Originally Posted by mabell:
People normally say "exclusively breastfed" to mean no formula or milk...they still eat foods like any other infant.
I think breastfed babies seem to get held a little more than formula babies (possibly creating more of a "need to be held" for them) but babies are babies. I've had experience with great bf and formula infants...and fussy bf and formula infants...saying one is fussy just because the way they are fed is silly. It's more likely due to patenting choices (cosleeping and gentle parenting seem to be practiced by those who breastfeed more than those who formula feed) but that shouldn't be a blanket statement.
If you, as a provider, cannot commit to pace feeding a bf baby like the parents have requested, maybe you should bring it up to the parents and let them decide if your care is a good fit for their child. Overfeeding infants has been linked to childhood obesity...which leads to multiple other lifelong health issues. I would never want to be responsible for that. The little 5 minute intervals of feeding between at least 5 minute breaks is simple enough for me. It all depends on your group and how you run thing though.
In the end, I think the parent should get final say over what is important to them.
This is true! I was always up front about what I could and couldn't do for parents, and asked them for specifics on what they're looking for in a caregiver. This saved a lot of headaches for both parents and I, I think it's all about being on the same page!
Again, I'm not saying one way is right or wrong, or trying to "shame" a parent for the decisions they make. I'm just saying there has to be an open dialogue in terms of expectations and and what is going to best serve the child during their day.
the reality for many providers is that some parents form this ridged idea of how they are going to parent, but then go off to work for 8 hours a day, leaving the child and provider to deal with the consequences when that plan doesn't really work.