Hoping to continue B/F when I go back to work.

[alux]

Apologies for long post any insights into parts of my post will be much appreciated.

Now please help me sort out a feasible strategy as this is what I have thought about so far: (I followed popsycal?s thread with great interest and it has been really insightful)

I am going back to work f/t on 5th Sept. I know, a long way away but will go on hols for 2 wks in early August and when I get back want to have a clearer picture of what to do. I got my new teaching timetable about how I am going to feed dd.

She will be 20 wks by then and in a nursery a 5 min drive away. With my current timetable, it is feasible to drive there on Mondays and Fridays to give her the 11 am feed. However, I will not be able to feed her at about 2 pm but can get back there at 4pm for another feed ? pick up and go home. I expect that my school will be supportive to leaving mid-morning for this.

Now the questions: I hope to pump at breaktime and lunchtime (10.40 am and 1pm) on tues, wed and thurs ? I have not done this much and whenever I try my poor nipples get sore. (flange not too small ? do my nips get used to this with time?)

If I can?t pump successfully, will this limited daytime stimulation let me lose my supply? Lately, any attempts at pumping have not been v good even when boobs are fairly full. Ought I try to train them up?

DD feeds v. often. She will feed at 7 and 8 am. Then at 10 and 11 am. 2 and 3 pm. 4, 5, 6 pm. Will feed at 11 pm and 3-ish am. She usually feeds for less than 10 mins a time and no more than 15 mins since she was 10 wks old. (the night feeds) Is it likely that her feeding pattern will change when I am forced to adjust her routine?

I don?t mind supplementing with formula especially for the 2pm feed. Also willing to take fenugreek to increase supply and maybe help with the expressing.

I will be taking her to nursery a few times over the two weeks before I go back to work for her to get familiar with the environment.

[PocketTasha]

hiya, thought i'd pop across and see if i can help
my first thought was, can you build up a supply of expressed milk to give you an easy start when you begin work? When you pump do you get your let down? If not then you mind find it easier to do it when baby is sleeping and watch her. it can kick start the hormones i think. Your time table made me dizzy! I think i'm going to read it again before i say anything else. How old is baby? Are you sure your not going to stress yourself with all the back and forth?

[PocketTasha]

just read it again, i think you need to relax, a new pattern will probably naturally fall into place. Nipples do get used to the pump, what kind are you using? I always found Avent Isis Hand pump the best. Very natural. Everybody is different with the stimulation v's supply thing i think. i found it difficult but i'm sure it would have bee ok with perseverence. i think thats the key.

[alux]

using a medela mini elec. at the moment. I tried the isis handpump but it knacks my hand.
I get letdowns but need to really relax and teaching does not help me to relax.

I am really only intending to go to nursery to feed on mon and fri. The other 3 days and lunchtime will prove too hectic IMO. When I go at 4pm, it is to feed her there before setting off home.

I really hope you are right and a new feeding pattern emerges.

[lalasmum]

Your post really struck a chord. I too am returning to work on 5th sept, dd will be almost 6 mths. 1st question... are you already part bottle feeding? I had to go back to work for a couple of weeks in June and ha a nightmare as dd would not take a bottle, so I had to keep running back and forwards to my mums to feed and found it v stressful - not only for me, but also for her, as she clearly didn't want me to leave again after the feed. I found I was gone for at least an hour at a time waiting for her to fall asleep, and it was only a max 10 min drive. Your plans also assume the feed pattern doesn't change (which its bound too over time). What if she's desperate for a feed and you can't get there for another hour? I think its important you get her to be fairly independent of you (either with formula or expressed) during nursery hours - for the good of both of you! By the way, get someone else to try and feed her - we're still having a problem getting her to accept a bottle from anyone other than me.

To help with the discomfort of pumping try smearing a tiny bit if vaseline around your areola (sp?) it prevents the pump pulling when it gets a bit sticky from the milk.

I am currently trying to "train" my boobs! I plan to try and feed first thing in the morning, and before bed time and any night feeding if she hasn't completely stopped by then. I am gradually replacing the day time feeds one at a time and replacing with formula or expressed. Then I am expressing at night - but not masses, as I have found this can lead to really full and leaky boobs in the night.

I dont know if this is going to work, I hope so. At the end of the day, if I dry up, at least I tried and she's had 6 mths of the best!!
Good luck!

[Ruthiebaby]

Hi there. I'm going back to work full time on August 25th. DS will be 6 and a half months by then.

I admire the fact that you're planning to continue bf. I would love to, but I don't think I could cope with the constant expressing.

I am planning on feeding in the evenings/night though.

I'm quite lucky as the doctor actually gave me a sick note to say I couldn't return to work last week (!) as I was still breast feeding !!!!! Woohoo..how good is that. So I have a month off on the sick to breastfeed my son This will give me the time I need to try to wean him from breastmilk to formula during the day after he officially turns 6 months. (I'll have 2 weeks to do this).

Sorry, I'm not helping you much here. Just wanted to say I admire your dedication xx

[alux]

Ruthie: what a lovely doctor!

Yes she will take the bottle but we only give her the occasional one.

to simplify my ramblings...too much information at once.

dd will be 20 wks by sept 5th.

I think that I mainly believe I can get to the nursery for a midmorning (round 11 am) feed after dropping her off at 8am. On mon and fri I am free from 10.40pm - 1.35pm. On the other 3 days, I can only get there over lunchtime (12.40-1.35) which is why I may have to rely on expressing at work instead.

2 pm/3pm feed will have to be from the bottle.

She already accepts a bottle from dh so I am not worried too much about that side. I just hope she starts to take bigger feeds which may mean less reliance on formula or expressed milk.

Do you think it is worth practicing expressing regularly from now?

I am wondering if the lack of stimulation during the day on tues wed thurs will cause supply to dry up. I currently night feed and see no sign of her wanting to pass them up.

[Ruthiebaby]

regular expressing wont hurt - it will increase your supply and you can freeze any surplus for now.

I don't think that you'll dry up so to speak. Your boobs are apparently very clever and will produce milk as they become accustomed to he pattern.

I'm planning on feeding my ds in the evenings and at night after I return and I'm not worried that I'll dry up.

Has your period returned ? If not then I'm sure it will now with the long stretches of non-feeding.

[alux]

no, no periods yet. and I still don't miss em. A whole year with out them now!

[chipmonkey]

Alux, I find that when I'm away from baby, I produce a lot more milk because I'm expressing what baby should be taking, not trying to express over and above what baby is taking. On my days off, I can express very little, while in work I express loads. BTW I use the Avent isis IQ duo, its a lovely pump but expensive!