Going back to work weaning/bottle feeding conundrum - any advice?

[lulamama]

Hello,

I am a first time mother and I wondered if any of you might be able to give me some advice.

I have to go back to work when my baby is 19 weeks old and I am wondering what on earth I am going to do re: feeding my baby. At the moment I breastfeed him - whenever he wants - there's not much of a daytime routine I'm afraid. I'd always thought he'd be on solids by the time I went back, but now I've found out that the guidelines are "breast milk exclusively until he's 6 months" (I'd heard rumours that this was going to change to 4 months - so am a little confused).

I still want to breastfeed my boy as much as possible, and am anxious about my supply going down; am wondering whether I should leave formula milk with the childminder or whether I should start him on baby rice/puree and give him breast milk before and after work. Any thoughts on this?

Am also a little worried about stopping breastfeeding so suddenly throughout the day - will this mean I am in agony at work with all the milk that's not being used and spurting milk during meetings? Also, if I don't feed him in the day, will I still be able to make enough milk to feed him in the mornings and evenings? What do people suggest?

Also - he's the most ENORMOUS baby he's in the 98th percentile and the HVs are a bit worried he's so big and heavy - they said I should be careful of formula milk in case he becomes obese. My husband and I are both very tall and slim, so I think the baby is just huge because he's going to be tall.

Any ideas from more experienced mums? Thank you!

I'm afraid I don't have any magical answers ...

How old is your baby now?

When you are working, how long will you need to be away from your baby? How many days in the week? Will pumping be an option while you are back at work?

Whenever you wean (and I don't think the recommendations on that front are likely to change any time soon), milk is generally the main source of calories for babies until they are one.

At 19 weeks he will need more than two milk feeds a day - even if you choose to wean early you shouldn't drop any milk feeds til 6 months.

I think your choices will either be - express milk for when he's with the childminder, switch completely to formula, or mix feed formula in the day and breastfeed at home.

If you want to continue solely breastfeeding you will need to express during your work day to remain comfortable.

If you mix feed your supply should adjust to the 2 feeds a day, but you may need to continue feeding at night to maintain your supply. If you're going to switch the day feeds for formula you need to start switching one feed at a time every 3-7 days so your supply can adjust.

If you switch completely to formula, you'll also need to switch one feed at a time every 3-7 days.

start expressing and storing milk now. Yoou can keave it with the childminder. I have been told it is possible to get a baby using a cup (like a doidy cup) rather than going onto a bottle if that's what you'd prefer.

thanks RitaMorgan and NotQuiteCockney...thats all great advice...
I didn't realise that you still needed to give so many milk feeds if you were weaning - so that solves one problem. I may well try mix feeding then...it won't be easy to express at work I fear...but I'll try the 3-7 day switching system - thank you! I have to go back to work part time (two days a week) and then I have a three week full-time stint starting when baby is 21 weeks. Although this will only be a 6 hour day (door to door). Baby is currently 13 weeks...thank you so much.

oh wow...duelling fanjo...that's a good idea! thank you

Hi,

Firstly, there is nothing changing about recommending feeding to 6 months. There was a very poor press release a few months back which was badly reported, which suggested that exclusive BFing to 6 months may cause problems to a very few babies in specific circumstances (which is already known about and those babies would be dealt with by their HCPs). The reporting implied that all babies could be at risk but this is not true.

A full explanation is here if you're interested;

www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2011/01/starting-solids-facts-behind-todays.html

Now regarding your situation. Firstly, you are legally entitled to breastfeeding breaks either to express milk or to breastfeed if your childminder can come to you, or you to them. This works for me - I go to my DS's nursery 3 times a day in what would otherwise be morning, lunch and afternoon breaks. If you express, your employer needs to give you a private room (not a toilet) if it's at all possible (and sometimes it's not) and a facility to store the milk.

If none of these are viable then formula rather than baby rice would be best - although you can't just suddenly stop feeding in the daytime. You really need personal help, for instance from the NCT breastfeeding line on 0300 330 0770, to talk through options here.

Finally, going back to baby rice, I wouldn't bother with it at all. It's quite unnecessary at any stage of weaning.

Re milk feeds when weaning - introducing food at 6 months means adding food to current amount of milk, not swapping food for milk. By a year it should be around 50/50.

I went back when ds1 was 28 weeks and I expressed at work and then just fed him morning and evening and at the weekend, but he was only having 3 feeds a day. I would say that I you are only working 2 days then your supply will cope with missing those two days and feeding the other 5 but you may get a but full and need to express for comfort but someone with mote experience may be able to answer that. Both of mine took a good month to drop any feeds once they started solids so I doubt you'll be down to less than 6. Good luck with it all and speak to someone about expressing if you want to, it may no be a battle it wasn't for me.

I've already posted this elsewhere. I went back to work full time when DD was 14 weeks (away from 6.45 a.m. to 6.45 p.m. five days a week). I expressed milk several times a day, three times at work, once in the morning, once in the evening and once in the middle of the night. I found it better to do 3 sessions of pumping than one long one. Your work will hopefully support you in this. If you don't pump you will be uncomfortable. There is also something called "reverse cycling" so you may notice your LO guzzling more at night - don't worry, you're not starving him, he is just exhibiting normal behaviour. I can't remember exactly when but it was between 6 and 9 months when I dropped the middle of the night pump.
It is hardwork but perfectly possible to exclusively feed breastmilk and BLW and work fulltime.

If you are only away 6 hours, you might get away with only one formula feed if you do decide to mix feed. Depends how long your baby can go between feeds. So a feed before you leave, a formula feed 3 hours later and a feed as soon as you get back.

My DD is too young for weaning. But both my HV and my mum said it'd be clear when they are ready for weaning. They will get hungry and want to be fed very very often. They also show signs of being interested in your food. This can happen anytime between 4-6 months. The report earlier this was very much misinterpreted by the press. It basically says it's not best for every baby to be solely milk fed till 6 mo. I think it's back to the old advice: watch your baby.