Navigating bottle feeding at child care
If you’ve found child care arrangements that work for you logistically and financially, congrats! That takes serious leg work.
When it comes to navigating discussions around how to feed your baby, there are a few tips and considerations that can help.
Ask and observe
Learn how your provider approaches bottle feeding. If at all possible, observe a feeding session, and ask about the details that matter most to you. This might include:
- Do they have experience giving breast milk?
- What do they do with any unused milk still in the bottle?
- How do they do bottle feedings?
- If you’re sending both breast milk and formula, how do they want you to prepare them?
- Do they allow glass bottles?
- How do they warm bottles, if they do at all, and to what temperature?
It’s also common for babies who’ve been mostly breastfeeding on demand to have an adjustment period as they learn to take bottles on a schedule. “If there are eight infants in a classroom with two providers, those providers can’t always accommodate feeding on demand,” says Dr. Leanne Redman, a biology professor at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. “Your baby may only take 1 ounce sometimes—and then may want to cluster feed at home.”
This can result in wasting some of your breast milk, because health regulations require child care providers to toss any unused milk after a bottle feed. “You might not do this at home, but they have to do this even if your baby only drinks 1 out of 4 ounces,” says Dr. Redman. “Because it was so frustrating to me, and day care was running out of milk, I sent in a reserve bottle of formula. It took the pressure off because I knew my baby got enough to drink, and I continued to pump regularly to keep up my supply.”
Share what you know
Next, share your own experience and preferences to see if they’re willing to incorporate your own approach. This can include your baby’s current typical feeding schedule, whether your baby has shown any signs of bottle refusal, and what cues your baby exhibits for both hunger and fullness.
While some child care providers have the experience, time, and/or outlook to adopt your approach or at least incorporate a few of your preferences, others are going to nod and listen, and then go about things the way they already do.
On the one hand, your provider likely has considerable experience giving bottles, and this is an opportunity for you to learn. On the other hand, some providers may have limited experience giving breast milk. In that case, you can consider sharing the following:
- Bottle feeding at a slower pace can help prevent overfeeding and obesity. This method, called paced feeding, involves gently bending and tugging a slow-flow nipple to better mimic the natural lulls between letdowns.
- Breastfed babies don’t actually need to increase their milk volume over time. They consistently need 3 to 4 ounces per feed between 1 and 6 months of age, and that volume actually begins to drop slightly right around when solids are introduced.
- Babies metabolize breast milk differently than formula. As babies grow, their caloric needs actually go down because they metabolize breast milk more efficiently over time. This explains how babies continue to get bigger even when their daily breast milk intake stays the same.
- Babies require lower volumes of breast milk than formula: Providers who are accustomed to giving formula might be looking for 6 ounces per bottle, when 3 to 4 is fine. Explain what your baby takes at home; if your provider insists that you need to bring a certain volume, try giving your baby that amount, and see how much they take before showing signs of satiety.
- Breast milk doesn’t have to be warmed. Let your provider know if your baby is already used to cold or room temperature milk. It can save them time, and avoids chemical leaching when heating plastic bottles, as well as potentially dangerous hot spots.
You and your provider are a team. Once you’ve landed on the approach that works for both of you, learn what gear you’ll need to provide to optimize bottle feeding according to your plan.
Also think through the most efficient way to get your pumped breast milk to your baby’s bottle. Fewer transfers will help with sanitation, higher nutrient content (since fat can cling to the sides of bags and bottles), longer shelf life, and your own time management.
Adjusting your own approach to your child care provider’s can take time, patience, and sometimes a willingness to compromise, but you should always aim to make it work in whatever way feels right for you.
Additional resources
RELATED READING
Navigating solids at child care
Here’s how to work with your child care provider on giving your baby solids.
When to introduce your baby to solids
Introducing your baby to solid foods can be exciting—and confusing. Our experts weigh in on when the time is right.
Getting started with solids
Your baby has a world of flavors and textures to explore. We’re here to guide you through the introduction process.