I recently accepted a full-time position at a local university, so Fussy Buns is headed off to “school.” Fortunately, a registered child care center in town had just one space available. My mind has been racing with questions as I prepare for this new chapter in our lives, and I have been worrying a bit about how to manage her food allergies at daycare. There are a couple of other children that have food allergies and also avoid gluten. The child care center typically provides snacks and lunch, and the owner is looking into offering gluten-free bread. It is great that they are aware of cross-contamination and reading labels, but I plan on providing all of her food, in addition to pumping breast milk, for my peace of mind.
Allergy Labels
I recently saw these allergy labels on another blog, It’s An Itchy Little World. I think this would be a great reminder at mealtimes for the child care providers. I haven’t ordered any yet. Maybe I will try making my own tag first to save money.
Food Storage
We just purchased the Blushing Monkey Dabbawalla lunch bag from Amazon. I really like that they are stain-resistant, machine washable, toxic free, and will keep contents cold for hours. It’s also a cute lightweight bag that Fussy Buns will enjoy carrying.
I also purchased the Gerber Graduates Mealtime Organizer from Amazon, but it will only fit on its side in the bag. I think I will use one or the other. I like that this box is spill-proof, leak resistant, and has a place to write a note or enclose a picture.
Milk
I plan on pumping on my breaks at work, so I can send Fussy Buns with some breast milk. She’s still nursing in the morning when she wakes up, before and after naps, and before bed! I was considering weaning her during the day and sending her with rice milk, but La Leche League warned that rice milk contains high levels of arsenic, in addition to not containing much protein or fat. My naturopath said it’s basically like drinking sugar water, so stayed tuned for more on making my own seed and gluten-free grain milk!
I have an Avent Double Electric Pump, and I use adapters to pump directly into storage cups which I can put a lid on. All Avent bottles and cups are interchangeable, so I bought an extra set of adapters to use with her sippy cups. I’ll send her to daycare with a cup (spout or straw) of breast milk and extra milk in a storage cup. There will be no need to pour milk and potentially spill it. Just unscrew the top and screw it onto the storage cup. You won’t even see the adapter. We’ll see how it goes.
It’s going to be so hard to leave my sweet baby all day with someone else, but this is just a great opportunity that I can’t pass up. I know it’s going to benefit my family in a big way. It has truly been wonderful staying at home with her for the first year.
Fussy Buns 