Experience with nursing while running a Dayhome?

[mlle.coccinelle]

Today It kinda hit me in the face that I am due in one month... I'm planing on nursing my baby and I am taking 6 weeks off to make sure that breastfeeding is doing well... But I feel anxious about it!

Has anyone nursed a baby while running a Dayhome? How did it go? what was the parent's reaction to it?

[Trace of Angels]

I did, until my son was 2 1/2........I was open and honest and upfront that I was nursing when we were in interview stages. The families I signed all witnessed me nursing from time to time. It was fine and I had no issues at all! I hope it works as well for you :)

[playfelt]

I nursed three of mine in front of daycare kids and generally speaking the kids didn't care. Parents knew it was happening but also knew I was being discreet about in that I was not exposing anything to the kids - gotta remember this was 20-30 years ago before showing the boobs while feeding was acceptable - just covered us with a sheet.

I even answered the door a few times with baby attached - you get really good at cooking, cleaning, toileting etc. while still holding baby latchd on.

[mlle.coccinelle]

ahah yeah I can imagine. I have a smaller group this summer because of that. I want to make sure to ''survive'' the summer with a good lack of sleep and my active group!
did you guys use a babycarrier to nurse while at the park or on walks if need is or you would just sit down somewhere and play a game with the kiddos while you are feeding little one ?

[sunnydays]

I opened my daycare when my daughter was 8 months old and I continued nursing her until she was 2 (although at the end it was really just evenings). I didn't have to nurse nearly as often as you will be with a newborn baby, but still I did do it a couple of times a day in the beginning during daycare hours and it worked out okay. It was sometimes challenging because there were times when she wanted to nurse badly, but I could not because I was busy with diaper changes and needs of other kids. But, you will be getting your baby used to waiting right from the beginning, so I am sure you will do well! Good luck!

[playfelt]

Mostly it is about timing in that you learn to fit your daycare around your child's schedule and you do things because of the baby such as not going on a long walk or to the park but to the back yard instead and you sit in a lawn chair and feed baby while kids play. At first baby may feed often but you can let them go up to 4 hours so that means before daycare starts, once in the middle of the morning during freeplay, during afternoon naptime and then once kids have gone home and before you start supper, once in the evening and then while watching the late news then everyone is in bed for midnight and then ideally baby soon learns to lat till between 5-6 am and the routine starts over.

Remember a fussy baby needs a soother not to be nursed for food if the time is less than two hours. Slings weren't available and you just learned to hold the baby although if you tucked the blanket you had over around and up under your arm it made a nice rest and took some of the strain off and by the time the baby was too heavy to carry with one arm while walking and nursing they were generally going at leat 4 hours and you just planned when you needed to sit.

Babies are adaptable and you can adjust them to a daycare schedule too by waking them a few minutes early and they will learn to self soothe if you just leave them and go back to sleep instead of rushing to them at every peep assuming they need to latch on. In other words how well it goes may depend more on you and your schedule than on the baby.

[Momof4]

Wow, only one month to go! You must be tired! As you can see by my name, I nursed babies when I had only 1, then when I had 2, then when I had 3 and also when I had 4 children. See what I'm saying? You can do anything if you are organized and plan accordingly. Hopefully you can take a few months off for a break with your new baby and so that you have time to recover.

[Lou]

I'm doing this now! My son is 2 1/2 months old and I reopened 2 weeks ago. I nurse openly in front of the kids and none of them really care, he a fast eater (about 15 min tops) which really helps and I just sit in my chair and feed him while watching the kids play. My husband is currently taking a 6 month paternity leave as well which REALLY helps for when the baby becomes fussy so he can go and soothe him elsewhere so I can return my focus on the kids. It's very doable, and very rewarding...and very exhausting!! Wishing you a happy and healthy delivery!

[mlle.coccinelle]

Exausted you say? I need to fight with myself not to fall asleep every naptime!

my routine has change a little bit. we have less structured activities and more ''free play'' I sit with them on the floor and play what ever they want to play... but I let them lead the day! they think it's hilarious when i try to stand up since my body hurts ALOT! I only have 27 days to go...! I can do this right ;)

[Naftafia]

I nursed my baby as well with the daycare kids playing around us. It went very well. The initial challenge for me was to make the d/c father's comfortable with the fact that I was nursing and was not showing anything... because they instinctively looked away when they would notice that I was nursing, which made it hard to give them the needed info about the child's day :o The second challenge was that I did not have the time or possibility to care for my breast as I did with the first (no option to air dry :laugh:) so the cracking and stuff lasted longer.

Like the previous ladies said the trick is mainly to change the routine around to respect the child's feeding time and all will go well. Good luck with your remaining 27 days!

[briar_rose]

My son is 4 months and I EBF and have since the beginning. I only closed for two weeks and we have always had a great nursing relationship. My hubby is on pat leave for 6 months so I don't know how well it would have gone without him around to watch the kids while I nurse. My son will be in a routine when he goes back to work and shouldn't have to nurse as much as he'll be on solids then. I don't mind nursing around the kids but I find that I can't give as much attention to them or follow through so I prefer to go upstairs and sit in the glider in the nursery (plus I get a break with my babe).