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Infant feeding

Advice on return to work BFing please?

4 replies

ElphabaTheGreen · 28/01/2013 20:26

My original plan was to express at work and send EBM in with 8mo DS to nursery until he was 12 months old - I'll be returning to work full time in a week. As in all things, he hasn't read the script and, despite trying to enact this plan for the better part of three months, he will only take minuscule, disinterested sips of milk and nursery have been mixing some into his food. I send 5-6oz in with him every day, and I suspect most of it ends up down the sink.

I think the answer is yes, but can I just stop sending the milk in with him altogether (and thereby avoid the faff of expressing at work)? He feeds at least four times during the night, plus I give him a feed as soon as we get home. He eats piles of solids at nursery and they've said they'll give him an extra yoghurt during the day to make up for not having the EBM.

My second question is related to boob management, if it's OK to stop sending the milk in with him - I've got it down to one express a day at midday (as I was planning to express at lunch time at work) where I'd normally get out 6-10oz, so naturally my boobs are on the verge of exploding by this point. How do I drop this without ending up with mastitis? Just express a little off for comfort and use warm flannels until it adjusts?

Finally (sorry, almost done) he will want to feed during the day at the weekend, specifically nap times as boob is the only way I can get him to sleep. I'm not so much concerned as to whether the milk will be there (I know it will be), more how will I be on Monday? Will the two days of stimulation from a feeding baby mean I'll get engorged at the beginning of the week and need to tote my pump to work anyway?

Thanks for reading my ramble Smile

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BimbaBirba · 28/01/2013 20:58

Hi Elphaba, I'm no absolute expert by any means but here're my thoughts:

  • I think it's absolutely fine for him to get that amount of bm from you and you need not worry at all that he should be drinking ebm at nursery. It's very common that they're not interested in ebm at that age, they just want it from the source!
  • re dropping a pumping session: really depends on how full you feel. To me, no two days are the same and sometimes I'm ok if he skips a feed whereas at other times i feel like I'm exploding. So yes, just express enough for you to be comfortable.
  • I don't think you should worry about that. I find that my body adjusts much better to erratic feeding patterns now that we've been going for a year. If I get engorged, it soon goes down by itself whereas in the early days it got painful. we're all different, though, so I guess you'll just have to try and see.

Good luck Smile
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ElphabaTheGreen · 28/01/2013 21:33

Thanks Bimba. So do you think I should take my pump to work with me just in case? (I can hand-express but it's much quicker and tidier for me to pump.)

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feekerry · 28/01/2013 21:59

Hello elphaba think you know we are in similar situations but just to confirm.....
I send about 6oz with dd everyday..about half is drunk and i plan to continue to send it till she is 12 months simply as it.makes me feel better!!
I pump at lunchtime and that is the ebm for the next day. For the first week i pumped twice a day just to ease things for my boobs.
On some days i am too busy to pump and its just fine. Boobs are full but not awful.
On my days off (3 out of 7) i feed on demand and boobs just seem to adjust. Amazing really how they just sort it out!!!
I ebf on demand till the day i went back and have had no issues at all. Did wear breast pads first few days but didn't need too!!

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feekerry · 28/01/2013 21:59

Oh i always take my pump just in case....

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