do you HAVE to express when you go back to work?

[Caz10]

i teach, and lunchtimes are normally filled with marking etc, i think this will be even more the case when i go back as i will be trying to get home earlier at the end of the day to see dd (and hopefully feed her)
I'm crap at expressing anyway, and can't see it being very successful if i am stressing about only having 10-20 mins to do it, probably trying to eat a sarnie at the same time etc
also on a selfish level, if i did take that 20 mins to express that would mean i didn't have 20 mins to sit, eat and chat to colleagues and i think that would get me down.
but what will happen if i don't, will my boobs explode?!!! am i at risk of blocked ducts etc?
dd will be 6mths when i go back, but only for a fortnight, then i have the 6 weeks off for summer, so closer to 8mths by then. she has been ex bfed so far.

[moondog]

No,you'll manage without.

I think you have right to do it if you want to though.

Start stocking up on a bit of frozen EBM now thoguh.

[cmotdibbler]

You don't have to, but you can eat and express or mark and express, and tbh it is a nice quiet break.

Much easier to express when its instead of a feed too.

[liath]

You might get a bit uncomfortable if you don't express for the 2 weeks you go back but after the hols you should be OK as dd would presumably be feeding less by then.

You could just express off enough to be comfortable rather than a full feed's worth (if that makes sense!).

[Caz10]

thanks all. as this is dc1 and i'm new to bf-ing i'm having a hard time imagining what her feeding patterns will be like at that age. she's 16wks now and still pretty much feeding as much as she ever has!

i know what you mean re a break cmotdibbler, but i then wouldn't be eating lunch with colleagues, and think i might start to feel isolated by it.

yip moondog the big stock piling is starting this month!

[HaventSleptForAYear]

You'll be fine - I went back when DS2 was 3 mths, in May, taught May and June and expressed once on a "full" teaching day til he was 6 mths. Haven't expressed since last July, went back in September no bother.

Have to say I in NO way saw expressing as a nice quiet break (sorry!) but pretty stressful and only did it when I had a good 2 hrs clear so that I had no time limit hanging over my head.

Instead of stock-piling (DS2 fed so often it was not possible to replace a feed by pumping), I used to pump one side while he feed on the other in the mornings (electric pump). Worked well and I always got loads - and DS "finished" off that side and got lots of fattening hind-milk (must be why he's so porky now!).

[Caz10]

Thanks, will give that a go! Couldn't express and feed before, but I think my latch etc is a bit better now so will try again!

Did you mean 2hrs clear at home before you went back? If not can I have your job?!

[HaventSleptForAYear]

No I do mean 2 hrs clear at work ! I teach at university level and so have a lot of holes in my time-table. Still full-time though, I promise ! Not teaching doesn't mean not working you know (so DH - researcher, now finished his classes for the year, tells me ).

[Caz10]

aaaaah I see! I knew I was in the wrong job...