Talk to me about bf and going back to work

[redandyellowandpinkandgreen]

I was going to stop bf at 6 months, now I'm thinking 9 months but also feeling a bit guilty about not trying for a year. I will be going back to work when DS is about 9 months.

So how does it work? I know you are allowed time to express at work but how often would I have to do it? How many milk feeds is the baby likely to need between 8am and 5pm?

Can anyone tell me how it has worked for them?

I told work that when I went back (at six months) that I wanted to be able to express, they arranged a room where I could express. I would express in the afternoon at work, and store it in one of those cooler type things, I used to finish work at four and get it back in the fridge for the following day. I would express in the morning (while b/f on the other side) and express in the evening too, which generaly provided enough milk.

I went back at about 10/11 months both times and just went straight to morning + bedtime feeds both times and more at weekends or when I'm off. Worked fine.

I express mid morning and mid afternoon. Takes me about 10-15 minutes to get 6-10oz per time.

DS is 10 months, and I keep hoping he'll start dropping feeds, but he's too keen.

Comfort wise I could get away with once but, I decided I'd rather express more than force him to drop daytime feeds and end up reverse cycling.

stealth what did your LOs drink during the day whilst you were at work?

When at home with grandparents they had cows milk (not recommended until 12 months I know), at nursery they had just water

We stopped DDs daytime milk at 10 months. She had 3 meals plus two snacks and water. There may be a price to pay with night time wakings, but you can try and cluster feed mornings and evenings (e.g. 6am, 8am and then 6pm and 9pm).

I had been expressing since 4 months and had had enough. For a while she should take daytime meals off me if I was at home but at 12 months we don't as we like her to have the same routine each day as I often have to go in at the weekend. She also just has water (but milk in her cereal)

Initially you may need to express for comfort, but it shouldn't take long for you to be able to drop this. I expressed later and later in my work day until it was virtually hometime.

At 7 months, we had her on just 1 bottle at lunchtime anyway.

You can do more, we're just saying that you can reduce daytime feeds for your convenience. When I returned to work at 4 months I expressed twice a day for about 12 oz and we've made sure she's not had too much more than 1oz/hr (a bit more generous to start with)

I went back to work last week and dd is 9 months. I feed at 7am, 4.30pm after work and then before bed at about 7.30pm. She has 3 meals a day and normally a mid afternoon snack. It was only when I started doing a 4.30 feed instead of a 1.30 feed that she started to sleep through so it actually worked out better for us! She has water or diluted pressed apple juice during the day and she is fine with that.

This has been going through my mind too as I go back to work, only 3 days a weeks when Dd will be 5 1/2 months old. We get 2 lactation breaks in a shift but I am unsure when to start expressing and how much ebm Dd will need. I suspect she may be on some early solids about then as she is a big strong baby. Born 9 lb 3 and grown well now 4 weeks old. And both her siblings wanted real food sooner than six months.

chloeb2002 This should answer most your questions, if not then get back us. Pre 7 months (when she started taking a good amount of food) she would have 8-12oz while I was out. I was able to express this amount but had built up a freezer stock just in case (which I didn't use as I wanted to be express a sustainable smount

We are the same as Lizbertnobacon - DD goes without milk from 8 to 5 ish - and started the pattern at 7.5 months, she's now 8.5 months. Unlike Lizbert my DD feeds several times during the night as well, but she was doing that anyway and I find it a whole less stressful than I would find expressing at work. I actually quite like it and it makes me feel less guilty for not being there in the day. DD won't take milk from a cup/bottle but I have to admit I haven't tried that hard. This way works for us.

I went back to work a couple of weeks ago. DD is breastfed and won't take a bottle. She used to just spit it out but she is gradually getting better with it. I have managed to get her weaned so I feed her before she goes to nursey, she then has breakfast and lunch at nursery and I go and feed her mid-afternoon, luckily the nursery is on site. I was going to express but it takes me ages so it is quicker for me to nip down and feed her. I am hoping she will either start drinking enough from a bottle/drop her mid-afternoon feed soon.
She does feed a few times during the night - ranges from twice to every 2 hours.

I've been panicking about this recently, so glad to see people who are coping! :)

I'll be working long days and DS (5m atm) has now decided he wont take a bottle, so I've been trying to figure out how I'd be able to get home to feed him, probably more than once a day! He is already on solids and eats 3 (sometimes 4!) meals a day, so he will hopefully start dropping feeds now... He has recently gone from 3 hours to 4 hours between milk, so thats a good sign...