stopping breastfeeding when I go back to work...advice please

[mumtobe77]

Hi, my son is 5 and a half months old and he has been breastfed ( aside from formula top ups in the 1st week as he wouldn't latch on and was jaundiced and dry).I enjoy breastfeeding, but it is not realistic for me to continue solely breastfeeding when I return to work. I am going back when he is 6 and a half months old-I am self employed and financial pressures mean I cannot take anymore time off...booo!!!! My work is far too busy to make time for expressing milk...I'm lucky if I get lunch!
Anyway, I hope to continue morning and evening breastfeeds if possible, but for daytime will be switching him to formula. I have just started him on babyrice too as he is definitely showing all signs that he is ready for solids.
Another thing is that I feed him on demand, there is not a schedule....so I'm unsure as to how to reduce my breastfeeds and when I should start him on bottles. Should also say he has taken bottles of EBM before with no problem. Don't want to end up at work with engorged breasts!!
Hope that all makes sense! Thanks.

I found that once my ds was on solids his breastfeeds became much more regular, if not exactly scheduled.

I think you need to drop one feed every 3-7 days to avoid becoming engorged/developing mastitis. Maybe start with the second feed of the day?

By 6.5months you'll probably be doing something like morning breastfeed, 2-3 bottles in the day, bedtime breastfeed and a nightfeed/dreamfeed. So once the mid-morning bottle is established, I would then introduce a mid-afternoon bottle and then maybe one around midday too.

At similar stage to mumtobe77 and having a total nightmare getting him to take anything but me - all I can stay is start now as I've found it to be really difficult and upsetting.

Hi, thanks for replies. I have been trying him on a bottle of formula at night, given by my partner....but after having taken a bottle before with no probs he suddenly seems to be refusing it. He just chews on the teat! We will need to persevere. I am hoping that as I introduce solids and a daytime formula feed he might come round to the idea of a bottle again! 1974cupcake-have you tried a bottle or a cup? Are you weaning your son too?