Back to work - struggling with breastfeeding

[Wedontlikesleep]

Hi I'm a mum of two, DD is 6 and at school but DS is 4 months old. I'm due to return to work on a part time basis as of February. However DS refuses a bottle and feels like he is constantly attached to my breasts!! I also go to uni two evenings a week, although I never manage to stay for the full session as DS refuses to drink from a bottle and gets upset. I'm worried about going back to work as I can't leave work to feed DS like I can when I'm at uni (they have been extremely helpful) I feel like I'm giving in but at the same time he is very young so the 'he'll eat when he's hungry' isn't helping as I feel he will just become dehydrated. Is there anybody who has been in the same position that could give me some advice please? I know I probably am being soft but he went 6 hours once when I was stuck in uni without eating, and for such a young baby I don't feel I could do that to him. Thank you in advance x

[milkjetmum]

It will be different in Feb as you will have started weaning onto food so he can get hydrated from wet foods like melon, yogurt if he still refuses a bottle or cup by then.

Dd2 was a bottle refuser, I went back to work full time when she was 7months and she held out a full month before taking a bottle! But if course had a sippy cup available all day, plenty of wet and milky foods, and all was well clusterfed from the moment I got home until I went to bed

[Timeforabiscuit]

First CHILL! February is a long way off yet, your ds may well be going through a feeding frenzy so just go with it as much as possible for now - things will change as his tummy grows.

Is there a crèche you can go to and then take a feeding break while your at university? Or perhaps a childminder who can mind the pram nearby while you're studying?

As for work, have you got child care lined up close to your work? I organised it so i could do a morning feed (7am) mid morning (11am) late lunch (3pm) and then dinner (7pm), but both baby, nursery and work were very adaptable and supportive.

Neither of mine took to bottles, but they took to sippy cups and i think were starting to wean/take water at the 6 month mark.

I can well remember the sense of panic when i realised they just couldnt take a bottle (no matter how many well intentioned people insisted!), but it will be ok.

[Wedontlikesleep]

Thank you
Do you mind me asking, did your dd2 stay with family or go to childcare? I only ask as DH will be staying at home with DS when I'm back at work but I feel like DH will be trying to ring me all day and getting very stressed as he's very stressed now if he watches him for an hour? I'm just getting all confused about what to do and not enjoying the time I've actually got with him :/

[Wedontlikesleep]

Thank you I think I've just panicked lol uni isn't an issue really as they are fab, no childcare lined up as DH was going to stay at home as he works nights and I'm only going back part time. I think I'd have felt ok had he have gone onto a bottle it's just the thought of him not eating :/

[Timeforabiscuit]

You may want to rethink your child care plan, if your husband is working nights, how is he going to sleep?

If your husband is flexible and work is close by, for the first few months could he swing by for you to feed the baby during your lunch break?

[Breadwidow]

Try not to worry and don't bother with bitters for now would be my advice. I went back to work when my DD was 7 months. It wasn't planned, I wanted to be off for a year, so hadn't tried bottles before and she did take one when I wasn't there. They do diff things when you aren't there! Also if your baby doesn't take a bottle he will be ok, as on solids by then and can have a cup. My DH also looked after DD (& older DS, he's SAHD). Don't know if I have any tips to make that work but feel free to message me!

[Breadwidow]

Bitters? I mean bottles!!

[Munstermonchgirl]

Sippy cup is the way to go. My dad was at a child minder from a few months old, and although she'd take a bottle she seemed to prefer a cup.
But as others have said, Feb is a little way off and your ds may well be quite different by then- babies are adaptable and change fast!

Also when it's a childminder giving the cup (not you) it's amazing how differently a child will behave!

[Wedontlikesleep]

Timeforabiscuit- hubby finishes for around 2/3ish and as I'm going part time it's afternoons, he already gets more sleep than I do so sympathy is somewhat lacking from my part thank you everyone I do think il be finding a back up child care plan just in case n feel less stressed about this now as it is quite a while off I was just panicking that he wouldn't be ok which I'm sure he will I'm just soft

[milkjetmum]

Yes Dd2 was with dh. My other tip is to try and do your 'work' routine for a few weeks before you really go back eg no breastfeeding at times when you will be at work as this will help all of you get into the swing of how it's going to work.