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Are you on maternity leave and are planning to resume back to work? Do you plan to take on one vocation or the other? If your answer/s are yes, then you will surely need a daycare to help you man your baby when you are not around. If you need a daycare for your baby, then you will be searching for how to pack formula for daycare because it is very important. You are in the right place. Babies need to eat when they are in daycare and you must do everything to ensure they have all they need. This will ensure that they are comfortable when you are not with them.
This article will give you all you need to know on how to pack formula for daycare.
Grab a cup of coffee, cross your legs and let’s get started.
How much milk to send to daycare
The first thing you need to know is how much of the formula milk to send to daycare. But you need to know how the baby eats at home per day. Add an extra bottle to the numbers as a surplus, in case the baby decides to eat more or there is an accidental spill of formula from a bottle. For example, if your baby is eating about 5 bottles of formula per day, you can making an extra 1 or 2 additional bottles to it, making it six (6 or 7). Now, that you know the number of formula milk to send with your baby, the next question is, what are the best baby bottles to use for daycare?
Best bottles for daycare
You need the best baby bottles for your baby’s daycare feedings. Below are some good bottles you can choose from. I will also mention here that there are bottles that already have spaces for formula and water for your baby for daycare feeding. I will discuss some of them after this heading.
1. Dr. Brown bottles
The Dr. Brown bottle is one of the best bottles for daycare. It is an 8oz size baby bottle. It has a breast-like nipple shape that makes it easy for babies to latch as they do while breastfeeding. It is a baby bottle that your baby can use as they grow. It is dishwater safe.
2. Avent baby bottles
The Phillips Avent bottle is great. It is created to help reduce feeding issues such as gas, reflux, and colic. It has an air-free vent that makes it easy to feed babies in an upright position. It is easy to clean and assemble. It is a BPA-free bottle.
3. Comotomo bottles
The Comotomo bottle (a pack of 7-piece sets) is great for use in baby daycare. The pack contains two 5oz and two 8oz bottles and different nipples. It has a breast-like design that makes it easy for babies to latch and anti-colic vents that allow milk to flow consistently. It is easy to clean.
How to prepare formula bottles for daycare
Looking for how to pack formula for daycare for your baby? There are three distinct ways you prepare formula bottles for daycare. Check them out below.
1. Pre-making formula bottles
This involves preparing the number of bottles your baby is likely to drink a day from home. Then packing it for the daycare so that they can put it in their refrigerator and warm each bottle when the baby wants to eat. This way, they don’t have to struggle or rush when the baby wants to eat. All they need is a bottle warmer and the food is ready.
2. Use a formula pitcher with measured water in the bottles
The second way you can prepare formula bottles for daycare is to put the formula in a dispenser such as the Munchkin formula dispenser. Add the formula for each bottle/feed in the dispenser’s slots. Each slot can hold enough formula powder to make an 8oz bottle. Then measure the amount of water for the formula in the baby bottles and ask them to refrigerate it. When the baby wants to eat, they can warm the bottle, add the measure of formula to it and the baby can eat.
Also, you can mix the formula milk in a formula pitcher such as the Munchkin Smart blend formula mixing pitcher using the right measure of formula and water. The pitcher has a timer that tells you when the formula (the date) is made and when it will expire. It fits in perfectly in both big and mini-fridges. Ensure you mix the right amount for the daily feed of the baby, then pour then into the bottles and put them in a lunch box to take to the daycare. This seems easier than mixing each bottle separately. The formula should be refrigerated at the daycare. This way, it can stay up to 24 hours once mixed.
3. Use formula mixing bottles
The formula mixing bottles are much more convenient and time saving. They are baby bottles that come with spaces to put the formula at the top and space to put water below the formula inside the bottle. With this, you can just put the number of bottles your baby will use in a day for the daycare. The daycare can mix the measured formula with the water when the baby wants to eat. Check out some of them below.
1. Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature baby bottle formula dispensers
The Tommee Tipper formula dispenser bottle comes in a pack of six. It is an in-bottle formula dispenser inside a 9oz bottle. The formula powder section can take up to 8 scoops at once. This helps you to make baby food quickly, especially at the daycare. It is hygienic and there are no risk of milk spoiling and spilling. To use it, fill the bottle with water, fill the small pot with the formula powder, close and drop it in the bottle and screw up. When it is time to feed, unscrew the lid and remove the dispenser, pour the powder into the bottle, cap it, shake and serve the baby. You can also use them at home for the baby whenever you are not around. It is easier for a caretaker to use.
2. PopYum 9 oz Anti-Colic Formula Making / Mixing / Dispenser Baby Bottles
This is one of the best formula mixing bottle for daycare. The PopYum formula mixing bottle is a set of two 9oz bottles. It has a funnel that makes it easy to load formula and stops the powder from getting to the water section. It stores powder and water separately so that it is easy to make when the baby is hungry. All you need is to press the button and shake and the food is ready for the baby to eat. It is lightweight and easy to carry. Perfect for daycare, outings and night feed.
3. Inttero Preload / Formula Mixing Baby Bottle with Anti-Colic & Air-Free System
This is another great formula mixing baby bottle for daycare. The Inttero preload formula mixing bottle is a pack of two 9oz bottles. All you need do is to load your baby formula into the upper section and the water below the formula. When the baby is ready to eat, just press down the band at the center of the bottle and shake. The baby is ready to eat.
How to pack bottles for daycare – Labeling the bottles
Now that you know the measure of formula, the number of bottles, and the preparation, you next need is to label the bottles for daycare. This is very important because daycare is meant for babies, not yours alone. They can mix up the formula and give your baby the wrong one unintentionally. So, it is better to pack bottles for daycare with labels. Find out how to label your baby’s bottles below:
How to label bottles for daycare
There are two ways to label bottles. They Do it yourself method and using custom baby bottle labels found on Amazon for daycare.
The do-it-yourself method involves writing baby’s name on a masking tape and putting it on the bottle. This saves money but not time. At the same time, it may not be hygienic. This is because you have to write daily on the bottle. As you do this consistently, the glue from the tape will glue to the baby bottle and becomes difficult to pill off. This is not hygienic for the baby at all.
The second way is to use custom bottle labels. There are labels you can get on Amazon that come with personalization. You can paste them directly on the baby’s bottles. Find some of them below.
1. Custom baby bottle labels for Daycare
The Custom baby bottle label for Daycare is a silicone custom bottle label and it comes in different colors (e.g. blue, pink, and orange). You print them out with your baby’s name on them. The letters are easy and clear to read on the bottles. It doesn’t remove when you hand wash them. It fits on different types of baby bottles such as the Avent Natural bottles and Dr. Brown’s bottles. You can also use them on bigger bottles because it stretches to accommodate the size of bottles.
2. Custom Bottle Labels – 3 Pack – Silicone Bands for Baby Bottles
This is another way to label baby bottles for daycare. The custom bottle label is a custom silicone band that can be personalized with baby’s name and paste on bottles, kid’s tumblers, water flasks to help identify your baby’s items. It comes in different sizes that can fit different bottle sizes. It uses waterproof name labels and it is also BPA free, meaning it is safe for babies.
Conclusion
Above is how to pack formula daycare. You can premake the bottles from home with a formula dispenser and water in the bottle. You can send an already mixed formula in a pitcher with empty bottles and you can also get formula mixing bottles and package them for your baby’s feed at the daycare. Make sure that the method you choose is convenient for you. Some daycares also have their own requirements. So ask if the daycare has preferences.
