Anonymous wrote:My DD was born at 5lbs and for the first 6 months we had to monitor every single ounce that went into her. I pumped and our wonderful nanny was right with me with our schedule. Yes, we had to get every ounce that is in the bottle into DD take sure she was gaining weight and healthy. Sometimes she acted as if she didn't want it, but with persistence, she began to suck again. This is not "force feeding". If the milk or formula is in a bottle and baby is drinking it herself, this is just making sure she is getting what is required. Force feeding would be hold a baby's mouth open and pouring it down her throat! That would be abuse! Keeping a schedule and being persistent during feeding times, making sure each ouce is taken is defintiely reared in some situations. Luckely today, because of that persistence, DD is a healthy thriving baby girl and is up to 50th percentile for height and weight.

+1 I have been nanny for an infant who was not not gaining weight soon after birth. Although he caught up quickly, we had to be pretty strict with his feeding schedule to keep him thriving. There is nothing wrong with this at all. I worked closely with my MB at the time and monitored every oz in each bottle. We kept giving him the bottle until he finished all ozs if at all possible.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Forcing" a baby to finish every oz. in every bottle borders on child abuse. This is never an acceptable option for a 5 month old infant. Why don't you think the nanny should have an opportunity to discuss this issue with the baby's pediatrition?

I think we aren't taking OP's word here, because she didn't give us a whole lot of relevant information.

How do you force a baby to eat if they're not hungry? I've held a bottle there for 10 minutes, baby never started sucking because he wasn't hungry... so... I'm having a hard time visualizing exactly what it is OP is describing. Some more information might garner her more sympathetic posts.

You've never seen a child being force fed your world? I have. The way I have seen parents force feed a baby, is they keep shoving the bottle into the baby's mouth until the baby finally starts to suck the nipple. All this after the baby has repeatedly refused the bottle.

Sometimes babies are just finicky eaters, but that doesn't need they don't need to eat more than the "want" at that moment. It's part of developing a schedule. Even if this is not the approach you agree with, it is definitely an acceptable parenting approach and therefor MBs choice. It is not abuse in any way.

My DD was born at 5lbs and for the first 6 months we had to monitor every single ounce that went into her. I pumped and our wonderful nanny was right with me with our schedule. Yes, we had to get every ounce that is in the bottle into DD take sure she was gaining weight and healthy. Sometimes she acted as if she didn't want it, but with persistence, she began to suck again. This is not "force feeding". If the milk or formula is in a bottle and baby is drinking it herself, this is just making sure she is getting what is required. Force feeding would be hold a baby's mouth open and pouring it down her throat! That would be abuse! Keeping a schedule and being persistent during feeding times, making sure each ouce is taken is defintiely reared in some situations. Luckely today, because of that persistence, DD is a healthy thriving baby girl and is up to 50th percentile for height and weight.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Forcing" a baby to finish every oz. in every bottle borders on child abuse. This is never an acceptable option for a 5 month old infant. Why don't you think the nanny should have an opportunity to discuss this issue with the baby's pediatrition?

I think we aren't taking OP's word here, because she didn't give us a whole lot of relevant information.

How do you force a baby to eat if they're not hungry? I've held a bottle there for 10 minutes, baby never started sucking because he wasn't hungry... so... I'm having a hard time visualizing exactly what it is OP is describing. Some more information might garner her more sympathetic posts.

You've never seen a child being force fed your world? I have. The way I have seen parents force feed a baby, is they keep shoving the bottle into the baby's mouth until the baby finally starts to suck the nipple. All this after the baby has repeatedly refused the bottle.

Anonymous wrote:"Forcing" a baby to finish every oz. in every bottle borders on child abuse. This is never an acceptable option for a 5 month old infant. Why don't you think the nanny should have an opportunity to discuss this issue with the baby's pediatrition?

I think we aren't taking OP's word here, because she didn't give us a whole lot of relevant information.

How do you force a baby to eat if they're not hungry? I've held a bottle there for 10 minutes, baby never started sucking because he wasn't hungry... so... I'm having a hard time visualizing exactly what it is OP is describing. Some more information might garner her more sympathetic posts.

Is the baby formula fed? Formula fed babies actually do need to be on a relatively steady feeding schedule, and if her baby was underweight or was ever diagnosed with failure to thrive it may be extra important for her to have that consistency of caloric intake at specific times.

"Forcing" a baby to finish every oz. in every bottle borders on child abuse. This is never an acceptable option for a 5 month old infant. Why don't you think the nanny should have an opportunity to discuss this issue with the baby's pediatrition?

Schedules are great, as long as there is some flexibility involved in them. There usually is four hour cycle of eat, play, sleep at that age, with some flexibility between that time. The baby may be ready for a little more time between feedings. If you are keeping track of how much the baby eats at each feeding, you can show the mother that the baby just isn't hungry at that time. And maybe you can show her your log of when the baby is hungry during the day and how much the baby eats then. But try to work with the mother. If she is a new mother, she may have decided one way of doing things is the best.

A mother who wants her child to be on a schedule is not mentally ill. She may simply believe that a fixed schedule is best (and that is a perfectly valid approach).

I don't think we know enough here to assess the situation. From the little you've said it sounds like you're really over-reaching.

Than again "force fed" is strong language, and implies something more aggressive that firm scheduling.

So - hard to answer your question fairly.

I'm an MB of twins. Fixed scheduling was critically important for us when they were babies - and they responded very well to it. They ate, slept, played, etc... at the same time. Obviously that schedule evolved over time but I set the schedule, not the babies (or the nanny - for the most part).

My success doesnt mean that fixed scheduling is the only way, or that every baby is the same, but there is nothing inherently wrong with scheduling.

Anonymous wrote:9:41 here. How old is the baby? The mother may have some mental health illness.

5 months.

9:41 here. How old is the baby? The mother may have some mental health illness.

Anonymous wrote:Please explain more.

The mother wants the baby to eat everything in the bottle. She is on a strict schedule and is not allowed to go off from that schedule. Them other wants me to force her to eat her bottle at the set time even if she is not hungry. I have only done it once and felt so guilty afterwards. I have tried talking to the mother but she says it is her baby and she knows what is best.

I absolutely would not "obey" such an order until I have directly spoken with the baby's doctor. Stand up for the child, OP. That's your job.

Please explain more.

Anyone else have an MB that force fed the baby? I've had one in the past and wanted to see what everyone else thought about the practice and if you followed her instructions. i AM AGAINSt IT BUT NEED THOUGHT ON HOW TO BRING IT UP TO MY MB.