The past 2 weeks I have spoken to 2 groups of people. The first was a group 
of people who work in childcare facilities and the second was to a group that 
run daycare centers/in-home care. I spoke about the benefits of breastfeeding 
and ways they can support mothers of breastfed babies.  What I kept hearing 
from them was the frustration of having to care for a baby that is "used" to 
being held and nursed all day.  It didn't surprise me to hear this, but it did sort 
of "wake me up" to the fact that this is such a real problem.  I spend more and 
more of my time focusing on teaching parents about the importance of skin-to-
skin, holding, nursing in bed, ect. I can't imagine saying, "Before you start 
back to work you need to get your 4-6 week old baby used to a schedule of 
feeding and holding because the daycare will not sit around and hold your 
baby all day." 

I do have a number of mothers that voice their concern to me about how their 
baby will do in daycare since they are used to being held all day.  I feel for 
these mothers and babies.  I am not sure how to help them.  It would be nice 
if we had "attachment parenting" daycares!

Christine Lichte, IBCLC

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