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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think this could work? (part-time breastfeeding)

48 replies

Pipsqueaked · 24/06/2017 00:02

I'm due to go back to work in a month's time, my baby will be 8 months old and he is currently ebf. When I go back I will only be working 2 days a week but they will be 12 hour shifts. My plan is to keep feeding the days I'm home and give formula when I'm working. DH thinks this isn't possible and would only confuse DS. He thinks I should wean now. My problem is I so enjoy bf I don't want it to end just for 2 days out of 7 I need to be out of the house. WWYD?

OP posts:
Barbie222 · 24/06/2017 00:05

It's certainly worth a try and lots of people manage to pump but I have to tell you that the minute I started with any formula, with all my kids, the boobs just gave up!

Coastalcommand · 24/06/2017 00:05

You'll be fine doing it your way. Any amount of breast milk is really beneficial to babies. What does your husband know? No boobies no vote.

Foggymist · 24/06/2017 00:07

I think it will work fine, you might find that soon if he's eating solids that he might go most of those days with food and water and wait for his milk. I definitely wouldn't give it up now so early if it's avoidable. Will you be able to pump/express at work if necessary?

knaffedoff · 24/06/2017 00:09

Should be fine, feed him before work and as soon as you get home. You will also need breaks to express otherwise you are likely to get engorged, shod be fine otherwise!

Foniks · 24/06/2017 00:12

Should be fine. My own had both for a long time and was never confused. Not because i had to work though, just because I wanted help from DH. Props to anybody who EBF - it is hard Especially for 8 months!

If it were me, I'd at least try to do it the way you want. No use deciding against it before you even know if it will/won't work for you, especially as you enjoy it, and there's no harm in trying really.

Original poster
Pipsqueaked · 24/06/2017 00:13

I'm hoping I will be able to express at work (imagine I would have rock hard leaky boobs if not allowed) I have a meeting next week with manager to discuss.

I'm hoping I will be able to feed at 7 when I leave and feed at 8pm when
I get home before he goes to bed, so I'm not even sure how many bottles he will need.

OP posts:
inkydinky · 24/06/2017 00:14

I went back to work when mine were 9 months for 3 days and continued breastfeeding both times with no bother. One accepted formula in nursery. One didn't and had expressed milk and moved to cows milk at 12 months. They self weaned at around 2 yrs.

Cakescakescakes · 24/06/2017 00:18

By time my kids were 10 months old they were only breastfeeding first thing and at bedtime and had water with meals. At 8 months they did
Bf
Breakfast
Mid morning bf
Lunch
Afternoon bf
Dinner
Bedtime bf

At 9 months I replaced the morning bf with a snack (i.e. Fruit/toast etc) and then at 10 months I replaced the afternoon bf with a snack.

Worked perfectly fine for them and me! One slept through from 11 months, the other slept through at 14 months. Both breastfed for 13-14 months and had an occasional nightfeed till about 10 months.

inniu · 24/06/2017 00:19

What do you have to lose by trying?

I mixed breadt feeding with formula from birth for 3 babies for reasons outside my control and 2 of them were very happy to switch between bottle and breast.

tarajupp · 24/06/2017 00:22

Definitely possible. I went back to work with both my boys at 6m. With my eldest I carried on feeding am and pm with bottles in the day at nursery and at home and my supply dwindled and ended up stopping at 9m. With my youngest I decided to do all feeds myself except the bottles he has at nursery and we're still bf at almost a year. Supply dips a bit around my periods but just feed a bit more often. For the first couple of weeks back I expressed at work for comfort but struggled to find the time and after this my boobs settled. Hope you can make a combination work for you Smile

Original poster
Pipsqueaked · 24/06/2017 00:24

Thank you Cakes that's interesting. At the moment his routine is something like:

8am- bf
10am- breakfast
12pm- bf
2pm lunch
4pm bf
6pm dinner
8pm- bf to sleep for the night.

OP posts:
summermummy2016 · 24/06/2017 00:26

Definitely give it a go. I gave up around the same time because of going back to work and I kind of regret it now. If I am lucky enough to have a 2nd baby I will definitely be keen to try and continue breastfeeding when returning to work (oh and I work long shifts/nights etc). They really drop down their daytime milk around this time and so you probably won't be overly engorged anyway. The few KIT days I did when DS was around 8/9 months I didn't need to express at all - just fed when I got home.
Well done for getting this far and good luck with returning to work

Hotheadwheresthecoldbath · 24/06/2017 00:29

Work should supply you with a private place to express if not in salubrious surroundings.The bigger problems is storage of the milk.
I went to work 2 day when dd was 7 months,long shifts.My supply seemed to adjust but leaking was an embarrassment for about 4 months!

Original poster
Pipsqueaked · 24/06/2017 00:30

Thanks everyone you've all been great. Have told DH I'm going to keep feeding at least to see if it can work for us.

If anyone has any tips on how to get baby to drink water from a sippy cup while I'm here that would be great. Ha.

OP posts:
ScarletSienna · 24/06/2017 00:31

It worked fine for me and luckily no leaks. Huge, hard boobs by the end of work though! On the days I don't work, he still feeds on and off throughout the day and he's now 2.

birchybaby2 · 24/06/2017 00:33

Hiya. My little one is 11 months. I've returned to work 3 shifts a week. He has formula from a cup when I'm not around and breast feeds the rest of the time. I try and give a feed before work but depends on the shift. I suffer overnight as tends to feed more to catch up but otherwise working out ok. Think supply is ok and get engorged but not too bad. Try it and see how it goes. Xx

stiffstink · 24/06/2017 00:34

I work full time and I'm still bfing DD at 16 months, I went back at a similar time to you.

I managed to drop the daytime feeds by moving them closer to the night time feeds and it was easier than I expected. This meant that we seemed to switch from daytime feeds to night time feeds, but its not so much of a hassle to put me off doing it.

Colacolaaddict · 24/06/2017 00:34

Give it a bash but don't martyr yourself to it. If it works, great, if not, acknowledge you've done a great job and it's time to move on.

We mix fed DD and it was a catalogue of her breast refusing and bottle refusing, and me endlessly juggling formula pots, breast pumps and a gazillion different combos of bottles and teats. The worst of it was in hindsight I think it was quite stressful for her, and I wish I'd followed the path of least resistance rather than "fight" to keep mix feeding as long as I did.

I think you're absolutely right to try it, it might well work really well. But rein in any tendencies you may have towards perfectionism and don't be a martyr.

Rinceoir · 24/06/2017 00:37

I went back to work full time shift work when DD was 11 months. She was a bottle refuser who barely acccepted solids. I fed when we were together and she was fine with water and what little food she ate when I was gone, refused formula and ebm from any receptacle.

I pumped for comfort only. Continued feeding until DD was 2.5 and had no supply issues.

catkind · 24/06/2017 00:47

Go for it OP! What harm does it do to try? Even if you don't ultimately keep going long term, if you can manage a few weeks it could help smooth over the change. It's a lovely way to reconnect when you get home.

Re giving water - we generally offered it at (non-bf) mealtimes. But I think you'll find when you are out all day, baby will be thirsty and drink either milk or water. DS wouldn't take formula, but was happy with water and food and lots of bf when I was home. It may well work better once it's someone other than you offering it - perhaps a morning or evening or two out in the meantime for practice?

Queenofthedrivensnow · 24/06/2017 02:00

I went back to work 3 days a week when dd2 was 8 months. I carried on bf no problem. She had expressed milk but after a while she just ate more solids and caught up fed in the evenings. It didn't confuse her at all - mixed feeding at 8 months is totally do able

Pengggwn · 24/06/2017 06:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cakescakescakes · 24/06/2017 07:49

I had best luck with the free flow tommee tippee cups - the cheapest plastic ones like this...

www.tommeetippee.co.uk/product/essentials-free-flow-first-cup

MetalMidget · 24/06/2017 07:55

My ebf son went to nursery full time at 8 months. He has formula during the day, but still has a feed before bed and in the morning (and if/when he wakes up...), and often only has breast milk at the weekend. He's 11 months old now, we get along OK. :)

Cadenza1818 · 24/06/2017 07:58

Yup another one who thinks it's fine. Your body will adjust too. I mixed fed from 9 months. We used cheapy tommee tippee cups but also the doidy cup worked well for us.