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Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum.

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum.

Nurseries

Starting Nursery @ 6 months.

23 replies

mairimac · 05/04/2006 20:38

I started work this week and started my son at Nursery the week before for 3 mornings a week. This week he has been 3 full days. However things haven't gone well. He won't eat solids or take milk while he's there! He is also now refusing solids at home! Other than that he seems okay to be there but am worried as he's not eating or drinking there.
I feel like it's my fault, not sure what to do to introduce the solids again. Or if I should pull him out of nursery and give up work :(

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morningpaper · 05/04/2006 20:39

I wouldn't worry too much about what he is eating - how is he at nursery? Does he seem ok or is he crying and unsettled all the time?

mairimac · 05/04/2006 20:44

They say he is ok at nursery, although today they say he was very clingy and cried a lot. I can honestly count on my two hands the number of times my son has cried in 6 months. So am worried it will change his calm personality.

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bubble99 · 05/04/2006 20:48

Is he well? Be aware that he will be coming into contact with more coughs and colds etc.at nursery, this is normal. He will eventually develop a fantastic immune system and be virtually immune to bugs.

tanbal · 05/04/2006 20:54

I know it's hard but try to be patient. Dont forget its a big change for son so he is going to be unsettled. Once he gets into routine hell soon settle. My son started same age, was unsettled for a few weeks but gradually got better. Now at 2 he loves it and its the best type of childcare ive used (I have 3 kids & Ive used them all!)

Catilla · 05/04/2006 20:55

My ds started at 6.5 months and had a bad couple of weeks with not wanting milk/food, teething, and colds. Since then he's loved it and I don't regret it at all. We did 3 months at 3 days/week then up to 4 and have now been there 15 months.

Since he's only just old enough to be trying solids, I really wouldn't worry about that part - he'll still be getting his calories mostly from milk. Personally I found the nursery environment where other babies are eating and they're left a little to themselves - meant good development of eating habits in his own time. Also 1 week of a different reaction isn't anywhere near a permanent situation. Just wait till you have a fidgety toddler on your hands :-)

Make sure you give him a good milk feed morning and evening and he'll be fine. My ds had a hard time transitioning to bottles/formula/nursery around the same time and eventually got used to it. Learned to hold his own bottle too!

Don't worry it does take a little time - but like most things with little ones, it's horrid while it's happening and soon enough you wonder what you were worrying about.

mairimac · 05/04/2006 20:57

I am trying to be as relaxed as possible. But I just feel like I'm loosing my lovely settled and placid wee boy. He doesn't seem as content and happy as he was, gets frustrated more often and I'm not sure if it's just him getting older and more aware or whether something is wrong. If he won't eat or drink all day - how will he develop and grow?

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mairimac · 05/04/2006 21:00

I'm also a little worried about how they feed a young baby. Yesterday they tried him with lamb casserole and he threw he one mouthful and was sick all over them. Lamb casserole for a 6 mo old baby who's only just started solids? Very scary indeed.

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morningpaper · 05/04/2006 21:02

Lots of babies (esp breastfed) don't eat at nursery - mine never did and still often doesn't and now sh'es THREE! But she still loves nursery

They change A LOT at this time and they are crabby and different for all sorts of reasons that you can't know

I know this is HORRIBLE HORRIBLE for you, but it can take a while to get used to it (esp. for YOU) because it is a change - that doesn't mean it's a bad change - it is just different

morningpaper · 05/04/2006 21:03

mairmac that sounds NOT VERY GOOD - you should sort that out ASAP

I have just had my6 month old start nursery and they will not feed her anything new - I have filled out about 30 forms about her eating habits

Are you happy with the nursery? Is this the reason behind your real worry?

mairimac · 05/04/2006 21:09

Yes I am worried, the staff seem young, and unable to cope themselves, but we don't have any other nuseries that take small babies near us! I don't know if it's because I'm being so critical and feeling so guilty about putting him in nusery to being with, that I'm finding fault in everything. They seem loving enough capable:(

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mairimac · 05/04/2006 21:09

sorry - meant to say, loving enough but not capable.

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bubble99 · 05/04/2006 21:10

Do you have any registered childminders near you? That might be another option?

bubble99 · 05/04/2006 21:12

Loving and capable sounds good to me.

bubble99 · 05/04/2006 21:15

Oh sorry. Not capable. I need specs.

mistressmiggins · 05/04/2006 21:19

as far as changing personality, I dont believe this - my DS has always been & still is very laid back - you STILL have the most influence so dont worry

I bf both myt children and they struggled to begin with at nursery with milk BUT still ate food and because the staff werent worried, I wasnt

the most important thing is thatr YOU have confidence in the staff
If you do, let them get oin with looking after your child (hard though)
If tyou dont, then you need to do what you think is right

IT IS VERY HARD

mairimac · 05/04/2006 21:26

I know I need to give it time, time for him to settle in, time for me to get used to it and to give the staff at the nursery time to know my son and his ways. I'm just finding it so very hard and feel so guilty and this is stressing me out - probably not helping my ds very much as he probably feels it too! Just worried he looses weight, gets sick etc.

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tanbal · 05/04/2006 21:44

You are probably right. If you are anxious he will be anxious. The trick is be anxious but try not to show it. Be positive when you take him and pick him up from nursery. When you give him food, if he doesnt want it dont push it. Try again later. If hes hungry he will eat. You will feel guilty, because your not in constant control anymore, but whatever childcare you use you will have this problem and anxieties about the same or different things. Give the nursery a decent chance, then you know youve tried, so if it does`t suit him you will feel better about changing childcare if need be later

morningpaper · 06/04/2006 20:56

my 6 month old dd was at nursery for her first full session today (5 hours) and only drank 1 oz of milk - so we are in the same boat! :)

mairimac · 06/04/2006 21:43

Today he did better on the drinking of formula side but is still refusing solids:-( He seems quite distressed too, not his usual happy self. Can sending them to nursery change their disposition? Every day I pick him up he has red eyes likes he's cried a lot. Yet in the 6 months since he's been born he's hardly cried. I'm always getting asked why he doesn't cry and what makes him cry!

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madrose · 06/04/2006 21:54

Would it be possible to spend some time with your DS at nursery, in other words take a morning or afternoon off just to watch how the staff interact with him?

I did that with my DD and it did help, so after a fortnight she was much more comfitable with the place. also I help to watch the staff around other children, that helped to build up my trust with them.

I hated it at first cried all the time, - that was me. Still have major guilt issues, but DD is still the calm happy baby that she has always been.

I do feel for you, it is such a horrible feeling. am thinking of you

madrose · 06/04/2006 21:56

meant to say - it help too watch the staff

madrose · 06/04/2006 21:56

meant to say - it help too watch the staff

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madrose · 06/04/2006 21:56

meant to say - it help too watch the staff

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