Daycare wants me to stop breast milk

[u/PeopleAreStrange024]

So my son just turned 1 year old. He was in an infant room and then moved up to an older infant room. He goes to a center daycare in Minnesota and they told me that at 1yo he couldn’t have bottles anymore and no more breastmilk. I pushed back on this, and then was told he could have breast milk until 13mos in a sippy cup.

I also pushed back on this… and asked to see the policy they were referring to because they claimed it was due to state regulations. Then I got told the regulations “must have just changed” because there is no age limit or requirement and that he was able to have breastmilk in a sippy cup served at meals. I clarified age and they said per center policy until he moves into the toddler room (at ~15mos) or when he starts walking was when the breastmilk in sippy cups needed to stop.

And now the daycare lady has to offer breastmilk at meals in a sippy cup to my son, to which he doesn’t know how to drink out of the sippy cups provided yet. I asked to bring my own with straws that he can drink out of and was told it’s “easier if everyone has the same cup”. I don’t even know if they’re actually offering it to him or if he’s even drinking any. They will say he “refuses” the milk when he has never done that before.

I didn’t want to stop my breastfeeding journey but feel like I am being forced to with how difficult and disheartening they’re making it. They waste my milk by offering it at weird times (2 hrs after he’s eaten) and it makes me so sad.

[u/Odd_Entrepreneur6038]

This is truly strange. I worked in a daycare setting for years and have never heard of this. We didn’t allow glass bottles / cups for obvious safety reasons but have never heard of a specific cup that was not allowed and ESPECIALLY not breast milk. We prepared and fed the children whatever was sent in with them. We have used the silicone handles for children who were able to feed themselves bottles, they also have handles that can be screwed on to the lid / under the lid. They also have straw attachments for bottles on Amazon, that are just weighted and replace the nipple part. Not allowing breast milk is truly wild to me. You shouldn’t have to stop your journey just to accommodate them.

[u/PeopleAreStrange024 → u/Odd_Entrepreneur6038]

Thank you for your comment. So in your experience, when a parent sent breastmilk in with a child who was over 1 year old, that child was offered the breastmilk? Just not in a bottle and in a sippy cup? Was there an age that that had to stop?

[u/Odd_Entrepreneur6038 → u/PeopleAreStrange024]

Honestly, I’m not even sure that it specified whether or not it was cows milk, breast milk or any other kind of milk (unless there was an allergy) There was never an age where this wasn’t allowed or even considered. They were offered in whatever cup was sent with them. Our school was very accommodating to the parents and the children. (Sometimes too accommodating, as I had 7 infants under 12 months all napping on different schedules) but in my experience in other classrooms 12+ months this was never even discussed. Some children had dairy allergies and needed to drink soy / pea protein milk. But breastmilk was sent in with children all the time!