My son is 3 months about to be 4 on Feb 3rd well he's been in daycare for 3 weeks now and his eating habits aren't getting any better , he refuses the bottle at daycare and fusses a lot because he's hungry , I never breast fed so its not that ... What's going on when he's home he eats perfect ???
Could be temperature. One of mine wouldn't take a bottle if it was either too warm or too cold. Ask them how they heat their bottles, then try it their way when you are at home. If he refuses to take it, you have your answer,
Temperature could definitely be a factor. Is the daycare using the same type of bottle and nipple that you use at home? I'm assuming that you provided the bottles and nipples and did give them the same, but just in case, that really could make a difference.
You could also ask them how they hold your son. Is he sitting up or leaning on them in a rocking position or in a high chair or booster seat. Is he facing the daycare worker or facing away (one of my boys liked to sit on my lap and face away so that he could still see what was going on the the world while he ate). All of those thing could matter to your son.
Talk to the daycare workers about their routines. Maybe you could make some tweaks to your routine at home or could offer them some tweaks for daycare.
You could try feeding him while putting a blanket under or over him and getting your sent on it then bringing it to daycare. If he smells you, he might relax more.
Talk to the daycare workers and see if they have any other ideas. And hang in there (and try to relax). Feed him at home and give him lots of extra love!
it's probably something as simple as the temperature not being exactly what he's used to, or missing your smell, or being held at a different angle.
encourage your daycare provider to keep trying, tweaking what she's doing gently.
newborns go through rapid phases.
khairete
S.
I agree with Gidget and mynewnickname about temperature. That was the case for my babies. I breastfed but when I did get into heating up bottles to leave them with others - if they weren't heated to the right (probably different for every baby) temp - they wouldn't take them.
Mine liked them really warmed up a lot. I know my son's first sitter didn't heat them up enough so he was like "what, cold milk?" and never drank while there.
I would have to take some time and sit with the teacher. At the end of the day when he's starving and they don't have any kids in their care. Go in the classroom. Go fix his bottle. Have the teacher watch. Then sit down in the rocking chair and give him a bottle. Exactly like you would at home. See if there is something he doesn't like. Maybe there is an overhead light in his eyes or maybe she isn't holding him at the same angle as you do. Talk to her while you're feeding him and find out what's going on. There are SOOOO many tiny things that can be. Working together will surely help your son to settle in.
In a couple of months he'll be able to start rice cereal with formula so he can start learning to chew and swallow. Then he'll be able to add table food after he takes a bottle. He'll eventually eat. His body will demand he eat so he'll adjust.
I don't know what else to say. Other than perhaps if it comes right down to it you might have to take your lunch time and go to the center and give him a bottle so he can eat half way through his day.
If you go early, feed him a full bottle right before you leave, then go back at lunch, feed him, then when you get there to pick him up feed him again before leaving.
Point is that he gets used to eating THERE. Then you sit by the teacher while she's feeding him, trade off but sit there, and he'll get more used to the teacher.
There's no way I'd want a parent coming every single day feeding their child in my center but with a tiny baby I think I'd make an exception so he could have enough nutrition.
If you can't do the lunch trip because it's too far can dad make it there? He takes care of kiddo too, right? The more adults he interacts with the better he'll do at these tasks.
