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I’ll be honest: as a breastfeeding mom, I’m most familiar with making single servings of formula for times when, er, Mommy couldn’t feed the baby (or, yes, for times we’ve supplemented, or for purposes of mixing with cereal). Still, I wanted to throw the formula-feeding moms one since that’s obviously a valid choice that’s been underrepresented with our nursing/pumping-friendly picks. So formula moms — what are your favorite products? The pictured product, Dr. Brown’s Formula Mixing Pitcher, is highly rated on Amazon, with 598 customer reviews and 4.5 stars — it makes up to 32 ounces at a time with minimal air, it’s BPA free, and all parts are dishwasher safe. Oh yes: and it’s marked down from $19 to $14 (and eligible for Prime). Formula Mixing Pitcher
(In general, should I include feeding products in the mix (along with nursing and pumping-friendly picks) for Feeding Tuesdays, in the interest of sparking discussion and sharing tips?)
Sales of note for 9.10.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase
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- J.Crew – Up to 50% off wear-to-work styles; extra 30% off sale styles
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- Talbots – BOGO 50% everything, includes markdowns
- Zappos – 26,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Birthday sale, 40-50% off & extra 20% off select styles
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off all baby; up to 40% off all Halloween
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Extra 30% off sale styles
- Old Navy – 40% off everything
- Target – BOGO 25% off select haircare, up to 25% off floor care items; up to 30% off indoor furniture up to 20% off TVs
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- The concept of “backup care” is so stupid…
- I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
- I’m thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?
- I’m now a SAHM and my husband needs to step up…
- How can I change my thinking to better recognize some of my husband’s contributions as important, like organizing the shed?
- What are your tips to having a good weekend with kids, especially with little kids? Do you have a set routine or plan?
mascot says
My husband brought one of these home and I laughed at first- why do we need this? And then I realized the utility of having clump-free, pre-mixed batches of formula in the fridge to make quickly make bottles (esp for 10 pm daycare prep).
My child is older so I am way past the bottles stage. But, I think that mixing up the posts with some general feeding tips would reach a wide audience. In those early months, there are a lot of questions about nursing/pumping clothes, which formula to use, which bottle will baby take, etc. But as the baby gets older, there are plenty of new challenges- feeding baby solids, meals on the go, the infamous sippy, table “manners”, etc. Admittedly, much of that is more of a lifestyle discussion than a fashion discussion, so I get that it may not be the main focus of this place.
JJ says
How did I never know that a pitcher like this existed? This would have made the night routine of making 6 bottles every night SO much easier.
Also, I’ll just second mascot’s recommendation. Great ideas.
H says
I also agree that the topics mascot suggested would be great! I
Lyssa says
That’s an interesting idea – I could really see it being useful for preparing bottles for daycare.
We generally found that, with formula feeding, the simpler the better. My favorite tool was one of those 3-section formula holders for the diaper bag (you just measure out a serving in each section and pour it directly into the bottle to mix). When we went out, we found it easiest to pack a bottle of warm water (with however many oz he was usually drinking at the time) (if we started with it warm, it usually stayed close enough to warm to mix easily, while getting cold water from a tap was harder to mix) and the formula holder thing, then we were right and ready to mix up a bottle any time he needed one.
Also, the formula got tossed and bottle washed if it was sitting out (if we were out or whatever), but if we were home, we usually just stuck the bottle back in the fridge after he was done, then warmed it in the microwave (I know that they say not to, but if you’re careful, I really don’t see the problem) or mix up more formula in it. We’d usually stick with the same bottle for a day, so there was less waste and less to wash. Again, simple.
I like the idea of some feeding products, but I’d definitely like to keep the focus more geared generally towards Corpor.e.t.t.e-ness, that is, things that make life easier for working moms, rather than just moms in general. But I love the lifestyle discussions and tips in general!
Anon says
Also agree with Lyssa that tips for working moms are especially helpful.
Leah says
Our oldest daughter had reflux and this pitcher was one of the best baby purchases we made. It cut down on air bubbles and we noticed that helped her spit up much less.
9M to Go says
So I’m freaking myself out here. I just found out I was pregnant and I’m about 6 weeks along. I have my first OB appt next week. Hubby and I haven’t told anyone at all yet. I’m terrified. We were trying, and I love babies, but I’m still terrified.
I also just gained about 15 lbs for other reasons recently, and it all seems to be in my belly. I wasn’t that self-conscious before, but now that I know I’m pregnant, but it’s a big secret, I don’t want anyone to see my belly! (My weight has fluctuated in the past, and strangers have asked me if I’m pregnant before when I wasn’t.) It feels so weird to be hiding my bigger belly when the baby is still the size of a poppyseed. Like I’m faking.
I feel like I’m putting all my anxiety about the pregnancy into my gut and giving myself indigestion, all the while trying to suck it in when anyone’s around.
Mamma Mia says
Oh, sweetie. You’re fine! You’re not faking anything; you’re just having a little bit of a hard time getting used to something that is really hard to get used to. It feels insane at first, but you will get there. When you go to the doc, you’ll get to see the heartbeat and development, and it will feel a little more concrete to you, and then you have months and months to get comfortable with the idea. You’ll get there. You don’t have to worry about telling people or hiding anything or anything else right now; just take some vitamins, don’t get drunk, and go to your appointment. It will all work out.
I’m about five weeks along myself and have my first appt. next week (my second, but I had the freakout for my first, who also came as a bit of a shock). Pregnancy buddies?
9M to Go says
Yes, we can be pregnancy buddies! Thank you! :):)
They can find the heartbeat at 6 weeks? Whoa. Not sure I’m ready for that…
Mamma Mia says
I think that it varies, but they could for me with a t-v ultrasound. That might not have been normal, now that I think of it (I had to have the ultrasound right away, because I hadn’t had a period for months and months before conceiving). But I think that they can usually find it.
I know that when I saw it, it was earth-shattering, like “That’s *my* baby!” with this instant protective instinct over him. Hard to explain, but it very quickly oriented me to pregnancy-mode. Good luck and congratulations to you!
Spirograph says
Yeah, t-v ultrasound can pick it up really early! It’s so interesting to hear how different people react to that… I had zero emotional connection with the blob on the ultrasound screen or the heartbeat. It didn’t feel like a real baby to me until much, much later. I seriously remember thinking to myself, “really? People want to require these things to dissuade women from having abortions? It wouldn’t work on me.”
Anyway, congrats to both of you! And don’t worry, 9M, being terrified is a totally legitimate reaction, even to a planned pregnancy — I know that’s how I felt. It definitely gets more exciting in a positive way… although I don’t know about any less terrifying. :)
pockets says
I felt the same way (meh) at the 6 week ultrasound but at the 12 week ultrasound I started crying with (happy) emotion. And I’m not really a touchy-feely, emotional person. So even if you don’t feel it at first you might get there eventually.
I had fertility problems. When I first found out it I felt this unstoppable urge to get pregnant. And then once I actually became pregnant I was like, Wait. Maybe I didn’t think this through all the way. I still kind of think that and baby is 8 months old.
JEB says
We heard the heartbeat at 7 weeks with a t-v ultrasound. I didn’t really feel much just seeing the blob on the screen, but when I heard the heartbeat and the tech noted how strong it sounded, I immediately felt a strange, overwhelming sense of pride that her heartbeat was so healthy. I think everyone is different though :) Regardless, it’s pretty neat how early they can hear it!
Tunnel says
They can usually find the heartbeat at 6 weeks with trans-V ultrasound. It’s amazing that they can see something so small! But don’t be alarmed if they can’t find it that early – sometimes it takes up 8 weeks to see. Good luck, and congrats!
JJ says
First off, congrats to both of you! Even though we tried for over a year before we got pregnant with my first, it was still terrifying and exciting to see that positive test.
oil in houston says
I’ll second the above, I’m 28w pregnant, and I still have moments of ‘what have I done’ even thought I REALLY REALLY wanted this and do love her unconditionnally already. It doesn’t make you a bad person, it’s just part of the process.
oh, and CONGRATS!
B says
First, congratulations!
Second, don’t hesitate to buy some low-waisted (as opposed to over the belly) maternity pants. The elastic waistband I found actually hid more than trying to squeeze into regular pants, even using the bella band, and no one can tell they are maternity pants as long as your top covers the waistband. And you will also love these pants post-baby when you are trying to get back down to your regular clothes. I think so many first time moms try to hold out as long as possible to avoid maternity clothes, and while I get that for tops and some dresses, I really recommend not holding out on the pants.
Tunnel says
Totally agree. Plus, from what I am told, the pants that fit you in the first tri are likely the pants you’ll be wearing post partum for a few weeks.
9M to Go says
Thank you all so much! We haven’t told anyone yet, so I’m really in need of support. And you all stepped up. :) I read some of these to my husband, so thanks for the chuckles. :)
Meg Murry says
As an only occasional formula feeder, my favorite formula product was the premeasured sticks that only made 4 oz. Technically once opened a can of powdered formula was only good for a month – but I could leave these sticks in the diaper bag or with my mother and mother in law and know that they would last for a lot longer, and they were pre-measured so I didn’t need to worry about leaving them with a scoop, etc. Plus I signed up for the formula coupons to my house, my parents, my MILs and again to my house under my maiden name, so with a$5 coupon that brought them down to $5-$7 – totally worth it.
http://www.target.com/p/similac-advance-powder-packets-16-count/-/A-11056309
On a separate note – I am so grateful that my daycare didn’t require us to mix up the formula for them. They provided Similac free, AND they washed and sterilized the bottles for us nightly. They also had a fullsize fridge and freezer so I could leave both fresh and frozen breastmilk – it was great. And once the kids start eating food, they provide a healthy breakfast, lunch and snack daily. I never knew this wasn’t common until I started talking to other daycare parents. If you have the option to go with a daycare that provides food – go with it, it is so worth it!
Pogo says
That’s such a good point about food/formula at daycare. Right now the “sticker shock” of daycare is still in effect for me, and I’m looking around at different places to see which are more affordable purely on a dollar amount basis. Some of the places provide food and I sort of didn’t think how much money (and effort! time!) that could actually save you in the end – definitely something to consider when comparing.
Lynn says
This pitcher is the greatest! No air bubbles at all! You can make a whole day’s worth and stick it in the fridge to use as needed. We used Similac organic, and the organic formulas have kind of a grittier texture than the others, so it’s really great for mixing those.
I also used it when I was going through my stash of frozen milk bc I would mix the thawed milk with some formula to make it last longer.
My other formula tip, even if you’re planning on breastfeeding, is to take the free formula from the hospital and sign up for the formula rewards checks. The stuff will probably come in handy at some point, or you can donate it to a local diaper bank or food bank. I think the lactation consultants at the hospitals have duped people into not taking advantage of this, but you totally should.
CPA lady says
Something I found handy, for those who are planning to at least use some formula, is to sign up on the Enfamil website. I signed up there and last week got a giant box with two full size containers of formula powder (newborn and infant), and a number of those individually wrapped serving packets. They also included a little booklet about nursing, combo feeding, and formula feeding. With the stigma surrounding formula these days it can be hard to find information on how to formula feed, and I found the booklet very useful.
Also, a shout-out to the Dr. Brown stuff in general– I’ve been exclusively nursing up until this point, but my baby has had one bottle of formula three days in a row from a Dr. Brown bottle, and she had no issues whatsoever switching back to nursing. Apparently the Dr. Brown bottles are supposed to most closely mimic the feel and speed of nursing. I have no idea if that’s true or it’s just marketing, but it’s worked for us.
ANP says
+1 for Dr. Brown’s bottles — we used them with both our kids and they’ve been great. Lots of extra parts but we had a dishwasher basket so it was no biggie.
WLC says
We have this pitcher and love it! It is so nice to be able to mix a full day’s worth of formula once and then just use it as needed. Especially in the early weeks when we were still figuring out how much the baby needed each feeding.
Spirograph says
How long can you store mixed formula for? I thought it was only a couple hours… but if people are mixing it for the whole day, I must be wrong. By the time we started supplementing with formula, we didn’t need it in the volumes that would have made this picture useful, but I can see how it would be great if you’re preparing lots of bottles every day.
Lyssa says
It’s a few hours at room temperature, but I think that if you refrigerate it, it’s fine for something like 48 hours, at least.
mascot says
For formula mixed from powder into the pitcher, we kept it 24 hours. Half-eaten bottles we’d put back in the fridge until the next feeding (so a couple of hours tops). I imagine that formula companies would tell you to toss the remainder of unfinished bottles though.
Spirograph says
Yeah, maybe that’s where I got it from. We definitely tossed half-finished bottles of formula if they sat for more than half a day (not bre@st milk, though, so that was a strange double standard on our part). Good to know for next time around. Thanks!
RR says
We never saved half eaten bottles at all, but formula in a pitcher–24 to 48 hours.
We had two pitchers similar to this that we used with my twins to mix up bottles for two days at a time. With Baby #3, we just keep the pitcher in the fridge and pour as necessary and then make daycare bottles the night before. Still nice to have two pitchers (one in fridge, one in dishwasher).
(former) preg 3L says
So I am just really angry and frustrated with my whole personal situation today. Yesterday, H tried to take baby from daycare without my knowledge or consent. Fortunately, daycare didn’t allow it! Today, H emailed me a long email about how he wants to get back together and he loves me so much, but I need to change to make him feel more appreciated. I feel angry and manipulated and I want him out of my life and out of my baby’s life, but I don’t think that’s ever going to happen. I wish “verbal and mental abuse and manipulation” were valid reasons for a restraining order. Unfortunately, I am told that I need “concrete examples” which are impossible to come up with. /endrant
JJ says
Woah. It seems like taking the baby from daycare without notice or consent is NOT OK. Have you talked to your lawyer about that?
And from what you said about his email, it just confirms everything that you’re doing is correct. I love that you kicked him out of your house, but he thinks you need to make him feel more appreciated. No, you won’t be able to erase him from your life forever. But you’ll learn coping mechanisms to deal with him and maybe once he realizes that you’re serious about this, he’ll learn that he can’t worm his way back in.
Newly pregnant says
I’ll echo everything JJ said. That is not cool that he tried to take the baby without your knowledge or consent, and if you haven’t already I’d talk to the daycare about if/when H is allowed to pick her up.
This has been a long time in the making, and the fact that your H shifts blame to you and refuses to even accept responsibility for his part in your marriage, just confirms that you’re doing the right thing. Hugs.
Nonny says
Wow. That is SO not OK. Be strong. You are doing the right thing to protect yourself and your baby. And I’m so glad to hear the daycare would not release the baby to him. Hugs.
(former) preg 3L says
Also, it just occurred to me that he doesn’t have a car seat. So I’m not sure what he was planning to do with our 8-month-old baby once he got her out of daycare.
Katie says
Is trying to take the baby from daycare without consent enough to get a restraining order? I’d say a chat with the police might be in order…
CHJ says
Trying to pick up the baby without your consent is NOT OK. I would take him off the “authorized to pick up” list altogether. I echo everyone else who says to talk to your lawyer and talk to the police about this. I am not familiar with the law in this area, but it seems to me it’s awfully close to kidnapping.
And ignore his manipulative email. One of my friends went through this, where her horrible, manipulative ex would treat her like garbage and then say she didn’t make him feel appreciated. She’s done with him now and her life is so, so much better. You will get through this!
Spirograph says
Along those lines… I know you said that email has been the easiest way to communicate post-separation, but maybe you can ask him to communicate only through your lawyer and block/filter his e-mails and calls for a couple weeks. He would be unlikely to try those manipulative tricks through a 3rd party, and if he did, you’d be in a better position to provide “concrete examples” with someone else vouching for the events occurring. Plus, you would have proof that you had not been informed in the event he tries to pull the daycare stunt again. (That is very upsetting, but what a relief to know you can rely on your daycare not to release your daughter without your consent!)
pockets says
We formula fed from day one and the best thing I got was the Baby Brezza formula maker (link to follow). It was pricey and it’s not that hard to make a bottle, but considering the fact that you use it multiple times a day for a year it was well worth the price to me. And it made those 4am, baby-screaming-on-your-hip feedings a little bit easier.
RR says
I totally coveted one of those but never pulled the trigger.
pockets says
Realized I never posted the link: http://www.target.com/p/baby-brezza-formula-pro-one-step-bottle-maker/-/A-14681624
TAH says
Yes, this is the greatest invention ever! Is it necessary? No, but when we were feeding every 3 hours round the clock, it paid for itself in the sanity it saved.
Nonny says
OK. Tips, please. Or maybe I just need commiseration, I don’t know.
Last night my daughter had a difficult night with multiple nighttime wakings. Lately I have been asking my SO to man up and take half the nighttime wakings – which he never did until about 3 weeks ago. So as a result, both of us had a little less sleep than usual last night. Well, this morning I did my normal morning routine which involved getting baby up, nursing baby, changing and dressing baby, getting myself dressed and groomed (I shower at night these days), making breakfast for everyone (while SO watched baby), putting final touches on baby’s daycare lunch (mostly made the night before), gobbling down my breakfast, and then zooming upstairs for 4 minutes to put on my makeup before racing out the door. I’m sure many of you are familiar with this routine. All SO had to do was get himself showered and dressed, feed the baby breakfast, eat his own breakfast, and watch the baby while I did everything else.
Well, when I came downstairs to put my coat and shoes on (2 minutes earlier than usual, by the way), SO already had the baby and himself in the car, motor running, waiting for me (but of course hadn’t taken care of details such as putting her lunch in the car, etc.). Good, you say. But it wasn’t, because he didn’t do it out of a spirit of helpfulness. Instead, when I got in the car he was all grumpy and when I called him on it, he complained that he was tired of being late for work (he isn’t, ever), why am I always late, can’t I go faster in the morning, etc. I responded by saying no, I couldn’t go faster, I was already moving as fast as I could, and if he was concerned about the time we were leaving the house, we could either get up earlier in the morning or he could find some other way of helping me out more to speed things up. He then said, why should I have to help you when you are the one being late? I said, because we are a team and we all need to get out the door at the same time, and half of what I do in the morning is to get LO ready to go. Anyway, yadda yadda yadda.
I know this is probably partly because he was grumpy after too little sleep last night, but do any of you have any tips about how you have streamlined things, or how you share responsibilities in the morning? It is always a bit of a race to get out of the house but I already wake up at 6 to wake and nurse the baby (SO usually showers while I am doing that) and we should be able to get out of the house by 7:25 without issue. Tips, hints, and commiseration appreciated. Thanks!
ETA: Wow, this was long. Sorry.
JJ says
Ugh, the morning routine is the worst and especially after a rough night. One thing I’ve done is just give up on eating breakfast at home. I keep protein bars at the office for emergencies, but usually just bring something with me for breakfast each morning – yogurt, an apple and peanut butter, etc. It saves me some time each morning.
I think your baby is still young enough that she needs to be fed breakfast (and can’t feed herself), right? Eventually that will get easier once she can feed herself some food for breakfast. Even if it was just holding the packet of baby food and sucking the puree out, it was nice to not be “hands on” during the entire meal.
Your morning sounds a lot like ours in the division of duties. I think we’re out the door in an hour and thirty minutes on a good day (that includes both me and husband showering, husband eating breakfast, getting both kids breakfast and ready for daycare). Closer to 1:45 or two hours on rough mornings. But I will say that that when I was nursing, I usually gave myself 15-20 more minutes each morning to get ready.
Diana Barry says
In addition to JJ’s comments, I might think about making a list for your SO about the things that need to get done in the morning to get out the door. Then you can look at it together and hopefully he will realize how much you are already doing!!!
I usually put on my makeup at work rather than beforehand, so that saves a few minutes. I would also shower at night if you can, to make the morning less rushed.
mascot says
Laying out clothes ahead of time, prepping coffee and meals the night before, having one-handed breakfast options (protein shake while baby nurses?), these things may help.
But, disruptions will still happen. Baby may take forever to eat. Sleep deprivation and hiccups in schedules will make everyone grumpy. You can’t really fix that or plan around it. Those days are just a counterbalance to the ones where everyone is running ahead of schedule and well-rested.
NewMomAnon says
My husband and I used to have that fight before our baby came (now we leave for work at different times, so my schedule doesn’t matter to him). I finally started telling him the litany of things that needed to get done before we could leave the house, and told him point-blank that we would leave earlier if he did some of them instead of watching me do all of them.
But, if this came after a long night of fractured sleep, maybe hold off until you both come back to a more neutral starting position? Sleep deprivation is no joke. Also, my husband used to roll his eyes at all the “little tasks” I did that took up so much time, until I was hospitalized and he had to do all of it himself. He was stunned that my “little tasks” took more than an hour a day…and now he helps with them!
Sarabeth says
This. The best advice I got while pregnant was never to argue when sleep deprived. Instead, if we are tired, we will say “I want to put it on the record that we need to talk about how to get out of the house earlier in the mornings,” and then come back to it when we are both awake enough to have a rational conversation. The few times we’ve forgotten about this rule (including one night at 2 am), it’s been a bad scene.
NewMomAnon says
Also should have asked – can your daycare feed baby breakfast? Ours does, and once I cut that out of the morning routine, things moved more smoothly. Baby sits in her high chair and may still get some dry cereal or a spoon to distract her while I’m eating, but it’s nice to have two hands for myself.
Also, second the idea of setting everything out the night before. I pack all the bags (including my pumping bag), prep bottles, pick out my clothes, and set out breakfast stuff before I go to bed. It usually takes me 45 minutes to an hour, so if I tried to do it in the morning, I would need two hours to get out the door.
CHJ says
First of all, I find that my DH is a giant baby himself when we all get a bad night of sleep, so I would try to ignore his tantrum as much as possible.
That said, a couple of things that have helped streamline our routine:
– Like others have said, have breakfast at the office. Yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, or protein bars are all easy office breakfasts that are reasonably healthy. DH can similarly eat breakfast at his office.
– Routine, routine, routine. Have a few go-to outfits that she wears to daycare and just rotate through those so you don’t have to think of what she should wear. Same with her breakfast and lunch — have a few go-to options so that your fridge is always stocked with them.
– In general, DH can do anything you can do for the baby other than nursing. So if he’s done before you, then he needs to pick up more baby duties. It sounds like diapering, dressing, and making her lunch are some areas that he could help with tomorrow.
Also, just as a general husband maintenance strategy, I will often try to arrange the morning so that I get myself ready first while he takes care of baby things, and then I take care of the baby while he gets ready. That way, he’s not waiting around for me being grouchy, and there’s a good chance that I’ll get some carefree baby play time while he finishes getting ready.
RR says
When baby was a baby, Husband would get big kids up, fed, dressed, and make baby’s bottle. I would feed baby and dress baby and get myself ready. Then I would leave and Husband would get himself ready. Alternatively, he sometimes got up and showered before getting the big kids up and then got himself dressed while also feeding them and shepherding their dressing.
Now that baby is a toddler, same routine, but Husband gets baby up while big kids are eating and feeds her. Then one of us dresses her after I come downstairs, depending upon timing and whether he’s already ready for work (if he’s still in PJs, I usually ask that he do it to avoid last minute wardrobe mishaps).
(former) preg 3L says
My solution was to kick H out and get baby ready on my own. /bad joke.
Hugs, mama, you are doing great. Sorry your H had a tantrum this morning.
Anon says
Sometimes, you’ve just gotta joke to get your way through it. Proud of you (former) preg 3L – stay strong!
Nonny says
Hah! :-)
Humour much appreciated.
Trust me, it’s crossed my mind. Not seriously, but man, men are such wimps sometimes.
JJ says
Nothing is truer than your final sentence. If you haven’t had the experience of the family all getting sick at the same time, I’ll spoil it for you: men are wimps. This sums it up perfectly:
http://crappypictures.com/last-monday-started-like-any-other-monday-except-the-boys-were-being-unruly-more-than-usual-i-mean-this-was-the-beginning/
Anon says
+1. The man cold!
“For god’s sake, woman, he’s a man. He has a man cold!”
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/truth-about-man-colds
CHJ says
“I must have a stronger, mutated version of the virus.” DYING. That is DH, every single time.
NewMomAnon says
I like the idea of feeding posts that reach beyond nursing but mostly impact working women. Lunch boxes, meal planning apps, handy daycare or school bags that are easy to carry but can fit a lunch box (seriously, how do moms carry all this stuff?!!!), posts about tools and apps for feeding myself, it would all be helpful. I really appreciated the thread recently about feeding toddlers; I’ve got a few months until we hit that point, but it was nice to get a preview. Anything that can spur those kinds of discussions is valuable in my book.
Me too says
Yes! I don’t know what it is, but packing lunches and bags (even when it’s just my own) is my least favorite chore, even though I love both cooking and organization. It seems to eat up so much time!
Daycare Qs says
DH and I are touring the daycare we plan on using on Thursday. Any suggestions for things to look out for or questions to ask? Thanks!
(former) preg 3L says
Ask if they are going to put your baby on a schedule and what it will be, or if they will follow your baby’s cues. It will be frustrating if they try to impose a schedule on your baby that is out of line with the schedule you and your baby figure out while you are on maternity leave. Also ask about security – who can pick up, what sort of notice they need, how they keep track of babies when they take them outside, etc. And ask how quickly your baby needs to be picked up in the event of illness (ours says within the hour from when they call, if baby has had diarrhea 2x in one day, or if baby has a fever).
JJ says
Agreed with all the suggestions above. I’d ask if you’ll need to make bottles in advance or can just send the formula, how/if bottles need to be labeled, how often the room and toys are disinfected and cleaned, if they provide any meals/snacks or if you’ll need to pack your own, discipline theories (time out, etc), what happens if you’re late to pick up, and policies on administering medication (for example, we have to provide copies of the prescription documents for them to administer any medication).
Pogo says
Ask about their support of breast feeding and/or cloth diapers, if you plan on either of those.
With respect to breastfeeding, I had a friend who loved her daycare, but they didn’t support breastfeeding past 12 months. My friend usually nursed the kiddo during the morning drop-off (to skip a morning pumping session, or if kiddo was extra hungry), and once she was out of the infant room the daycare asked her to stop. I suppose it was sort of a “decency” issue but it was very weird, since room was full of other moms and little ones, many of whom were presumably still breastfeeding or had just weaned. I can’t recall if they let her leave bottles past 12 mos old. It seems like a decision you should make, when you wean, not your day care.
CHJ says
In addition to the infant room, I would pay attention to the kids in the toddler and pre-school rooms. Do they seem happy and engaged? Do you like how the teachers are interacting with them? Is the space clean and bright and colorful? How much time do they get to spend outside? And how much of that is free play time versus organized walks? If you like your daycare, your child’s time in the infant room will be fairly short compared to his or her time in the toddler and preschool rooms, so you should make sure that those rooms work for your needs as well.
And another big question, given our discussion above — do they provide breakfast and lunch for the toddlers and preschoolers? Our daycare provides breakfast, lunch, and a snack, and all the children eat the same thing. It has been an absolute lifesaver to not have to pack food everyday. I love that he is eating a broad, healthy diet and I don’t have to shop and cook it everyday. (The infants all eat food from home, obviously. Group meals start in the toddler room).
Anon says
Plus he’s learning that he doesn’t always get to choose what he wants to eat/doesn’t always get his favorite foods. Invaluable. “You get what you get and you don’t get upset” and all.
mascot says
Group meals really helped my child develop a wider palate. I also credit daycare with helping my kid be a sound sleeper. He is pretty tolerant of noise and light when he sleeps thanks to naps in a roomful of kids. He would only nap in the swing at home for me, but daycare had him sleeping in a crib for naps. This was helpful when he started to outgrow the swing.
Go online to your state licensure agency for daycare and read the rules for centers in your state if you haven’t already. Each state is slightly different on things like allowing babies fresh air, time spent in bouncers/swings, ratios, etc.
Daycare Qs says
These are so helpful! Thank you so much. I really appreciate this community. I welcome any further suggestions as well!
NewMomAnon says
Ask about staffing and ratio management! I spent the first month totally confused about who the teachers were for my kiddo’s classroom, and it was a bad feeling. Once I finally asked, I learned that there were “swing” teachers who moved between classrooms and that kids sometimes got shuffled between classrooms to manage the state-mandated ratio requirements. I really needed to get to know ALL the infant teachers and not just the three whose names were on the door of my kiddo’s classroom. Ask to meet all the teachers who might appear on a regular basis in your baby’s classroom. Ask about turnover; high staff turnover at a day care center is often a red flag.
Also, daycare sleeping is a big issue. Ask if they will swaddle (many daycares won’t), if they will allow baby to sleep in a swing or on the floor, see if they have a dark and quiet sleeping area, ask if they have bassinets (if your baby will be small enough for one), whether they will work on sleep training during nap times (double edged sword – it’s great if you need to sleep train, but if you have a light sleeper, it is not a good thing to have a crying child in the next crib). These things never crossed my mind when I was pregnant, but if I had another kiddo who slept as poorly as this one, I would do in-home daycare just to avoid the daycare center rules regarding infant sleep.
Watermelon says
+1 on meeting the teachers. Moving kids and teachers between rooms can be great if it’s done for the benefit of the kids.
You might want to ask if all the kids are vaccinated.
NP says
Any advice on what a 6 month old should wear to sleep? He was in a swaddle me, and when he outgrew that a merlin’s magic sleepsuit. Now he has outgrown the sleepsuit and was rolling over in it. He is 6 months and wears 12 month size in most brands. He had been wearing just pjs for the past month or so, but now that it is cooling off, he is so cold. Should I do sleepers with a sleep sack over it?
KJ says
My 6 month old is also size 12 months, and she wears a sleeper with a sleep sack over. I also bought a couple of fleece sleep sacks for when it gets colder.
ECR says
We started using the Halo Early Walker Sleep sack at 6 months. It runs large, but my daughter is big for her age. We got size medium. http://www.amazon.com/Walker-SleepSack-Fleece-Wearable-Blanket/dp/B00B1M2V6M/ref=pd_sim_ba_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0FJHTBY7A2FD9FWBTKSG
Baby loves having her legs free in the crib, so this worked better for us than the traditional sleep sacks. Underneath she wears cotton footed pj’s from Carter’s or Gap.
If your son was used to wearing the magic sleepsuit, he may also prefer one of these early walker sacks to the sleeping bag type sacks.
HChoi says
I would definitely be in favor of including feeding supplies for feeding tuesdays!
KateMiddletown says
just don’t confuse this with your french press in the am.