Breastfed 3 month-old not eating much at daycare?

Question

I just started my baby girl at daycare last week. We'd given her bottles here and there, never more than 2 ounces, and she took them fine. The first day there, I left 5 bottles, one with 1.5oz and the others about 2.7oz (she was there for 8 hours). She only ate the small one and barely 2 of the others. I had to throw 2 bottles away since they were previously frozen, so it broke my heart! The second day I brought less and still had some left over; she has consistently been taking only about 2oz every couple hours.

She is small, only about 10 1/2 pounds at 14 weeks. Could she be reverse cycling since she obviously prefers the breast over the bottle? She nurses a ton and for long stretches of time when we get home. We co-sleep and she nurses all night long. I have them feeding her every 2 hours with a 2.5oz bottle of breast milk. Even at home after I leave in the mornings my husband has a hard time getting her to finish a 2oz bottle of freshly expressed milk before taking her to daycare. She just plays with it in her mouth and lets it pool up before swallowing, and isn't overly interested in eating from a bottle.

I also can only pump about 2 oz at a time while at work, so this makes me wonder if she is a "snacker" eating small amounts often like humans are designed to eat and we just didn't know since she was eating directly from the breast. The doctors aren't worried about her weight gain since she's gained at least a pound a month and her urine and stool output is good. And I know she gets more from the breast than what I get from a pump so I'm not worried about my supply.

Any help or advice would be great, especially if you went through this. This is my second baby, but my son was always in the 90th% or so and had bottles from birth, and also didn't attend daycare until he was 3 years old. Am I worrying needlessly? Sorry this is so long!

Answer 1

Since she is nursing all night long she has already reverse cycled.  If you don't mind/like to nurse her throughout the night than no problem - she is getting most of her calories during her night time feeds.  Sounds like things are going along just fine since she has enough wet/poopy diapers.  

Does your day care have a freezer - you can store some excess there in case she eats more than you bring fresh. You don't bring defrosted milk that you then have to throw away then.

Answer 2

First of all Congrats on deciding to pump while at work...I have been for 6 months now and it gets to be time consuming....My baby is 9 months old and only drinks 2 or 3 five ounce bottles while I am away....she nurses and nurses when I am home with her though....i talked to a lactation lady and she said this is totally normal for BF babies to not eat alot while away from mommy....my baby was born at 7lbs 13 oz 4 weeks early and I just had her weighed yesterday and she isn't quiet 9 months yet and she is 18 lbs 9oz and in the 50% for her age and they said that she is fine....BF babies are leaner than FF babies...Good luck but it's sounds like you are doing everything right...Just make sure to pump before you go to work...2-3 times while at work and feed her right when you pick her up from daycare....even pump after she goes to bed at night just to get on last pumping in there.....

Answer 3

i've read this is pretty normal for breastfed babies. I haven't started working full-time yet, but I've left my baby (9 weeks old this wednesday) for a few hours (once even for 6 hours) to go to work and she won't drink much from the bottle. She'd rather play with it and wait for me to get home to breastfeed. I worry what will happen when I go back full-time, but I read that as long as she's gaining weight and diapers are good and she eats when you get home, then she should be fine.

Answer 4

My oldest daughter refused to take anything from a bottle. She also had to go to daycare. She wouldn't drink anything while there. But nursed in the mornings, evenings and the night. We had also co-slept.

My newborn (now 8 weeks old) is turning out the same way. Except she will only except about 1-2 oz from a bottle. Then she will wait until I nurse her.

My first 3 children all girls and nursed were in the 5th to 10 %tile. My 4th who is also nursing is so far in the 75%tile.

I wouldn't be concerned where she is nursing through the night. She is making up her nutritional needs at night rather then in the day.