Daycare Bottle Mix Up

[amyamy1973]

I can't believe it. I'm back at work two days and already things are not great. I love the DCP's who are taking care of Simon (12 wks). His daycare is part of a school that DD (3.5) has been going to for a year and we've had a great experience with them --until today. I walked in to get the baby and found some substitute taking care of the babies and feeding my DS formula! Apparently someone had accidentally left another baby's can of Enfamil in his basket of supplies and she just thought it was his. It was an honest mistake but one she wouldn't have made if she were properly oriented to the room and trained. (Feeding instructions written by the parents for each child are posted on the wall.) I took the bottle away from him before he got more than 1/2 ounce and I know it's not the end of the world. But I'm so disappointed. I was really dedicated to DS having nothing but mother's milk for six months. I hate that even a drop of formula got in him. I tell you, the owner of the school is going to hear from me tomorrow!

[ColleenF30]

I would be yelling. What if there were food allergy issues???? I used to work in day care, and we took great care to make sure each baby was fed to parents instructions

[Mary_Mary]

As a person who is a substitute at a day care I can understand your frustration...and that of the sub who was responsible!

I hate it when I'm not totally oriented in the infant room. I'm so glad that at our day care ALL bottles need to be prepared ahead of time AND labeled with the childs name and contents. I get frustrated when parents put the label on the cap of the bottle and not on the body of the bottle. Once the cap is removed I have no way to tell which bottle goes with which baby. Those who work the infant room every day sort of KNOW which babies have which style bottles, etc, but I don't always know.

Of course, I'm also the parent of an infant and have had my own frustrations with policies and procedures and how they are followed at times.

[TayNRobbiesMom]

ITA w/ mary been on both sides there. ... good luck!

[amyamy1973]

I'm so glad that at our day care ALL bottles need to be prepared ahead of time AND labeled with the childs name and contents. I get frustrated when parents put the label on the cap of the bottle and not on the body of the bottle.

I wish my daycare had that policy. I prepare all of Simon's bottles everynight and put his name and the date the milk was expressed on the neck of the bottle, not the lid. But other parents don't label as much as I do. And this woman used one of Simon's extra bottles (for in case they have to dip into freezer stash) but put someone else's Enfamil into it. If the can had been labeled it wouldn't have happened. I got major apologies from the principal this morning and I really blame her, not the sub. They can't just drop a sub into that room without properly preparing her. I heard from the regular DCP that they had told the sub not to feed him before pick up. But he was crying and she made a judgement call. I'm not going to freak out about it. And I'm not going to count it. In my mind the record still stands, DS is exclusively breast feed for 12 weeks and counting. :)

[TayNRobbiesMom]

I know what you mean, amy. As a former "Sub" teacher, labels need to go on everything at home. we also had minilla folders on the wall w/ each child name on. Inside was the feeding instruction sheet parents had to fill out.

Maybe you could politely sticky note that extra bottle with a post it saying something like "please be sure to use milk in fridge before defrosting that in freezer" that may be a lil overboard BUT it will prevent another error. GOod for you for keeping your head!!

[Mocosita]

I'm so sorry.... I hope this is the one and only time you have to go through this.

DS is in in-home daycare and thankfully dcp was a bf mom too.... I was so grateful. She takes care of my milk like gold...

[dodoe80]

I feel sorry for your son. I keep formula packets in my son's diapper bag "just in case" a situation arises that there is no milk for him and I am not arround. My son can tell the difference between breast milk and formula and he doesn't take the formula as well as the breast milk.