Expressing at work - tips

[CelebratedMonkey]

I'm returning to work in a couple of weeks and attempts to introduce formula to my son have failed miserably (he takes a bottle, just doesn't like taste of formula), so I've decided to express instead - it's cheaper, anyway!

I could just do with some tips on how to approach it. I'm going to aim to express twice a day at work, with the hopes of getting two bottles of 4-5oz (he generally seems happy with this, not sure if it's enough?) for him to have at nursery in the morning and afternoon. A third bottle would be brilliant but I don't think I get enough from expressing. I may try and express in the evenings when I can but I find expressing a pain and am not sure I would keep up with it.

I'll be working four days a week and am hoping this won't affect my supply too much as will bf normally the rest of the time. I was thinking of taking fenugreek (is that the one?) to help. Any advice on where from, how much?

Also, work have told me I will need to provide my own fridge (the one there is fairly minging). I have bought a Medela cooler bag but guess I'll still need to use a fridge in the day. I was planning to buy a mini one from Argos or elsewhere - any recommendations? I was thinking a 6 litre with the hopes that my cooler bag would fit straight in.

I was thinking of getting a spare manual pump (will use Medela mini at work) to have in case I ever forget my pump, too.

Then at roughly a year old, I can move him on to cow's milk in the day, can't I? He already has a fair bit in his Ready Brek so am hoping he would take to it. Can I get away with doing cow's milk on work days and breast milk when I'm at home?

More questions if/when I think of them!

He's 8 months old now if that makes a difference to anything!

celebrated, the only days I used a fridge were when I was doing 12 hour shifts. Othewise I just used a coolbag with icepacks and they were always still cold at the end of the day.

You might not need to get a whole manual pump. I'm sure Medela do manual parts for the Medela Mini? That would take up less space.

The amount you're planning to express sounds fine to me. That's roughly what all my boys had in nursery once they were on solids.

Cows milk is fine from a year. If he does turn up his nose at it, try mixing a little cows milk with breastmilk and then gradually increasing the amount of cows milk.

Hmm I guess it could work but our office is very variable in temperature so I might want a fridge just to ease my mind as much as anything.

The manual pump was in case I forget the whole thing one day - was just thinking that having a cheaper one at work might be a good back up. Then again I just tried using a manual now (mini was playing up) and it was rubbish, so now I'm leaning towards getting a second mini if I see one cheap. I know it sounds silly but there are days when I'd forget my own head if I could. Would hate to be sat on the train thinking that I'd left my pump at home and had no way to produce milk for my son that day (I am rubbish at hand expressing).

Oooh, thought of another question. You only need to sterilise pumps once a day, don't you? Normally I use mine infrequently so sterilise each time, but am I right in thinking that at work I can just wash in between uses?

Hiya,
I don't have advice for all your questions but i thought I would share my experience.
I went back to work 3 days a week at 8 months. At the time LO wouldn't take formula and wouldn't take a bottle so she had water and EBM from a sippy cup. She was still on 6 Bfeeds a day so missed out 3 feeds while at the childminders in the day (which she didn't like, it took her 3-4 weeks to settle).
I informed work I wanted to express milk and the safety office (I work in a university) gave me access to a medical room for privacy and provided me with a small fridge.
I used a philips avent manual pump and managed to get 6 - 8oz from one go at both boobs (I have a strong let down so as long as I achieved a letdown I could get a good amount).
At the beginning my boobs were very sore and tingly from not being used much during the day! But that soon calmed down and settled with the one expressed feed a day. I was able to feed as normal on my days off. LO soon dropped to 4 feeds a day and now at 14 months is only on 2 feeds a day.
After a couple of months I started sending a top-up of formula to the childminders and LO accepted this in her sippy cup with no problems and so I stopped expressing at around 10 months. It was a hassle washing the pump every evening and making sure everything was clean. We switched to cows milk after her birthday and she now drinks 8 - 12oz of cows milk during the day when in childcare and still from her sippy cup. She has always liked her drinks from the cup fridge-cold.

Hope my story helps x

PS you don't need to sterilise after 6 months if equipment is washed well in hot soapy water.

If you leave the pump bits in the fridge, they don't even need to be washed.
I did continue to sterilise but mainly because when my ds1 was born ( he's now 14) you HAD to sterilise whether bfing or not and I found it a hard habit to break!

this is so interesting. I'll be going back when DS is 6.5 months (now 8 weeks) and would like to express for 2-3 bottles a day too. I was worried about sterilising though so am really relieved that you don't need to do it between pumping.

OP, I expressed this afternoon for DH to give a bottle tonight and in 10 minutes got 200ml (from both breasts, with a lansinoh hand pump) after a strong letdown, but I was looking at DS at the time! I was really pleased especially that it was quick, so I will be able to pop off and do it for 10 mins 3 times a day at work.

Good luck with it all! I hope to pick up some tips from you

no advice on how much expressed milk is enough, but concerned that you're bing asked to provide your own fridge?? Is it a really small company, therefore the expense might be too much for them to absorb?

Direct.gov.uk says "Although there is no legal requirement, employers are encouraged to provide a private, healthy and safe environment for nursing mothers to express and store milk."

Just a bit disappointed for you

Thanks for all the advice everyone :)

My son had a settling-in day at nursery today so I had to express at home for my own comfort and to keep up the supply. I ended up being late back so only had one opportunity to express. As I said above I was having trouble with my electric pump (no suction, but I somehow fixed it) and spent 20 fruitless minutes getting 2oz from my manual. Fixed the electric and got nearly 5oz in about ten mins. It's so much better for me. Also bought some fenugreek today.

Tobago, it's not that small a company but I guess as it's a recommendation and not a requirement they would rather I sort it out myself. They've been good with other aspects of my return to work (fewer hours, working from home sometimes, starting earlier, expressing breaks) so I will swallow the cost of it without too much resentment. Hopefully the fridge will be useful for camping trips or something similar in the future.

I've lost count of the number of threads I've posted on about this recently , so instead of going into it again can I point you to this thread about my own approach to returning to work.

Thanks gaelicsheep, that's fascinating. I think I will express in the day but it's good to know that my DS can make up for any missed feeds by simply feeding more when I'm at home.

I'm sure they can't expect you to provide your own fridge, I would look into this a bit further. Not sure where you'd go for advice. Is it a small company?

nappydays, I'm pretty sure that the directives are guidelines rather than law so they don't have to do anything.

We don't even have proper guidelines in Ireland so I was lucky that my boss allowed me an extra half hour per day to express.

By the way, Celebrated, the little fridge I got was from Argos, it plugged into the mains and into the car battery so brilliant for commmuting. It also had a little handle on top to carry it with.