Breastfeeding and going back to work question.

[DancingWind]

Hi,
So this is a question on behalf of a friend who is going to deliver in about 2 weeks. She started her maternity leave in her seventh month due to various reasons, so she will have only about 2 months at home with her son before she has to go back to work. She wondering how she will bf because once she starts work, she will not be able to do it at all(awfully demanding job).She is hesitant to bf for only 2 months because she's heard that once babies get used to bf, sometimes its almost impossible to switch to formula.
I'd like to mention that quitting her job is actually not an option at all, and she has already asked for her hours to be reduced a bit so that she can spend more time with bub. Her mother is going to be looking after the baby while she is away. She says she doesn't want to pump, as the time she gets at home she wants to spend with the baby and not be stressed out by pumping and bf.
Her request is for any suggestions about how the situation can be dealt with better.
Thanks!

[aloiseb]

1. I'm sure that even 2 months of breast feeding will be good for your friend's baby - provided she wants to.
   
2. You can freeze breast milk, so she wouldn't necessarily have to do the pumping at work - she could save it up in the fridge and/or freezer at home.
   
3. Can she talk to her midwife / an NCT person about the question of changing to formula when she returns to work, if she's worried?

[DancingWind]

I'll pass on the suggestions, aloiseb. Since I don't have children, I can barely give her any advice. I'm curious though, what happens if she breastfeeds for 2 months and then when she has to return to work the baby rejects the formula? That's a bit of a pickle IMO....

[flowerfairy]

although i was my ds was 6months when i returned to work. I gradually introduced formula over a couple of weeks dropping a feed every couple of days but kept up with first thing in the morning and last thing a t night. Boobs must have adjusted as i don't remember feeling uncomfortable at work. Though it should be her choice whether she continues or starts bfing at all.

[RitaMorgan]

If I were her I would breastfeed for the first month, and introduce a bottle of formula between 4-6 weeks. There seems to be a bit of a window of opportunity at 4-6 weeks where babies will happily take a bottle - most bottle refusers have first been tried with a bottle after 2 months (obviously there are exceptions to this).

So breastfeed for the first month, then spend the second month swapping a breastfeed for a bottlefeed every few days. She could probably just swap day time and night feeds for bottles if she wants and keep up a morning and bedtime feed for a bit longer, or do bottles in the day and breast at night. Personally I found it easier to breastfeed at night because you can feed in bed lying down and don't have to get up and go to the kitchen to make a bottle.

[DancingWind]

I gave your advice to my friend, RitaMorgan and she's very happy with it:) Thanks. Sorry for replying so late.