Breastfeeding and working part-time - how will this work?

[bumbleweed]

Can anyone talk me through what my options are as I can't get my head round this.

I go back to work in 3 months time when my dd will be 12 months old. I will be working 2-3 days per week.

She is 9 months and still avid an breastfeeder. Have been trying to introduce a cup but not taking to it particularly well just yet.

If she wants to keep bfeeding on the days I am at home with her, will I need to express on my work days to keep up my supply?

If I dont express to maintain supply, will I need to express for comfort?

Would it be kinder to start weaning her off day-time feeds well in advance in order to lessen the shock of not having me for a whole day?

Would it be too much to do night weaning and day weaning in the next 3 months. I think I am going to need to night-wean because she wakes me 2-3 times to feed and the tiredness is killing me.

Sorry, long and confused, just not sure what my options are.

Hope someone who has been through similar will advise

[blueshoes]

Bumble, I had the same problem. Glad you are giving yourself and dd lots of time to prepare for your return.

A lot can happen in 3 months and your dd might very well take to the cup just in time for you to go back to work. Once she has turned 1, the nursery/carer can just give her cows milk in a cup. Also, by one year, your dd's solid intake would be better established and the carer can give her fluids in a cup/sippy bottle.

In my case, I knew I wanted to continue bf-ing. So although I went back to work pt, I asked for 5 days a week but reduced hours, so I minimised the separation from dd per day to about 7 hours for 5 days in a row. Did not express during the day. Just fed dd when I got home. She still fed loads during the night though . My supply was not affected and did not feel too uncomfortable during the day. Fed more on weekends.

But I appreciate that reduced hours is only feasible if your commute is not too horrendous, your work can accommodate and you can arrange the childcare around it.

[charmkin]

I did it twice.

How is she doing on solids? If you can get her to take water, she won't be hungry or thirsty and you can just feed when you are at home.

I tried to keep it to day and night for consistency but it didn't always work out like that. DD was more demanding, DS wanted it if I was there, and was ok if I wasn't.

[bumbleweed]

blueshoes, I've arranged my hours this way so that I can spend as many full days with dd as possible, and reduce the number of 'journeys' to work

I will keep trying with a little ebm or water in the cup and hope that I may be able to build up to some full feeds in the next 3 months.

Okay so you did not need to express during the day, thats good to know, as there is nowhere really I could do it where I work.

How did your dd take to just having cowsmilk/water/juice during the day?

[bumbleweed]

charmkin, she still eats very little solids at all - I offer 3 times per day and she just picks or has a few mouthfuls.

Have read some baby-led-weaning stuff and lots of the babies take to it after they get to 12 months, so hoping for this as she will be less hungry at nursery.

Did you cut to just morning/night feeds at the point of going back to work or did you do it a little earlier, more gradually?

Thanks for replying.

[PaintedLady]

just to add my experience fwiw
I went back to work 3 days per week - mon, Tue and fri when dd was 7 months and still avid bfer and no real solids just tastes. I bfed on demand (still do at 13 mo) when with her and til about 8 mo at night too. I found my milk supply was fine. When at nursery she had formula and I was a little uncomfortable in the early weeks but did not express and gradually my body got used to it. She now has much more solids. Initially - for 1st couple of weeks baby refused bottle and cup at nursery - to the poin tthey were worried enough to ring me at work - but eventually dd gave in to her hunger. This seemed to work for me. Now she is 13 mos she is on cows milk and I give her a bottle of that 3 times a day whether I am working or not but still let her suckle - more for comfort.

[popsycal]

Ok. Here is my story.

went back to work 4 days a week when ds2 was 6 months old. He needed 14 ounces while i was away and it was a nightmare. Expressed once at work and round the clcok at home....

It reduced soon to needing less in the days as his solids increased. By around 9 months, he needed about 6 ounces in the day which was rouchily what I was expressing at work.

Then when he was 11 months old, I reduced my hours to 2 days a week, I still express at work, more for comfort than anything (he is 17 months now). He isnt bothered about feeding when i am not there but will feed if I am. So I leave him a bottle of a few ounces if I have it, but if I don;t then he is fine. He still feeds lots in the day when I am at home (hnece the reason I express at work......will burst if I don't express all day

Oh and he is still feeding 2-3 times in the night....and yes....try to night wean if it suits you....i am haing that problem now

good luck - and shout if you want any more advice....I have done this for a year now so have pretty much got the hang of it )

[popsycal]

OH yes - just to add....occasionally I forget my breast pump or dont get the chance...I express as soon as i get home and it is fine. ALthough this is only working 2 days...

[blueshoes]

Bumbleweed, it might be a bit uncomfortable at first, so you might want to practise hand expressing into a cup top relieve. You can save it for dd (if there is a fridge in your office) or you can do what they call "pump and dump". I could not be bothered to faff around with electric pumps, particularly as I would probably be expressing in a loo cubicle (lol).

In the end, I did not need to. But if your separation from dd is longer than my 7 hours, it might be good to be prepared.

No magic to getting dd to take from a cup. Just keep offering it to her. Also, I started dd on short sessions at the nursery before I went back to work. She saw other older children drinking from a cup/beaker and was inspired to gradually follow suit.

[popsycal]

just to add
i expres in the toikets...ye si know a...and store the milk in a cool bag with ice packs

it can work if you want it to

[bumbleweed]

thanks popsycal and painted lady - good to think of all options

popsy, how are you going about night-weaning?

[motherinferior]

At 12 months you might well be in a position to give her cows' milk (organic if you prefer) for the daytime feeds when you're not with her, you know. I worked four days a week from the time DD2 was about four and a half months old and I expressed like mad for her (I'm based from home so it was easier to get the privacy to do so, especially when I switched to one of those cow-style electric double pumps!) and sent ebm along to the childminder. By 12 months she really needed much, much less which also meant that my body didn't have to masses of adjusting. I honestly did find (and I am Daisy the Cow with the Exploding Norks in the early months, I really am) that I could feed her three or four times a day on our days off together yet send along organic cows' milk to the childminder.

I'd night-wean though. It must be wrecking you.

[JennT]

Am going back to work on Wednesday and have had same problem. DD is 27 weeks and refused a bottle for ages. We have finally managed to get her back on it. I know it's stupid to PUT a baby on a bottle at 6 months, but I will be away from her 8.30-19.00 Wed Thur FRi. She would STARVE otherwise.

Have sorted out an area in a little used office to be partitioned off with those free standing notice boards, and they are buying me one of those little larger fridges to store my milk. They aren't expensive so if your work won't buy you one, you might be able to splash out yourself. It's giving me the peace of mind that the work fridge won't be left open while some idiot is standing talking. If the mini fridge isn't feasible, how about lining a lunch box with freezer blocks and keep in a communal fridge. If the door was left open you could be confident the temp around the milk wouldn't rise too much......

DD has been going to nursery very short days for 2 weeks too as a trial run. I have been expressing when I would normally feed her to check I am getting enough.... I'm not but she will just have to top up with formula.

Sorry this is so long. Good luck

[jabberwocky]

I worked 3 days a week from the time ds was 6 weeks old and expressed at work. If there's not a fridge available you can use an insulated bag with those special cold bags lining it no problem.