a major issue. Remind her of what your agreed upon time is & if you have late fees start charging her if you do not you should add it to your policy.