going back to work after 3 months, tips re continuing bf

[redtabby]

Hi
I am going back to work in early Septemberm, when my baby will be just over three months old. I am bfing almost exclusively (some top-up ff at night when DH feeds him) although he is very used to bottle ebm and breast already.

I am looking for tips/reassurance etc about the plan to continue bf after returning to work. I would very much have loved to stay at home with baby longer but it is unfortunately not an option (financial necessity). The good thing is that DH is going to be home and looking after baby much of the time after I go back to work, and also that my job is quite flexible and allows some working at home time.

Any thoughts.

[redtabby]

sorry, that does not look very friendly! Should have had a question mark at least ie Any thoughts?!

(typing with baby in sling in front of me, not that easy!)
Redtabby

[CMOTdibbler]

Hiya, I went back to work ft when DS was 4.5 months old, and continued to bf until DS was 23.5 months old.

If you want to keep bf (and its a lovely way to really relax down with your baby/toddler when not at work), then you need a few things imo:
a really good double pump - the Ameda Lacataline is fab
The determination to express regularly and thoroughly at work - pump, do breast compressions, and then hand express to remove all the milk totally
when you are with baby, always bf direct - if you are having lots of stimulation it really helps. Especially at night
A bit of a hard skin about expressing. I got a lot of 'funny' comments about it at work, but just ignored them.

[Gemzooks]

I bf DS from 4 to 12 months.. I got some good tips from workandpump.com

It is doable and you feel nice and smug knowing your baby's had your lovely milk in the day.

Just do the big morning feed yourself, then pump the two daytime feeds and get home in time to feed babs the bedtime and late feeds yourself.. sounds great if he's already taking a bottle. I have 3.5 month DD now and haven't tried bottle yet, am going back 1 October..

agree with cmotdibbler, ignore people at work. I used the avent hand breast pump and it was a bit of a pain but I managed. I personally never sterilised bottles or the breast pump, just thorough wash or dishwasher and air dry. but I also never froze milk...

good luck, you'll be fine. like all aspects of parenting, it's a bit hard at first but becomes second nature..

[redtabby]

Thanks for the reassuring messages, I am pretty determined despite any obstacles, I think. I don't particularly care what people say at work, and I have my own office in one of my two workplaces, so I can just shut myself in. The workandpump website is good, thanks for the tip.

I already have an Ameda Lactaline! It has a car plug so I will be able to pump in the car, which will be necessary as travel around a lot for work on some days and am not in any place I could pump. I can see myseklf now sitting in various petrol station car parks along the M4, pumping milk!

I really hope I will be able to do this. am having problems with vasospasm at the moment but am pushing through. Baby is puttting on weight beautifully.

[CMOTdibbler]

When pumping in the car, get a big pashmina, drape it round your neck, et voila - double pumping in the car is easy.

If you are out and about, it's well worth getting a second set of pump heads (www.expressyourselfmums.co.uk sell them) so that you can have two sterile sets and no worries about washing them. I had a big lokn'lok box that I could get all 4 into, then just put the used ones in a ziploc bag.

I found that one of those wine chiller sleeves brought the milk down to cool very fast, and then some ice blocks in the cool bag would keep it nice and cool. If you are in the car it's worth getting a solid cool box, and then putting the cool bag inside there, just to keep the temp down.

If you can get a mini fridge for the site where you have your own office, it cuts out the canteen fridge saga. I had to use the canteen, and put my milk in a black microfibre wash bag from Tescos, which was pretty discreet