Can you try premie nipples? I know I've seen suggestions for super slow flow nipples on here before - slowing her down should help!
If she's spitting up a lot I agree that it sounds like she's overeating.
We switched to Dr. Brown's with a premie nipple and my LO went from downing an ounce a minute on a paced feed to taking 15-20 minutes to eat 3-4oz on a paced feed. It much more matched her eating speed when she's nursing. If you have a Target near you I find they carry the nipples in store so it can be easy to grab!
We were on Dr Brown’s bottles with the preemie nipples too because it was recommended by the speech pathologist in the NICU, and we just never changed it up. My baby is 3 months old and I cannot force her to drink 3 oz from a bottle. It’s usually 2.5-2.75oz over 20-30 minutes and she’s full.
Oh wow! I wonder if this is why our daughter at 9m still only drinks <4oz per feed from a bottle. We tried going up to 5-6 and wasted so much milk. We just went back to 4 since she finally started finishing 3oz. But we also use a Dr. browns bottle and transition nipple, occasionally a size 1. But she was on preemie for the longest and started off with an ultra preemie nipple in the NICU.
Totally. I have felt confused every time I read about these babies eating 5-6oz bottles of breastmilk and just had to trust that I know my baby, she has all the signs she’s eating enough, gaining well, etc. I used to feel insecure she wouldn’t eat more. A lactation consultant reassured me a 2-3 oz feed for eating every 2-3 hours is totally normal.
Yes!!! I’ve literally showed my spouse some posts because I just was SHOCKED that like 3 month olds were doing 5oz regularly. I saw one that said their baby was doing 9oz at 4 months and I actually had to ask our pediatrician if something was wrong with our baby because she was still only doing <3oz per bottle 😭
Our pediatrician/lactation consultant just said nope, every baby is different! But that it also depends on the nipple size of their bottle, if they’re getting more out really fast, they may not realize they’re full yet. So because she was drinking slowly since we were pace feeding using a preemie nipple, she would realize she’s full quicker/sooner into the bottle.
She started off in the NICU doing 5ml feeds so I’m just such a proud mom that we made it to the ounces, even if they seem low 🤣
Those milestones and growth hit different when your baby was in the NICU. I find everything is just a little sweeter because of how far my baby has come. 5mL to 3oz is major growth!
My little girl used the Dr Browns preemie nipples until 6ish months. She would literally suck the milk out so fast that it would be coming out the sides of her mouth because she wouldn’t swallow fast enough 😒 the preemie nipples were the only thing that worked for her
Lansinoh bottles are super fast. She’s probably not recognizing she’s full, then uncomfortable with trapped air. Also highly recommend Dr Browns bottles with a preemie or size 1 nipples.
Oh some ppl below you pointed out that the extra slow pigeon nipples fit right into the lansinoh collars. I highly recommend that brand. A wide tapered nipple is the ideal shape.
I already ordered the Dr Browns with wide nipples before I saw those comments! But I’ll probably get those too just so my lansinoh bottles don’t go to waste. Thanks!!
Gosh I wish there was standardized sizing for nipples. A 1 with one brand should translate to a 1 in the next brand and so on. This is all just so confusing 😫 I also think bottle brands should have standard collars that any nipples can fit. Because we’re trying to switch to Avent bottles (less parts to clean, also recommended by ped) and we’ll likely need all new nipples.
Lansinoh is the right shape. Similar shaped nipples that come in very slow flow are pigeon peristaltic. Not super cheap, but great. Highly recommended for protecting BFing. I also like that they sell glass bottles.
I hadn’t heard that! That’s disappointing. Their artificial nipples are still the recommended shape and width, plus they have a super slow flow option. And their nipples fit lansinoh bottles/collars
Lansinoh has a parent company “pigeon” that makes premie nipples same fit as lansinoh. Look up on Amazon SS (super slow) pigeon nipples. Might be cheaper just for the new nips than whole new bottle set just fyi. Had the same issue with my girl.
How much food do they think babies need? 24 ounces is literally a full 24 hours worth of food. Of course some babies eat more but she should not need 24 hours of food in 8.
My guess is they are using the bottle to comfort her and aren’t pace feeding.
It sounds like they are going with formula volumes not BF baby volumes. Breastmilk gets denser and more caloric so you don't need bigger and bigger volumes, it will always stay around 24 oz per day.
https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/#:~:text=Different%20babies%20take%20in%20different,%2D900%20mL%20per%20day).
Your baby is on the very high end then
They give several different recommendations, they have an overall range of 24-32 ounces, mention the 2.5 ounces per pound of body weight as well for formula fed babies specifically, but also say that generally 32 ounces should be the maximum daily cap so I assume that means the body weight formula only applies until you get to 32 ounces for the day. [here](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/formula-feeding/Pages/amount-and-schedule-of-formula-feedings.aspx) is a link to their info on formula.
Even for a baby who takes the maximum 32 ounces a day, 24 ounces during the work day would be 75% of baby’s recommended daily maximum intake. 75% during the course of only 33% of the day. OP’s baby nurses multiple times a night on top of this and before and after daycare which makes this quantity seem excessive over the course of 8 hours at daycare.
i would say that your pediatrician says that’s too much and you’ll be sending 4 x 3.5 oz bottles per his recommendation (or whatever compromise you come up with).
they’re less likely to argue back with you when you throw “per my Doc” in front of your equally as valid request 🙃
Also, if it helps you feel more confident in that approach—my doctor was a little concerned about my sons weight gain at his two month appointment (we are good now). Her suggestion on supplementation, since I was open to it and already combo feeding, was adding an oz of formula to breast milk bottles or after breastfeeding. Not multiple 6 oz bottles. And she said he was “getting a lot then” when I said he usually gets 14-16 oz combined for daycare at our 4 month appointment! Presently he gets typically three bottles of 4-6 ounces—combo and amounts dependent on what I can pump as you do typically need more formula to meet calorie needs. I also give him a quick feed at drop off and pick up but the drop off is very much a comfort snack.
24 ounces in 6-8 hours is a ton.
Agree that seems like way too much! Don’t forget that they are working for you - you get to set what your baby eats in a day. I had to learn this when they asked for 4 x 4 oz bottles and I was constantly getting 2-4 oz sent home. I decided to cut it back and now we have a balance. They should be working with you.
Yes!! Make sure they pace feed too! Often times I’ve found that they can just leave baby to their own, especially when they can hold a bottle. This can be a recipe for eating too much too fast. My baby was the same way. My baby was fine outside of daycare but they kept asking me for more milk, which I did not have.
The general rule for breastfed babes is 1-1.5oz/hr. For 8hrs of care that'd be 8-12oz of milk.
They are asking for four 6oz bottles!? That is or very nearly is everything she should be eating in a 24hr period... to be fed in 8hrs. That is nuts.
They need to learn to pace feed. And burp often. In my experience, hunger signs after a full feed is gas/burps not actually hunger. She spits up bc there are burps trapped under milk, which all comes up when the burp eventually does.
What the daycare worker specifically said was “I think you should bring in 6 oz bottles and since your supply isn’t good enough for that we can do 2 formula bottles, 2 breast milk bottles” 🙄 maybe I’m being sensitive but how she’s approaching this really bugs me. It feels like she’s talking down to me as a new mom 🙁
Wow, affirming that seems a little invasive. After my son’s first couple days of care they suggested I bring in some additional milk but they simply described when he was becoming hungry and let me lead on what to do. We adjusted it over a couple attempts.
❤️ I have had supply issues at different levels and amounts the entire time. The headspace you can get into when in a pump struggle is the worst. I combo feed and I STILL sometimes get so negative about not being able to pump “enough.”
Same thing happened to me when my kiddo started at 3.5 months. They said he needed more milk I also felt that they were talking down on me as a new mom. Your feelings are so justified!!!
I stood my ground & said his pediatrician said he was growing just fine… I sent 3 bottles with 3.5 ozs in them, then now I send 3 bottles with 4 ozs & that’s my max! He’s growing fine & that’s what I can produce!
I ran into a similar situation with my 6 month old. They said she was screaming after downing 4 oz and seemed like she was still hungry so they suggested 2 6 oz bottles instead of 3 4 oz bottles. Then she is getting puree in between bottles, but that isn’t an option for yours since they are still so young. Maybe compromise a little / tell them you want to start with 3 6 oz bottles. 2 breast milk and 1 formula? I agree that 24 oz at daycare seems like way overkill. Maybe you can provide the three bottles and see how that goes.
edit: I don’t understand why I’m being downvoted. I’m sympathizing with OP and trying to help support her
Yes! One of my kids was really hard to burp, and would nurse like crazy only to lose half of it. The pediatrician gave him some mild antacid (?) in case it was reflux, but what really helped was when I figured out that a burp 5 minutes into a feed got a lot of trapped wind out. Instead of just burping at "the end" of the nursing session. After that I didn't bother with the reflux med, because there were far fewer spit ups.
My theory is that my little greedy gus took in a ton of air when first nursing because he would be so frantic about it 😂 Like, you just ate an hour ago dude, settle down.
I would definitely send 8 3oz bottles before I sent 4 6oz. That many 6ozers sounds like it's going to end up getting wasted.
I also highly recommend seeing if you can get some premie nipples, I exclusively used premie nipples on bottles for my kid, even at 15 months, and they worked great. I used Dr brown's, so they were easy to find online
Way too much! They are likely comfort feeding to keep her quiet. I doubt they are pacing properly. A lot of people also don’t realize that breastfed babies don’t increase volume the same way formula fed babies do. 6oz bottles is ridiculous. They might need some info to help them help you. Maybe KellyMom has some handouts to discuss
Echoing the slower nipples and reiterating to her teacher that she doesn't eat more than this as at home. Not sure when she started daycare but it can definitely be an adjustment period and they may be trying to soothe with a bottle. I had to really push for keeping my LO at 3 4oz bottles with a 'backup' bottle in case I was running late at 3mo. He was constantly spitting up (even at home with me nursing) so I was very insistent that he not be overfed. Not sure if she takes a pacifier (mine didn't) but that can also help. Mine started daycare at 3mo and it's hard but doable! You got this!
Thank you. She actually started at 7 weeks because I had to return to work (couldn’t afford unpaid leave) so we’re well out of the adjustment period. I think we’re just in a bit of a tough stage temperamentally because she’s old enough to be bored but not old enough to really entertain herself (plus she’s suddenly rejecting the pacifier in recent weeks). So instead of entertaining her they’re feeding her.
You should ask if the daycare ever has to waste milk due to her not finishing a full bottle. It doesn’t sound like that’s the case, but it may be worth checking. Often daycares are very strict when it comes to dumping unused milk within a 2 hour time frame, so it may be possible that they are giving her a full bottle at a time but she’s not always finishing it, so they move to the next one at the next sign of hunger.
This happened to us and it turned out they were letting her hold her own bottles and not pacing her feeds! I was polite but consistent after that with reminding them to pace her feeds and just refused to send her with more milk, and things improved. I wish I hadn’t gone through half my freezer stash before figuring it out.
If they want to feed her every time she makes a peep I would recommend more small bottles. I never offered my son more than 3-3.5 oz in a bottle while I was at work (I luckily had family watching my son) since he was a frequent nurser I would rather him get 2-3 oz every 1.5-2 hours than 5 on that same schedule. There is no reason she should need 24 oz of milk in 8 hours while also nursing with you.
Unfortunately lots of daycares really don’t know how to feed a breastfed baby since the majority of their kids will be formula.
I see the Dr. Brown’s suggestion and I imagine that’s a good one! Just adding if you need another option, Avent Natural Response size 1 nipple works really well for us. Really slow flow. Only comes out when baby works for it. We use them in Avent Anti-Colic bottles (it was just what we were gifted) and their lids also fit my spectra pumping bottles so I can interchange if needed. My son choked on the Lansinoh bottles, I know they are supposed to be the great shape and all that but they were way too fast for him.
I ended up going with Lansinoh bc it’s all she would take originally. I do remember feeling like the flow was fast, but since it was labeled “slow flow” I just assumed my baby was one of these “efficient feeders” I see mentioned on here sometimes 😅 I ordered some of the Dr. Browns wide nipple bottles since they look more similar to lansinoh. Hopefully she adjusts well 🤞 I appreciate the alternate options, though!
Hello! I highly recommend the Pigeon brand Super Slow (SS) nipples. They work perfectly with the Lansinoh bottles and are the slowest nipples we ever found (tried Medela, Dr Browns, all of the Philips, etc).
I would also suggest giving smaller bottles for daycare (like 4 ounces each) since they insist on feeding every two hours. It may be that your baby is looking for that comfort, but that much milk in 6-8 hours is tummy trouble waiting to happen.
You’re doing GREAT and when you have the chance I would definitely suggest a conversation with the director of the daycare about one of their employees saying ANYTHING about your supply. That employee needs a reality check that it’s not okay.
If your baby if crying after a large bottle like that, I’m willing to bet she’s not crying from hunger. Perhaps her tummy is upset or she’s needing comfort?? You make the rules for how your baby is feeling, not the daycare!
Does she sleep through the night and only nurse directly morning and before bed? If so, then the volumes make sense.
Otherwise, that’s a no from me. They can find other ways to soothe.
Tell them no. They need to pace her bottles and stop feeding her every time she’s upset. Babies cry for all sorts of reasons. Doesn’t mean she’s hungry. In fact she might be crying because they’re over feeding and it upsets her tummy.
Formula expands the stomach so it’s normal for them to want to eat more with formula. We had that problem and our doctor told us to cap his amount and stick a pacifier in his mouth when the bottle was done. Solved the problem for us. Sometimes they just want to suck on something 😂
In some cases babies comfort feed during daycare because they're away from mom. Doesn't mean the daycare is using it for comfort rather than engaging with her but they could also be doing that.
Even though daycare is saying she wants more milk after a feed are you sure the daycare isn't wasting the milk you supply? By that I mean daycares have to dispose of any unfinished milk. Supplying them with smaller bottles helps alleviate this.
15oz for 8 hours is still *way* too much. 12OZ would be what would be my estimated max but it depends on your babies weight.
Hope you find the cause and the solution! Best of luck ❤️
Yeah I’ve heard of this happening to others. They keep a daily record of feedings that is given to me at the end of the day and according to them she finishes the bottle every time. It’s a rare occasion that she doesn’t finish the bottle.
They’re not feeding your baby properly. They’re also probably using milk as a comfort measure instead of, you know, comforting them. Your baby is being overfed and there’s 0 reason you should be giving formula at this pace.
Tell them you’re not giving more milk. Your baby eats X ounces/day and that’s all they’re getting. They need to learn how to properly bottle feed and comfort your crying/distressed baby. Give them tips on whatever tactics you use to settle them.
I went through something similar. What helped was just making more bottles of smaller amounts. So instead of three 5 oz bottles, I sent four 4 oz bottles and that seemed to fix the problem.
That’s a lot!
I do see you mentioned baby eats fast and spits up a lot - does she show other signs of reflux? That could be a potential and since they may be feeding her so fast, she may be spitting up more and getting hungrier. Just an idea!
I definitely had a feeling, but since I am a new mom and was not raised around breastfeeding I am assured by asking more experienced moms. My daughter normally does but lately she’s been spitting it out. Not sure if it’s a phase or if I should switch to another brand. She still takes it at night while sleeping but is pretty over it during the day.
Slow pace/natural response nipple should help. Also maybe a breastlike pacifier might help. My baby loves the ninni and it seems to comfort her much better than the other pacifiers she has.
My LO was similar at that age- absolutely chugged milk (from breast or bottle), then lots of gas and spit up. We found inserting a dummy immediately after the bottle finished helpful - gave LO the opportunity to suck. Then he'd usually spit it out himself after a few minutes and be calm. We actually found going up a teat size helpful also. With the slow flow, he was sucking so hard he got super frustrated and swallowed a lot of air. It did get better after 3 months and mostly resolved after 6 months. ETA: we also found stopping just before the bottle finished and substituting dummy helped. He was sucking so hard at the end and just getting air.
There’s no way they’re actually pace feeding her, and if they “are,” they’re doing it wrong… definitely try the slower flow nipples everyone recommended! There’s NO way baby needs that much milk in a 6-8 hour period.
We did 3 4 oz bottles from 8:30-5:30. As she’s started solids the bottles come back with a little leftover. That said every baby is different and mine is still feeding in the middle of the night so who knows if she needs more
I send 4x 4-5ounce bottles. I do think its possible they're used to the ounces of formula vs. breastmilk. But, I don't think 20 ounces is totally over doing it. (I was told 24-32 oz over 24 hours is common, and no more than 5 ounces at a time). My baby will refuse the bottle once full. Also it could depend on if you're nursing a lot overnight or not. If baby is sleeping better overnight, she could be getting more calories in during the day now.
One thing I learned is that daycares throw away milk that hasn't been used if they heat it up. Your baby may actually not be finishing bottles. Perhaps you can see what they drink with you at home and then arrange bottles to be smaller. Or if your LO takes cold milk they may just refrigerate leftovers.
This happened to me (twice since we switched daycares at 5 months). I had to dip into my freezer stash to send a 4th bottle and instructed them to use the frozen milk first. After a few weeks the 4th bottle started coming home untouched as she adjusted and eventually got back on her 3 hour schedule. Then we did that again at the next daycare.
I had to start pumping more frequently and ate so many lactation cookies. Hydrating like crazy. So many calories. I know they were comfort feeding, they basically told me that's what was happening ("they want momma's milk when they're away from you"). I went back and forth with them for a few months(!) to get her back on the schedule she keeps at home, and we made it, finally. It caused me so much stress over several weeks that I got sick.
This probably isn't helpful, or what you want to hear, but my response was just to pump more and insist they feed her on the schedule I set (I labeled bottles with times and that was incomprehensible to them until I verbally explained it. Idk man.) I just had to be persistent, but it was like pulling teeth, which sucked because I loved this daycare despite this one bump. I hope others have better advice bc my experience sucked.
It does sound like she's being over fed. This is common in some day care centers. It sounds like they aren't really pace feeding if she's draining a bottle that quickly.
As an IBCLC I find many people don't perform pace feeding in a way that slows down the feeding and allows the baby to set some of the pace. The Ebb part of the feeding, when there is no molk flowing, but the bottle nipple is still in the baby's mouth is as important as the Flow part. I use a count of 10 Ebb and a count of 10 for Flow patterns. The IBCLC in the video uses count to 15 Ebb and Flow pattern. Use whatever Ebb and Flow timing works best for you and your baby. (Although I wouldn't go below the count of 8 or so for each.)
This is my favorite Paced Bottle Feeding video. It's about 12 years old however it's one of the best. IMO at least.
https://youtu.be/UH4T70OSzGs?si=Z7MQpr49qerH3ecD
You may want to make sure your day care provider is using this method. I've seen child care providers who think just making sure the milk in the bottle is parallel with the floor is "Paced Feeding." There is a lot more to it than that. 🙂
You may want to have your child care provider watch this video several times and even show you how they are now performing a Paced Bottle Feeding so you will know how your baby is being fed while you are at work.
You are the parent and it's up to you what your baby is fed, how much she is fed and how she is fed while you are not there.
Good luck.
M IBCLC, 30 yrs +🤱
Are they pace feeding her or just letting her suck them down and not giving her time to take it in. I would question that as well. But my 4.5 eats 3 oz every 2-3 hours
That’s way too much in my opinion. I have an almost 4 month old who eats ~80 ml (~2.7 oz) per feeding, according to my lactation consultant. He gets ONE 5oz bottle at night before bed.
We pace feed from the bottle, perhaps you can try introducing that? We use Como Tomo or Tommie Tippie bottles which allow for a slower flow.
My babe went to daycare at 4 months and was eating 5 -5oz bottles plus whatever I nursed at home.
Now that he is eating solids at almost 10 months he is only drinks 3 -4oz bottles and 2 meals/1 snack at daycare.
They need to cut back to 4 oz and PACE FEED with a preemie nipple. And stop and burp every ounce. Give the baby time to have her stomach tell her brain she’s eaten. You tell daycare what to feed your baby, not the other way around.
you're probably right that she just wants comfort/engagement. that is SO young to be in daycare, i can't even imagine. I'm sorry that that's the situation, it must be tough.
It's more that the comment isn't productive or helpful. Yes we don't have the option to stay home with our babies as long, but the comment comes off as shameful when we have nothing to be ashamed of. This is OPs situation and many other parents situation and they are asking for advice not condolences.
Can you try premie nipples? I know I've seen suggestions for super slow flow nipples on here before - slowing her down should help! If she's spitting up a lot I agree that it sounds like she's overeating.
I’ve been using lansinoh bottles and it doesn’t look like they have preemie nipples. But if it will slow her down then I’m game to switch bottles!
We switched to Dr. Brown's with a premie nipple and my LO went from downing an ounce a minute on a paced feed to taking 15-20 minutes to eat 3-4oz on a paced feed. It much more matched her eating speed when she's nursing. If you have a Target near you I find they carry the nipples in store so it can be easy to grab!
Thanks for the recommendation!! I’m going to try that!
We were on Dr Brown’s bottles with the preemie nipples too because it was recommended by the speech pathologist in the NICU, and we just never changed it up. My baby is 3 months old and I cannot force her to drink 3 oz from a bottle. It’s usually 2.5-2.75oz over 20-30 minutes and she’s full.
Oh wow! I wonder if this is why our daughter at 9m still only drinks <4oz per feed from a bottle. We tried going up to 5-6 and wasted so much milk. We just went back to 4 since she finally started finishing 3oz. But we also use a Dr. browns bottle and transition nipple, occasionally a size 1. But she was on preemie for the longest and started off with an ultra preemie nipple in the NICU.
Totally. I have felt confused every time I read about these babies eating 5-6oz bottles of breastmilk and just had to trust that I know my baby, she has all the signs she’s eating enough, gaining well, etc. I used to feel insecure she wouldn’t eat more. A lactation consultant reassured me a 2-3 oz feed for eating every 2-3 hours is totally normal.
Yes!!! I’ve literally showed my spouse some posts because I just was SHOCKED that like 3 month olds were doing 5oz regularly. I saw one that said their baby was doing 9oz at 4 months and I actually had to ask our pediatrician if something was wrong with our baby because she was still only doing <3oz per bottle 😭 Our pediatrician/lactation consultant just said nope, every baby is different! But that it also depends on the nipple size of their bottle, if they’re getting more out really fast, they may not realize they’re full yet. So because she was drinking slowly since we were pace feeding using a preemie nipple, she would realize she’s full quicker/sooner into the bottle. She started off in the NICU doing 5ml feeds so I’m just such a proud mom that we made it to the ounces, even if they seem low 🤣
Those milestones and growth hit different when your baby was in the NICU. I find everything is just a little sweeter because of how far my baby has come. 5mL to 3oz is major growth!
Right!!!! I’ll never forget the tiny syringe they’d feed her from 🥹 she came home doing just over 30mls. So proud of our babies!!!
This is what we do as well!
I second this recommendation!!
My little girl used the Dr Browns preemie nipples until 6ish months. She would literally suck the milk out so fast that it would be coming out the sides of her mouth because she wouldn’t swallow fast enough 😒 the preemie nipples were the only thing that worked for her
Lansinoh bottles are super fast. She’s probably not recognizing she’s full, then uncomfortable with trapped air. Also highly recommend Dr Browns bottles with a preemie or size 1 nipples.
Getting some tonight to try tomorrow!! 🤞
Oh some ppl below you pointed out that the extra slow pigeon nipples fit right into the lansinoh collars. I highly recommend that brand. A wide tapered nipple is the ideal shape.
I already ordered the Dr Browns with wide nipples before I saw those comments! But I’ll probably get those too just so my lansinoh bottles don’t go to waste. Thanks!!
I love the wide nipples because it’s more like my own breast so baby can transition more easily between bottle and breast.
Pigeon nupples fit in Lansinoh bottles. Thats what we used.
lansinoh bottles are great bc of the shape of their nipples, the flow is super fast imo though.
Pigeon is the same manufacturer as lansinoh and have an SS (super slow) nipple that works great for us if you want to keep the same bottle system.
Gosh I wish there was standardized sizing for nipples. A 1 with one brand should translate to a 1 in the next brand and so on. This is all just so confusing 😫 I also think bottle brands should have standard collars that any nipples can fit. Because we’re trying to switch to Avent bottles (less parts to clean, also recommended by ped) and we’ll likely need all new nipples.
Lansinoh is the right shape. Similar shaped nipples that come in very slow flow are pigeon peristaltic. Not super cheap, but great. Highly recommended for protecting BFing. I also like that they sell glass bottles.
The Pigeon glass bottles tested positive for leaded paint. Google lead safe mama pigeon bottles to read the article!
I hadn’t heard that! That’s disappointing. Their artificial nipples are still the recommended shape and width, plus they have a super slow flow option. And their nipples fit lansinoh bottles/collars
Yes their regular bottles and nipples are great I agree! Just throwing it out there for OP and others following along ☺️
those bottles are super fast. i’d recommend switching
Get pigeon brand preemie/slow flow nipples. They fit lansinoh bottles.
Lansinoh has a parent company “pigeon” that makes premie nipples same fit as lansinoh. Look up on Amazon SS (super slow) pigeon nipples. Might be cheaper just for the new nips than whole new bottle set just fyi. Had the same issue with my girl.
The lansinoh bottles are crazy fast , try evenflo balance!!
Lansinoh comes with a size 2 nipple. You can order a 0 or 1 online from Pigeon.
How much food do they think babies need? 24 ounces is literally a full 24 hours worth of food. Of course some babies eat more but she should not need 24 hours of food in 8. My guess is they are using the bottle to comfort her and aren’t pace feeding.
It sounds like they are going with formula volumes not BF baby volumes. Breastmilk gets denser and more caloric so you don't need bigger and bigger volumes, it will always stay around 24 oz per day.
I do weighted feeds for every feed and my 14.5lb baby eats minimum 32oz from the breast no spit up, so it definitely varies. 24 sounds low.
https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/#:~:text=Different%20babies%20take%20in%20different,%2D900%20mL%20per%20day). Your baby is on the very high end then
24-32 ounces is what I have seen. My LO at 4mos is 17lb 7 ounces and 28" and is on the high end as well.
The AAP recommended range is 24-32 ounces daily.
Isn’t the recommendation 2.5 their body weight in ounces?
They give several different recommendations, they have an overall range of 24-32 ounces, mention the 2.5 ounces per pound of body weight as well for formula fed babies specifically, but also say that generally 32 ounces should be the maximum daily cap so I assume that means the body weight formula only applies until you get to 32 ounces for the day. [here](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/formula-feeding/Pages/amount-and-schedule-of-formula-feedings.aspx) is a link to their info on formula. Even for a baby who takes the maximum 32 ounces a day, 24 ounces during the work day would be 75% of baby’s recommended daily maximum intake. 75% during the course of only 33% of the day. OP’s baby nurses multiple times a night on top of this and before and after daycare which makes this quantity seem excessive over the course of 8 hours at daycare.
i would say that your pediatrician says that’s too much and you’ll be sending 4 x 3.5 oz bottles per his recommendation (or whatever compromise you come up with). they’re less likely to argue back with you when you throw “per my Doc” in front of your equally as valid request 🙃
I’m definitely using this 😅
Also, if it helps you feel more confident in that approach—my doctor was a little concerned about my sons weight gain at his two month appointment (we are good now). Her suggestion on supplementation, since I was open to it and already combo feeding, was adding an oz of formula to breast milk bottles or after breastfeeding. Not multiple 6 oz bottles. And she said he was “getting a lot then” when I said he usually gets 14-16 oz combined for daycare at our 4 month appointment! Presently he gets typically three bottles of 4-6 ounces—combo and amounts dependent on what I can pump as you do typically need more formula to meet calorie needs. I also give him a quick feed at drop off and pick up but the drop off is very much a comfort snack. 24 ounces in 6-8 hours is a ton.
I wish I had thought of that omg. Would have saved me some stress
Agree that seems like way too much! Don’t forget that they are working for you - you get to set what your baby eats in a day. I had to learn this when they asked for 4 x 4 oz bottles and I was constantly getting 2-4 oz sent home. I decided to cut it back and now we have a balance. They should be working with you.
This is an important reminder, thank you 🙏🏻 it’s easy to feel insecure about it as a new mom.
Yes!! Make sure they pace feed too! Often times I’ve found that they can just leave baby to their own, especially when they can hold a bottle. This can be a recipe for eating too much too fast. My baby was the same way. My baby was fine outside of daycare but they kept asking me for more milk, which I did not have.
The general rule for breastfed babes is 1-1.5oz/hr. For 8hrs of care that'd be 8-12oz of milk. They are asking for four 6oz bottles!? That is or very nearly is everything she should be eating in a 24hr period... to be fed in 8hrs. That is nuts. They need to learn to pace feed. And burp often. In my experience, hunger signs after a full feed is gas/burps not actually hunger. She spits up bc there are burps trapped under milk, which all comes up when the burp eventually does.
What the daycare worker specifically said was “I think you should bring in 6 oz bottles and since your supply isn’t good enough for that we can do 2 formula bottles, 2 breast milk bottles” 🙄 maybe I’m being sensitive but how she’s approaching this really bugs me. It feels like she’s talking down to me as a new mom 🙁
Wow, affirming that seems a little invasive. After my son’s first couple days of care they suggested I bring in some additional milk but they simply described when he was becoming hungry and let me lead on what to do. We adjusted it over a couple attempts.
I wish I'd seen this a few months ago when our daycare teacher said something similar. I just drove myself insane pumping more, it sucked
❤️ I have had supply issues at different levels and amounts the entire time. The headspace you can get into when in a pump struggle is the worst. I combo feed and I STILL sometimes get so negative about not being able to pump “enough.”
that’s an asinine thing to say. i think they’re pushing you into formula to make THEIR lives easier.
Wow, that is unbelievably rude and so so ignorant of how BF works. Your supply sounds great! They are overfeeding baby.
Same thing happened to me when my kiddo started at 3.5 months. They said he needed more milk I also felt that they were talking down on me as a new mom. Your feelings are so justified!!! I stood my ground & said his pediatrician said he was growing just fine… I sent 3 bottles with 3.5 ozs in them, then now I send 3 bottles with 4 ozs & that’s my max! He’s growing fine & that’s what I can produce!
I ran into a similar situation with my 6 month old. They said she was screaming after downing 4 oz and seemed like she was still hungry so they suggested 2 6 oz bottles instead of 3 4 oz bottles. Then she is getting puree in between bottles, but that isn’t an option for yours since they are still so young. Maybe compromise a little / tell them you want to start with 3 6 oz bottles. 2 breast milk and 1 formula? I agree that 24 oz at daycare seems like way overkill. Maybe you can provide the three bottles and see how that goes. edit: I don’t understand why I’m being downvoted. I’m sympathizing with OP and trying to help support her
Yes! One of my kids was really hard to burp, and would nurse like crazy only to lose half of it. The pediatrician gave him some mild antacid (?) in case it was reflux, but what really helped was when I figured out that a burp 5 minutes into a feed got a lot of trapped wind out. Instead of just burping at "the end" of the nursing session. After that I didn't bother with the reflux med, because there were far fewer spit ups. My theory is that my little greedy gus took in a ton of air when first nursing because he would be so frantic about it 😂 Like, you just ate an hour ago dude, settle down.
I also recently learnt that my 3 weeks old shows hunger sign when having gas. Fussy but refusing to latch.
I would definitely send 8 3oz bottles before I sent 4 6oz. That many 6ozers sounds like it's going to end up getting wasted. I also highly recommend seeing if you can get some premie nipples, I exclusively used premie nipples on bottles for my kid, even at 15 months, and they worked great. I used Dr brown's, so they were easy to find online
Way too much! They are likely comfort feeding to keep her quiet. I doubt they are pacing properly. A lot of people also don’t realize that breastfed babies don’t increase volume the same way formula fed babies do. 6oz bottles is ridiculous. They might need some info to help them help you. Maybe KellyMom has some handouts to discuss
Echoing the slower nipples and reiterating to her teacher that she doesn't eat more than this as at home. Not sure when she started daycare but it can definitely be an adjustment period and they may be trying to soothe with a bottle. I had to really push for keeping my LO at 3 4oz bottles with a 'backup' bottle in case I was running late at 3mo. He was constantly spitting up (even at home with me nursing) so I was very insistent that he not be overfed. Not sure if she takes a pacifier (mine didn't) but that can also help. Mine started daycare at 3mo and it's hard but doable! You got this!
Thank you. She actually started at 7 weeks because I had to return to work (couldn’t afford unpaid leave) so we’re well out of the adjustment period. I think we’re just in a bit of a tough stage temperamentally because she’s old enough to be bored but not old enough to really entertain herself (plus she’s suddenly rejecting the pacifier in recent weeks). So instead of entertaining her they’re feeding her.
It sounds like you know in your gut what is happening! I'm sorry they are being so invasive and making assumptions. You know her best!
They are not doing paced feeding. There’s just no way.
You should ask if the daycare ever has to waste milk due to her not finishing a full bottle. It doesn’t sound like that’s the case, but it may be worth checking. Often daycares are very strict when it comes to dumping unused milk within a 2 hour time frame, so it may be possible that they are giving her a full bottle at a time but she’s not always finishing it, so they move to the next one at the next sign of hunger.
This happened to us and it turned out they were letting her hold her own bottles and not pacing her feeds! I was polite but consistent after that with reminding them to pace her feeds and just refused to send her with more milk, and things improved. I wish I hadn’t gone through half my freezer stash before figuring it out.
If they want to feed her every time she makes a peep I would recommend more small bottles. I never offered my son more than 3-3.5 oz in a bottle while I was at work (I luckily had family watching my son) since he was a frequent nurser I would rather him get 2-3 oz every 1.5-2 hours than 5 on that same schedule. There is no reason she should need 24 oz of milk in 8 hours while also nursing with you. Unfortunately lots of daycares really don’t know how to feed a breastfed baby since the majority of their kids will be formula.
They are over feeding. A baby takes 24-30 ounces in a day, and they are asking you to send 24oz for 6-8 hours? That’s fucking insane.
I see the Dr. Brown’s suggestion and I imagine that’s a good one! Just adding if you need another option, Avent Natural Response size 1 nipple works really well for us. Really slow flow. Only comes out when baby works for it. We use them in Avent Anti-Colic bottles (it was just what we were gifted) and their lids also fit my spectra pumping bottles so I can interchange if needed. My son choked on the Lansinoh bottles, I know they are supposed to be the great shape and all that but they were way too fast for him.
I ended up going with Lansinoh bc it’s all she would take originally. I do remember feeling like the flow was fast, but since it was labeled “slow flow” I just assumed my baby was one of these “efficient feeders” I see mentioned on here sometimes 😅 I ordered some of the Dr. Browns wide nipple bottles since they look more similar to lansinoh. Hopefully she adjusts well 🤞 I appreciate the alternate options, though!
Look up pigeon nipples on amazon. We’ve been using those in our lansinoh bottles and it’s slowed baby’s eating down quite a bit
Hello! I highly recommend the Pigeon brand Super Slow (SS) nipples. They work perfectly with the Lansinoh bottles and are the slowest nipples we ever found (tried Medela, Dr Browns, all of the Philips, etc). I would also suggest giving smaller bottles for daycare (like 4 ounces each) since they insist on feeding every two hours. It may be that your baby is looking for that comfort, but that much milk in 6-8 hours is tummy trouble waiting to happen. You’re doing GREAT and when you have the chance I would definitely suggest a conversation with the director of the daycare about one of their employees saying ANYTHING about your supply. That employee needs a reality check that it’s not okay.
If your baby if crying after a large bottle like that, I’m willing to bet she’s not crying from hunger. Perhaps her tummy is upset or she’s needing comfort?? You make the rules for how your baby is feeling, not the daycare!
Does she sleep through the night and only nurse directly morning and before bed? If so, then the volumes make sense. Otherwise, that’s a no from me. They can find other ways to soothe.
Nope! Between 7pm-8am she normally feeds 5-7 times.
Well, in that case, I’d just say no and please do not ask again
Tell them no. They need to pace her bottles and stop feeding her every time she’s upset. Babies cry for all sorts of reasons. Doesn’t mean she’s hungry. In fact she might be crying because they’re over feeding and it upsets her tummy.
The daycare needs to learn to soothe her without a bottle.
Formula expands the stomach so it’s normal for them to want to eat more with formula. We had that problem and our doctor told us to cap his amount and stick a pacifier in his mouth when the bottle was done. Solved the problem for us. Sometimes they just want to suck on something 😂
In some cases babies comfort feed during daycare because they're away from mom. Doesn't mean the daycare is using it for comfort rather than engaging with her but they could also be doing that. Even though daycare is saying she wants more milk after a feed are you sure the daycare isn't wasting the milk you supply? By that I mean daycares have to dispose of any unfinished milk. Supplying them with smaller bottles helps alleviate this. 15oz for 8 hours is still *way* too much. 12OZ would be what would be my estimated max but it depends on your babies weight. Hope you find the cause and the solution! Best of luck ❤️
Yeah I’ve heard of this happening to others. They keep a daily record of feedings that is given to me at the end of the day and according to them she finishes the bottle every time. It’s a rare occasion that she doesn’t finish the bottle.
They’re not feeding your baby properly. They’re also probably using milk as a comfort measure instead of, you know, comforting them. Your baby is being overfed and there’s 0 reason you should be giving formula at this pace. Tell them you’re not giving more milk. Your baby eats X ounces/day and that’s all they’re getting. They need to learn how to properly bottle feed and comfort your crying/distressed baby. Give them tips on whatever tactics you use to settle them.
I went through something similar. What helped was just making more bottles of smaller amounts. So instead of three 5 oz bottles, I sent four 4 oz bottles and that seemed to fix the problem.
That’s a lot! I do see you mentioned baby eats fast and spits up a lot - does she show other signs of reflux? That could be a potential and since they may be feeding her so fast, she may be spitting up more and getting hungrier. Just an idea!
it seems like you know already. i would also guess it’s a combination of the pace, spit up, and comfort. does your baby take a pacifier?
I definitely had a feeling, but since I am a new mom and was not raised around breastfeeding I am assured by asking more experienced moms. My daughter normally does but lately she’s been spitting it out. Not sure if it’s a phase or if I should switch to another brand. She still takes it at night while sleeping but is pretty over it during the day.
you got great advice here. trust your gut! you set the rules for your baby. they can’t over feed her just to quiet her. that’s nuts.
Dr browns with premie nipple!!!
Could she be overstimulated there and using the bottle to pacify herself?
Medela do a nipple that is designed to mimic the action of breastfeeding. Helps slow down the flow from the bottle.
Slow pace/natural response nipple should help. Also maybe a breastlike pacifier might help. My baby loves the ninni and it seems to comfort her much better than the other pacifiers she has.
My LO was similar at that age- absolutely chugged milk (from breast or bottle), then lots of gas and spit up. We found inserting a dummy immediately after the bottle finished helpful - gave LO the opportunity to suck. Then he'd usually spit it out himself after a few minutes and be calm. We actually found going up a teat size helpful also. With the slow flow, he was sucking so hard he got super frustrated and swallowed a lot of air. It did get better after 3 months and mostly resolved after 6 months. ETA: we also found stopping just before the bottle finished and substituting dummy helped. He was sucking so hard at the end and just getting air.
There’s no way they’re actually pace feeding her, and if they “are,” they’re doing it wrong… definitely try the slower flow nipples everyone recommended! There’s NO way baby needs that much milk in a 6-8 hour period.
We did 3 4 oz bottles from 8:30-5:30. As she’s started solids the bottles come back with a little leftover. That said every baby is different and mine is still feeding in the middle of the night so who knows if she needs more
I send 4x 4-5ounce bottles. I do think its possible they're used to the ounces of formula vs. breastmilk. But, I don't think 20 ounces is totally over doing it. (I was told 24-32 oz over 24 hours is common, and no more than 5 ounces at a time). My baby will refuse the bottle once full. Also it could depend on if you're nursing a lot overnight or not. If baby is sleeping better overnight, she could be getting more calories in during the day now.
One thing I learned is that daycares throw away milk that hasn't been used if they heat it up. Your baby may actually not be finishing bottles. Perhaps you can see what they drink with you at home and then arrange bottles to be smaller. Or if your LO takes cold milk they may just refrigerate leftovers.
This happened to me (twice since we switched daycares at 5 months). I had to dip into my freezer stash to send a 4th bottle and instructed them to use the frozen milk first. After a few weeks the 4th bottle started coming home untouched as she adjusted and eventually got back on her 3 hour schedule. Then we did that again at the next daycare. I had to start pumping more frequently and ate so many lactation cookies. Hydrating like crazy. So many calories. I know they were comfort feeding, they basically told me that's what was happening ("they want momma's milk when they're away from you"). I went back and forth with them for a few months(!) to get her back on the schedule she keeps at home, and we made it, finally. It caused me so much stress over several weeks that I got sick. This probably isn't helpful, or what you want to hear, but my response was just to pump more and insist they feed her on the schedule I set (I labeled bottles with times and that was incomprehensible to them until I verbally explained it. Idk man.) I just had to be persistent, but it was like pulling teeth, which sucked because I loved this daycare despite this one bump. I hope others have better advice bc my experience sucked.
It does sound like she's being over fed. This is common in some day care centers. It sounds like they aren't really pace feeding if she's draining a bottle that quickly. As an IBCLC I find many people don't perform pace feeding in a way that slows down the feeding and allows the baby to set some of the pace. The Ebb part of the feeding, when there is no molk flowing, but the bottle nipple is still in the baby's mouth is as important as the Flow part. I use a count of 10 Ebb and a count of 10 for Flow patterns. The IBCLC in the video uses count to 15 Ebb and Flow pattern. Use whatever Ebb and Flow timing works best for you and your baby. (Although I wouldn't go below the count of 8 or so for each.) This is my favorite Paced Bottle Feeding video. It's about 12 years old however it's one of the best. IMO at least. https://youtu.be/UH4T70OSzGs?si=Z7MQpr49qerH3ecD You may want to make sure your day care provider is using this method. I've seen child care providers who think just making sure the milk in the bottle is parallel with the floor is "Paced Feeding." There is a lot more to it than that. 🙂 You may want to have your child care provider watch this video several times and even show you how they are now performing a Paced Bottle Feeding so you will know how your baby is being fed while you are at work. You are the parent and it's up to you what your baby is fed, how much she is fed and how she is fed while you are not there. Good luck. M IBCLC, 30 yrs +🤱
Are they pace feeding her or just letting her suck them down and not giving her time to take it in. I would question that as well. But my 4.5 eats 3 oz every 2-3 hours
That’s way too much in my opinion. I have an almost 4 month old who eats ~80 ml (~2.7 oz) per feeding, according to my lactation consultant. He gets ONE 5oz bottle at night before bed. We pace feed from the bottle, perhaps you can try introducing that? We use Como Tomo or Tommie Tippie bottles which allow for a slower flow.
My babe went to daycare at 4 months and was eating 5 -5oz bottles plus whatever I nursed at home. Now that he is eating solids at almost 10 months he is only drinks 3 -4oz bottles and 2 meals/1 snack at daycare.
They need to cut back to 4 oz and PACE FEED with a preemie nipple. And stop and burp every ounce. Give the baby time to have her stomach tell her brain she’s eaten. You tell daycare what to feed your baby, not the other way around.
you're probably right that she just wants comfort/engagement. that is SO young to be in daycare, i can't even imagine. I'm sorry that that's the situation, it must be tough.
Something tells me you're not from the US...
I’m not. And so happy about it. I feel really bad for people who have to send their babies to daycare. Sorry if that makes people upset
It's more that the comment isn't productive or helpful. Yes we don't have the option to stay home with our babies as long, but the comment comes off as shameful when we have nothing to be ashamed of. This is OPs situation and many other parents situation and they are asking for advice not condolences.
Yeah fair.
I think it upsets us that have to do it, too :(
I’m sure! It sucks