Going back to work - will I need to express?

[neptunesdaughter]

I'm going back to work in a couple of weeks when my DD is 8.5 months old. I am really dreading it and very sad/emotional about having to leave her but have to go back full time, but that's another story...

I'm going to keep on breastfeeding as we both love it but not going to be expressing milk during the day to give her at nursery, she will go onto formula during the day but I am going to be breastfeeding morning, evening and I expect, several times during the night . (I would express for her but am not great at getting much out and it wouldn't be enough for her each day). She still feeds a fair amount during the day (although I am trying to cut this down) but eats ok - doing BLW which she is getting the hang of so that's good.

My question is - will I need to express a bit at work suring the first few days/weeks in order to be more comfortable? I am worried that if I don't take my pump in I'll start to get very uncomfortable during the afternoon and start leaking (I don't really leak now, but she doesn't give me much chance to fill up!). If so, how much should I do? Just enough to take the edge off?

Thanks!

My boy was exactly 9 months and dd was 10 months when I returned to work. Neither had formula, just water in the day. Both were fine. I spoke to a paed about it and she said it was fine. If your dd is not used to formula and bottles, think about whether you really need to introduce it. I sympathsise with your return to work. Tough time.

I would take several sets of pads in and maybe be prepared to hand express in the loos for a couple of days to take the edge off - or maybe take your pump in just in case, and play it by ear.

Re going back to work, I am back ft as well and it is honestly not as bad as I was expecting it to be - I was totally dreading it as well.

Thank you both! I am feeling very jittery about it all and I'm sure it's the thought rather than the realisty. I've just not had much contact with work and have felt a bit let down by 'friends' I worked with not being in touch for 9 months.
Added to that the idea of painful leaking breasts and I was worried I'd be spending my first week weeping in the toilets!

Fingers crossed it will be ok and hope your work continues to be fine too Cosmosis.

I will warn you, the first week I was very weepy and I had a let down whenever I felt weepy or thought of my boy, so I needed lots of pads! but it did soon all settle down and you get into the swing of it sooner than you'd think.