to go back to work when DD2 is only 4 months old

[Sunflowergirl2011]

DH and I decided when our oldest child was born that i would stop working. He is 2 and was BF to 9 months. I am (reasonably) happy with this arragement and financialy don't have to go back to work (I know i'm very lucky in this respect). I have recently been contacted by an ex collegue to see if I am interested in a role with someone she knows in a new business. Its only 1 or 2 days a week and I have good childcare (my mum) I can use. I have no qualms about leaving my older child. BUT .... my younger child is only 4 months old. This feels too young to leave her, even with my mum. I'm pretty sure that if I do take the job that will mean the end of breast feeding for DD. What do you think? And would stopping BF at this age be bad for my daughter. Thanks for your opinions!

I went back when my DD was 4 months and breastfed until 20 months. Remember that you can freeze breastmilk or store it in the fridge for a couple of days so you could build up stocks over a few days if you are only working 1-2 days per week.

Obviously you have to make the decision that is right for you, but I didn't find that breastfeeding was a dealbreaker in the same situation.

I went back when ds was 4.5 mo, combination of nursery and my mum. He was ebf then I mixed fed, ff in day and bf at night.

It will be hard, but only you can decide it if is right/wrong for you. As an aside, I had a major meltdown before I went back, thinking of quitting etc, but decided that I could see how it went, if it was pants then I would jack it in. Not ideal, but if you choose to take this oppurtunity, you can always choose to leave if it doesn't work out.

Good luck.

Thanks everyone for the reassurance/opinions/telling me your experiences. Its esp good to hear about people who have gone back at a similar age and managed to carry of bf for some time. All your views will help me make a decision.
Curleymamma - good point about relationship with the GPS. I hadn't thought of that.
Doramustdie - so true about the second one! Would have hated to have had to even consider leaving my older child!

I returned p/t when my first baby was 3 months. That was very much the norm then, as ML was only 6 months max, with pay for the first 3 months only. Most of my friends who returned did the same. Long ML is a pretty recent thing, so it may help to see it in those terms. And of course, those of us with older teens can vouch first hand for the fact that our children are fine!!

BTW it doesn't need to signal the end of bf either - again, my friends and I used to bf morning and evening and express for inbetween - absolutely totally the norm.