Breastfeeding your baby and running your dayhome?

[Daycare123]

Hey Everyone!

I am due to have my first baby in a few months and am planning on breastfeeding pretty exclusively. I had a friend ask me recently how I plan to breastfeed and run my dayhome. I have a really steady transition back planned where I will go from one daycare child to 3 over about 7 months ( I also have about 2 months off after baby) so I just figured I would learn a routine.

Did any of you do this? How? and how did you find it? Any advice is really appreciated thanks!!

[playfelt]

I had two of my 4 while doing daycare and had a week off with each one so we were breastfeeding and daycare. Generally I stopped programming during the first 3 months and we did a lot of free play and short bursts of me directed things. They learned there were breastfeeding rules like I changed diapers/pottied everyone, got them a snack and then started them to play. Then sat down to feed the baby. They knew during that time I was not available to get them any toys, help, etc. I was there just to monitor. It was a one strike move to another area meaning if I told a child to settle down or stop doing something they were immediately asked to move. IF I had to put down the baby to deal with them well let's just say they only let it happen once, lol. I sat in the playroom, covered with a blanket - they make really nice capes now. The baby slept in a playpen in the playroom during the day. I also manipulated the day so that feeding was partly on my available schedule rather than just on demand. The baby adapted just fine.

If you are going to have the two months off you will have to do the adapting in the sense of living your day as if it was a daycare day so that is the schedule the baby learns. Not feeding during what would be busy times - arrivals, snack, lunch, etc.

Also put down some foods that are easy to serve one handed and you learn to hold the baby and feed and do something else. Precut the cheese and put in the fridge, fill cups and put in fridge - then you only need one hand to serve snack. Precook lunches so you only have to put in microwave and heat and serve.

Daycare will be done differently for the first little while but I discussed this with my parents and tehy knew what to expect and were more appreciative of the no interupption than how many crafts we did. You learn multi-tasking - storytime while you sit on the couch and feed the baby and the kids sit in front of you - you know where everyone is and what they are doing. Ignore the routine you had with your first child. Subsequent babies get used to waiting, crying longer etc. With four kids ahead of them my last got very good at it and that didn't count any daycare kids.

[sunnydays]

My daughter is 18 months and I am still breastfeeding her. I started daycare when she was 8 months and she got used to being on a bit of a schedule.Yours will be younger, so you will have to feed more during daycare hours, but your child will adjust to the routine if you find quiet times to do it as playfelt suggested. People who wonder how we can breastfeed and take care of other children are probably those who have never breastfed...it is actually easier than bottle feeding as you don't have to prepare it or warm it and you can do it with one hand free whereas you need one hand to hold the bottle and one to hold the baby with bottlefeeding. Some people even breastfeed handsfree using a wrap or a sling...I never tried that as it seemed awkward to me, but you may have luck with it. People all over the world take care of multiple children and breastfeed...it is natural and you can do it. Nothing is easy, but it is doable and as I said, bottle feeding would not be any easier until the child gets to the age of holding the bottle him/herself, which won't be for quite some time.

[playfelt]

A lot of people forget that it wasn't that many years ago that babies started care between 4-6 months and were bottle fed. We managed just fine to get everyone fed, changed, played with etc. and you will find your groove too.

[mamaof4]

Have you considered using a sling or baby carrier? I nursed my kids in a moby wrap and a ring sling which left my hands free to care for the other kids

[Daycare123]

Thanks everyone! It seems you all pretty much think the way I do hahaha! I was surprised at the question when my friend posed it actually-because to me of course I would feed my child while running my daycare-but now I feel especially encouraged!

As most of you mentioned I do plan on feeding on a bit of a schedule-that works best with the daycare day. A lot of our day consists of free play and outdoor time because the daycare children are still quite young 1-2 years-thoughI make sure we have music, storytime and art as well-though each activity is about 20 minutes-again because of the young age.

mamaof4- I actually do plan on using a ring sling for feeding-hopefully I can do it sounds very useful!! Thanks again for the info everyone!!

[mom-in-alberta]

Good luck and congrats!! You will do just fine...