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Infant feeding

is it possible to continue BF and return to work when my job involves travel?

2 replies

sheepysheep · 16/01/2016 21:36

I would really appreciate some advice on continuing BF when I return to work. I start on Monday and my job involves travel. Some weeks I work from home, but others I'm away 2-3 nights. I also can be away for up to two weeks at a time on international trips. DS is 1 and has been a joy to feed. He's down to bedtime feed and demand through the night - usually once around 4am. He loves solids and eats three good meals a day plus snacks. He drinks cow milk from a beaker. But he still loves his boob. For the last two nights I haven't fed him. It has been torturous, he hasn't reacted well and we were up several times each night comforting him. Same again tonight. He's asleep for now, but I've no doubt he won't be for long! It's so hard knowing that all I need to do is feed him and he will be happy. My initial thought was that I need to persevere as I can't guarantee being here to feed him as of Monday. However after last night I'm wondering if I could just feed him when I'm home? Has anyone done this? Which option would be better for him - cold turkey or sporadic feeding? I will be away two nights on the trot next week. My boss is somewhat disorganised and my job is quite reactionary so I never really know what I'm doing, though he has indicated that the first "big trip" will be late April (two weeks away from home) so I will have to wean him by then (especially as I will be in rural Africa and don't fancy getting mastitis!). I would have plenty of time for him to get used to sporadic feeding and with any luck he will be happy to stop on his terms by then (my older son stopped when he was just 1).
I just want to do what's best for him and am really unsure whether cold turkey is best, or carrying on with the caveat that the nights I am away will be confusing and stressful for him.
I have tried expressed milk (beaker and bottle). He refuses both so that's not an option. It seems to be the comfort that he wants. I gave him his cow milk tonight with my top off so he could have skin to skin. He seemed happy enough until I put him in the cot. He normally has boob then self settles and goes to sleep - he has never fed to sleep.

It goes without saying that I'm feeling massive back to work guilt :-( Any advice or thoughts would be really welcome

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CMOTDibbler · 16/01/2016 21:41

Yes, you can. I started travelling again when ds was 6 months, back to long trips when he was 1 and he continued to bf till he was 23 months old.
We just did it that when I was around he bf, when I wasn't dh would bottle feed him EBM or cows milk when he was older. I never gave him a bottle.

I didn't get mastitis or have any problems on the longer trips - at that point I would just express morning and evening and it seemed to work out.

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sheepysheep · 16/01/2016 21:47

Thanks **CMOT, that's really reassuring to know that it can be done.

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