Bottles vs Food

[Core12]

Today, I had a parent ask me if I was feeding her baby milk before food or afterwards. I told her I fed her baby a bottle on demand and fed him food at lunch. He is 10 months old. Each day she brings 5 bottles of 4 oz breast milk and he finishes all of the milk and barely eats.
The mother said her old daycare fed him almost all of his food and fed him 3 bottles ...which is what she wants bc she is having trouble pumping.
She also said this in front of another parent.

[happymom]

How long is he in your care for? I agree with her, that is a lot of breastmilk for one day unless you have him for like 12+ hours.

I would have a hard time producing that amount of milk as well.

[midaycare]

I generally serve one meal (lunch) for infants, starting at 6-8 months. Most take food at 6 months. And I buy the pouches because I really don't have time for anything else. So one pouch.

Around 10-12 months, babies eat 1.5 - 2 pouches with me. I start a breakfast one, whatever time that may be. It makes (for me) the switch to actual food easier.

[laundrymom]

Here they start eating at about 6mo w the big kids and by about 11 mo they get all
Milk in a sippee w meals and are off bottles by 12 at most.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

Today, I had a parent ask me if I was feeding her baby milk before food or afterwards. I told her I fed her baby a bottle on demand and fed him food at lunch. He is 10 months old. Each day she brings 5 bottles of 4 oz breast milk and he finishes all of the milk and barely eats.
The mother said her old daycare fed him almost all of his food and fed him 3 bottles ...which is what she wants bc she is having trouble pumping.
She also said this in front of another parent.

Until they are eating solids as their main source of nutrition (12+ months), i feed bottle first and food is for fun. how long of a day is he with you? i would expect him to be eating 3-4 bottles a day, depending, but more ounces in each bottle if he has a good appetite, versis 5 smaller bottles.

[LysesKids]

Today, I had a parent ask me if I was feeding her baby milk before food or afterwards. I told her I fed her baby a bottle on demand and fed him food at lunch. He is 10 months old. Each day she brings 5 bottles of 4 oz breast milk and he finishes all of the milk and barely eats.
The mother said her old daycare fed him almost all of his food and fed him 3 bottles ...which is what she wants bc she is having trouble pumping.
She also said this in front of another parent.

I do infants only & that's a lot of milk for 10 months... I feed first then give a bottle; and yes, they get snacks too... by 12 months they eat at set meal & snack times and they drink from sippies here. It's expected that by a year old they start eating on a regular schedule... I have a child here now ( 11 months) that would starve if he had to depend on moms pumping ( she can't keep up); he eats everything in site . I also never do pouch food

[Play Care]

Are you on the Food Program?
At 10 months he would be eating both breakfast and lunch here as well as a snack. Actual food.
Per food program regs, at both meals he would be offered a 6 oz bottle with each meal, as well as a 4 oz bottle with snack. I feed the bottle after they eat the food.
I will not do pouches and by 10 months he would be getting mainly appropriately sized/textured fingers foods with some purees (if necessary)
I've never bought the "food before 1 is just for fun" line and due to having a couple of infants in my care did some more research, which confirmed my thoughts.

As for mom mentioning it in front of another parent, that happens. No big deal. You didn't do anything "wrong." If you don't feel comfortable with it you can come up with some lines to use when parents try to "conference" you at bad times. "Susie, I want to discuss this further when I have a spare moment. Can you call me at 6:00? Thanks!"

[Blackcat31]

http://www.foodprogramwi.org/pdfs/meal_pattern_requirements.pdf

[Blackcat31]

[mommyneedsadayoff]

Are you on the Food Program?
At 10 months he would be eating both breakfast and lunch here as well as a snack. Actual food.
Per food program regs, at both meals he would be offered a 6 oz bottle with each meal, as well as a 4 oz bottle with snack. I feed the bottle after they eat the food.
I will not do pouches and by 10 months he would be getting mainly appropriately sized/textured fingers foods with some purees (if necessary)
I've never bought the "food before 1 is just for fun" line and due to having a couple of infants in my care did some more research, which confirmed my thoughts.

As for mom mentioning it in front of another parent, that happens. No big deal. You didn't do anything "wrong." If you don't feel comfortable with it you can come up with some lines to use when parents try to "conference" you at bad times. "Susie, I want to discuss this further when I have a spare moment. Can you call me at 6:00? Thanks!"

Every baby is different, but until they are getting the majority of their nutrition from the food, I give bottle first. There is no magic age limit, but I use 12 months as a guide for parents so they know when I will begin to transition away from a bottle. Some are 11 months and eating food from the table and drink from a sippy cup, some are closer to 14 months. But I still use "food is for fun before one" because many parents want to start solids at 4-6 months and they want their baby eating a lot and skimping on the bottle to save money or breastmilk and I won't play that game. By 10 months, they are eating with the group at meal times, but if they are showing little interest in food, I make sure they are still getting the needed calories from the bottle.

Not sure of the hours this baby is in care, but it sounds like he is probably getting a bottle every 2-2.5 hours, which is too short in between feeds at this age, imo. Rather than giving that 2nd and 4th bottle, maybe you could offer food for those meals instead with a top off of milk if needed.

[jenboo]

Bottles every 3-4 hrs and meals at all of our meal times. They eat what the other kids are eating

[Play Care]

Every baby is different, but until they are getting the majority of their nutrition from the food, I give bottle first. There is no magic age limit, but I use 12 months as a guide for parents so they know when I will begin to transition away from a bottle. Some are 11 months and eating food from the table and drink from a sippy cup, some are closer to 14 months. But I still use "food is for fun before one" because many parents want to start solids at 4-6 months and they want their baby eating a lot and skimping on the bottle to save money or breastmilk and I won't play that game. By 10 months, they are eating with the group at meal times, but if they are showing little interest in food, I make sure they are still getting the needed calories from the bottle.

I have the opposite issue. I have parents who think BM is all they really need until 12 months. Then they are upset because they can't keep up with a 10 months old caloric needs. Well, that's because he needs some actual food. I'm also referring to the studies showing the "magic window" age of 5-8 months for introducing solids being helpful with decreasing food allergies.

[cassiesue]

I have 2 infants as well. One is 6-months-old and the other is 8-months-old. Neither of their parents have an interest in feeding their babies any food yet.

However, I have let them know that I do feed them here. Both babies eat whatever food I puree down for them. I also let them eat the baby rice cake things and other finger foods. I feed first, then bottle. Both babies are teething now. I freeze fruit for them and put in the baby net things for them to gum on also. I will admit to using the organic pouches when I am very busy. I just send the parent a list of what foods the baby has been introduced to.

Apparently my babies drink far more formula than average. The 8-month-old drinks 3 8 ounces bottles in the 10-11 hours she is here and would drink more if I let her. The 6-month-old drinks about 3 6 ounce bottles in the 7 hours she is here.

[happymom]

Definitely begin offering this baby table foods at meal and snack times along with the other children.

The "food before 1 is just for fun" saying comes from the idea that children will begin eating solids on their own timeline. There is no need to stress if a 6 or 8 month old doesn't like/or isn't eating much.

What blackcat posted is a great guideline, and it makes the transition from bottle to table foods easy. I would absolutely be listening to this mother's concerns and change the way you are feeding her child.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

I have the opposite issue. I have parents who think BM is all they really need until 12 months. Then they are upset because they can't keep up with a 10 months old caloric needs. Well, that's because he needs some actual food. I'm also referring to the studies showing the "magic window" age of 5-8 months for introducing solids being helpful with decreasing food allergies.

Lol isnt it funny how different parents can be?! Half my policies are bc there is always that one parent who goes to the extreme! Most are great, but there is always one it seems