How should I send breast milk to daycare?

Sending Breast Milk to Daycare: A Comprehensive Guide
As a breastfeeding mother preparing to return to work, sending breast milk to daycare can feel daunting. However, with the right approach, you can ensure your baby receives the nourishment they need while you’re away. Here’s a detailed guide on how to effectively send breast milk to daycare.
Understanding Your Baby’s Needs
Before packing your breast milk, it’s essential to understand how much your baby will need throughout the day. Babies typically require feeding every 2-3 hours, which translates to about 3-5 ounces per feeding for infants under six months. If your baby is older and has started solids, their breast milk intake may decrease slightly.
Pumping and Storing Milk
To prepare for daycare, establish a pumping routine that mimics your baby’s feeding schedule. A good rule of thumb is to pump every 3 hours, which helps maintain your milk supply. When pumping, consider the following:
– Use Quality Storage Bags: Invest in high-quality breast milk storage bags that are designed to prevent leaks and preserve milk quality.
– Label Everything: Clearly label each bag with your baby’s name, the date, and the amount of milk inside. This helps daycare staff manage and organize the milk effectively.
Packing for Daycare
When packing breast milk for daycare, follow these steps:
1. Freeze in Advance: If possible, freeze your milk in bags ahead of time. This not only helps with storage but also ensures you have enough milk on hand.

2. Daily Packing: Each day, grab two to three bags of frozen milk and a bottle for immediate use. For example, if your baby typically consumes 3-5 ounces at each feeding, pack accordingly.
3. Use Insulated Bags: To keep the milk cold during transport, use an insulated cooler bag with ice packs. This is crucial for maintaining the milk’s freshness until it reaches the daycare.
Communicating with Daycare Staff
Before your baby starts daycare, have a conversation with the staff about their procedures for handling breast milk. Key points to discuss include:
– Warming Protocols: Ensure that the daycare uses a bottle warmer and never microwaves breast milk, as this can destroy nutrients.
– Storage Practices: Ask how they will store your milk and how often they check the dates on labeled bottles to ensure freshness.
Maintaining Your Milk Supply
As you adjust to this new routine, keep an eye on your milk supply. If you notice a decrease, consider increasing your pumping frequency or adjusting your diet to support lactation.
Conclusion
Sending breast milk to daycare doesn’t have to be stressful. By understanding your baby’s needs, preparing adequately, and communicating effectively with daycare staff, you can ensure that your little one continues to receive the benefits of breast milk while you’re at work. With a little planning and organization, you can make this transition smoother for both you and your baby.

How much breastmilk should I leave for babysitter?

Don’t leave more than 3-4 ounces of milk in bottles or storage bags. Babies are unlikely to eat more than that per feeding, according to O’Brien. Feed the baby every two to three hours. Parents should nurse right before leaving, says O’Brien.

How much breastmilk should I send to daycare?

Say your baby drinks 3 ounces of milk at every feeding and eats every 2-3 hours. If you’ll be gone for an eight-hour workday, sending 10 to 12 ounces of milk is a great starting point. Hey, you know your baby best—send the amount you feel comfortable with. Any extra milk can be used after pick-up.

What is the 5 5 5 rule for breast milk?

Something I recommend to moms is the 5-5-5 rule. Try and use milk within five hours at room temperature, five days in the fridge, and by five months in the freezer.

What is the 3-3-3 rule for breast milk?

The ‘Rule of Three’ guideline suggests allowing the baby to nurse for at least three minutes on each breast to ensure they receive a balance of foremilk (initial, thirst-quenching milk) and hindmilk (higher-fat, calorie-rich milk).

How do daycares handle breastmilk?

Most daycares will want you bring in prepped bottles that are ready to feed. Some may ask you to bring in clean bottles and bags of frozen milk. Other daycares may want you to bring in one clean bottle for feeding and Thermos-type container of milk that they will pour into the bottle.

How to bring breast milk to daycare?

Get enough bottles for your LO’s day, thaw the milk overnight in the fridge (preferred) or in the sink under running water, portion out each bottle and ship off to daycare. They’ll warm each one as needed for babe but unfortunately will have to toss any that wasn’t used as milk can’t be refrozen.

Can babies drink cold breast milk?

Breast milk does not need to be warmed. It can be served room temperature or cold.

How do you not waste breast milk at daycare?

Keep a few extra 1oz bags of breastmilk in the freezer or fridge. That way, if your baby’s caregiver really needs to offer your baby a little bit more, it is a small amount and won’t go to waste. Use the milk calculator to figure out how much your baby will need per bottle.

How do I send a breastfed baby to daycare?

Pump When the Baby Eats
A good rule of thumb is to pump at the same intervals that your baby is eating. Typically, this is every three hours. If your daycare sends updates throughout the day, use their updates as a reminder to pump. If you have the time, add in an extra session once a day to keep the momentum going.

Do you send milk to daycare?

How to send milk to daycare. Some daycares are fine with you sending clean bottles and bags of breast milk, but many others prefer that you prep the bottles yourself. And many parents prefer this as well, as it provides extra peace of mind that your breast milk is being handled correctly.