Can anyone offer advice on how I can go back to work and not stop breastfeeding? Supply issues!

[Caz10]

Hi! I will be going back to work FT for a fortnight when DD is 6mths old. I will then be off for 6wks (school summer hols) and then back to work again FT in August.

DD is ex-bf and currently feeds approx every 2-3hrs (she is 19wks).

When I go back to work for the fortnight in June my days will be approx 8am-5pm and I reckon if she is still feeding this often that means I will miss about 4 or 5 feeds per day. I am waiting to hear about arrangements for expressing - it will be possible only once a day max, if at all.

I don't want these 2 weeks to be the end of my bf-ing! So I suppose I am asking:

1. would my supply cope with dropping that many feeds for 2 weeks?
2. should I cutting back on feeds prior to those 2 weeks rather than go cold turkey OR will that just bugger up my supply even more?
3. is there anything else I should be thinking about?

Come August when she is 8mths, I am happy to give formula during the day and just bf morning and night if I can't keep up the supply of EBM, but for the fortnight in June I'd really like to keep her on breastmilk.

Any advice? Thanks!

[cmotdibbler]

If you feed as much as poss outside of work, I think you'd be OK over just a fortnight. I'd def get in an expression of some kind at lunchtime (even a hand expression that you dump), and then feed when you get back and pump afterwards to make sure that all the milk is removed. Thats what I used to do if I couldn't do my usual number of expressions during the day (although I have no firm basis for recommending it, it seemed logical to remove as much milk as possible, although obv not the same as more frequent expression).

I'd feed as normal in the run up.

Make sure you have plenty of good breastpads to cope with any leaking.

[Caz10]

Thanks! Do you think she might be feeding a bit less frequently by then, so I might be used to feeding less in that time? Or is 6mths still a bit early for that?

[Caz10]

Thanks! Do you think she might be feeding a bit less frequently by then, so I might be used to feeding less in that time? Or is 6mths still a bit early for that?

[Caz10]

oops sorry

[cmotdibbler]

Its quite possible - I seem to remember that DS did space his feeds out during the day from 18 weeks to 6 months or so, from 2.5 hours to more like 3.5, but was a bit different as I was working ft then.

[fleacircus]

Hi Caz - no answers for you but am interested as I'm doing the same thing but a month later, back to school for two weeks and then off again until September when DD is 8mths. Didn't know you were also a teacher! And share your worries, I think having struggled so much with BF initially I'm really reluctant now to stop. It sounds like things are going well for you now? Are you primary or secondary? I was planning to request a protected free period in the morning as well as the lunch break; legally BF women are entitled to additional breaks for this purpose, and anyway I'm assuming that as I'm going back for such a short period right at the end of the summer term I'll have no proper timetable of my own and just wall to wall crappy cover, so it wont interfere with timetabled classes.

[fleacircus]

Oh - also DD will be just past 6mths by then so hoping to introduce some vegetables and maybe a drink of water at lunchtime so she might need a little less milk during the day. Do you already have childcare in place for that two weeks? If not would it be worth finding something close to where you work rather than where you live so that you can shorten the length of your day - i.e. pick DD up earlier and feed before the commute rather than vice versa?

[Caz10]

thanks cmotdibbler! so you don't think it's necessary to drop any feeds in the run up? i really don't want to, but didn't know if blocked ducts etc might be a problem?

fleacircus i am in primary for my sins......how are you feeling about going back? i'm dreading it! i'm quite sure i can't remember how to do my job, also if dd keeps up this night-time feeding i'm worried about how downright exhausted i'll be!

i think i'll be back in class, but we do have the scottish equivalent of PPA time so might be able to get an extra expressing session squeezed in there.

luckily i have a very short journey to work, and dd will be nearby with a relative for that fortnight, so i'm even toying with the idea of having them bring her up to school at the end of the day so i can feed before i get on with marking etc. don't know how well that would go down mind you...!

good point re the water, hadn't thought of that.

are you going to try to keep your dd solely on ebm for the 2 weeks?

[busymum1]

could you not try expressing off in run up to those weeks to get a stock of frozen ebm then when you express at work try to alternate time you express so supply does not adjust?

[Caz10]

hi! are you mommafeelgood?! see, you were right, i can bf and it is getting better!! thank you!

good luck with going back to work. dd will also be 8mths when i go back properly after the summer, so i'm hoping things will be easier then in terms of her taking less frequent bfs anyway. good to hear it can be done!

busymum1 i've just been given an electric double pump, so will def be building a stash if i can, also using it for bottle practice with dd as there is the small matter of her not taking one yet...eek. unfortunately i think my time to express will be limited to lunchtime...think it would be worth also doing it at the end of the school day?

[busymum1]

to start try variflow teats if you can as these mimick flow from breast

[kiskideesameanoldmother]

Have only read OP

My dd fed every 1.5 to 2 hrs and i went back to work (teaching) at 20 wks. I fed her at 8:15, I expressed during my morning breaktime and at lunchtime. Picked her up at 4 pm and fed her at the nursery.

You will be expressing whole feeds so you will get more milk in each express session.

I don't understand why you will only be able to express once if you also have a morning break and a lunchtime break. I have to do one day's breaktime duty a week but frankly, i expressed first then went on the yard for 5 mins. No one questioned me.

Check your union's website on what it says about expressing at work as part of women's rights.

I also 'built in' a feed and expressed around 8.30 pm every night (including weekends) whilst MNing.

I managed to never give formula once i got back to work because I was so bloody minded about it. DD stopped drinking ebm at 18 months. Someone bring me my laurel.

[lyndyloo]

Went back when LO 7 months and really worried as she would never take a bottle. However at nursery she would take a couple of ozs and because she was taking some solids and water by then she was fine. She was in nursery 9-5, 4 days per week and we managed well.

2 BFs before nursery and 2 after and usual whenever on the non-nursery days. I expressed twice at work for around 20mins each time and got loads of milk. I gradually went down to 1 expressing session and by the time LO was 1 I didn't need to express at all as she wasn't having much during the day by then anyway. (I didn't tell work this for a while though and used the expessing breaks to put my feet up and read a magazine!!!!)

It will work out fine.

[HeadFairy]

I'm not in exactly the same situation as you, as ds is 7.5 months old. I start back at work doing a 7 day fortnight on monday. Because ds is a bit older than your dd he's down to three or four bf a day, morning, mid afternoon, bedtime and dreamfeed. I do really long shifts so I'll only be able to feed ds once a day, probably the dream feed, but sometimes I'll be able to do the mornings too (when I can't do the mornings I'll pump and leave it in a bottle for dh to give to ds).

I'm going to insist on at least one pumping session per day at work, and hopefully I'll be able to get enough out to replace one formula feed. If I keep it cold and bring it home with me, dh can give it to ds in a bottle the next day for his bedtime feed iyswim. I'll just have to put up with him having formula in the mid afternoon, although I'm trying to get the cm to give him a bit of cows milk and lots of cheese and yoghurt during the day and miss out on the formula.

I think if you can get through the two weeks pumping as much as possible (quite often when I've been away from ds, if I've only had a few minutes, I've pumped just long enough to get a letdown and every drop of milk that comes with that let down, it's usually about 10 mins) you'll be ok, and it'll be much easier after the holidays, as your dd will probably have dropped a lot of her milk by then, and like my ds will be down to about 3 or four feeds a day.

[Caz10]

thanks all!

headfairy that is what i am hoping re frequency of feeds...she has just fed so often for so long that i can't imagine it being any other way!

momma you are absolutely right, tis not in the slightest bit cheesy! i have noooo idea why i didn't cave to HV pressure to change to formula (a combination of MN and me being a stubborn cow most likely!) but I'm so glad now that i didn't. dd is still teensy, but all chubby now, so cute!

kiskideesameanoldmother we don't have any duties at break any more thankfully, but i have always found that by the time i take the class out, come back up to mark/tidy/prepare/whatever, go back down, the 15mins are up and I'm struggling even to fit in time to pee! (which was interesting at 38wks pg ).

lyndyloo did your LO ever take a bottle from you then? or just at nursery? I'd love DH to be able to give dd the odd bottle, but she screams the house down...sigh!

[Caz10]

fleacircus sorry, meant to ask last time, how is bf going for you now? We are getting much better at it!

[kiskideesameanoldmother]

heck, when I expressed at work, i made sure the kids and I were packed up and waiting for the bell at breaktime. I interpreted it into the employment advice that a woman should be given extra time in order to express. can you not do that?

[kiskideesameanoldmother]

and our break is 20 mins long which was helpful. I didn't wash my pump afterwards. just packed it up and skidaddled.

[Caz10]

you're right, i should be doing that with the kids anyway tbh to make sure i get a break if nothing else. i just know i'm going to end up feeling a little resentful when everyone else is enjoying their coffee and i'm running from one end of the building to another with my breast pump!

[MrsBadger]

I eat lunch, read a book and pump at the same time - take ypour coffee with you!

[Caz10]

i am imagining myself with some sort of small trolley now, heading off to my designated cupboard with breast pump, marking, lunch, coffee...

kiskidee did you find you missed out on interaction with the other staff because you were expressing iyswim?

[leo1978]

Have only read OP

I went back when my ds was 4 months - am presuming you are a teacher - I am too. For the weeks before the week I went back I expressed loads and then had a freezer with enough milk in for the first day. When at work I tried to express in the toilets but it would not happen at all - so I expressed in the exam storage cupboard(!) at break, lunch and 3.30. I had a freezer bag with me and sterilised bottles to store the milk in. Aim to express when you would be feeding - no one can tell you not to express - you should be exempt from break duty.

I would bf before I left for work. Dh would give ds bottle at 11.00 and 2.00 and I woudl feed him when I got back at 4.00.

Things to think about in the run up:

1. Getting them used to a bottle or cup

1. Food?

[BumperliciousNeedsToSleep]

Caz, something which I knew in theory but never put in practice is expressing while feeding. It saves the whole faff of trying to get a let down. If you can do this in the meantime you can get plenty off to build up your supply.

Not sure about the expressing at work as I work in an office and go to the first aid room to express twice a day, no questions asked. Agree about not washing the pump, just stick it in a tupperware box and straight in the fridge.

She might not even have that many feeds while you are out, just make sure that whoever is looking after her is offering lots of water if not milk.

I shouldn't think that 2 weeks will be the end of bfing. Good luck