Going back to work on Tuesday - please talk some sense to me!

[lulamoon]

Hello - this is my first ever mumsnet post although have lurked here for a while.

I desperately need someone to talk some sense to me as am getting myself in a right old state here.

My 15 week old DD is ebf. I am going back to work for one day a week (working from home for the rest) from next Tuesday, going to 2 days a week from february. She will be left with grandparents who see her everyday and who she is very used to. I will be gone for 12 hours.

There are 2 main issues - the first being that she won't drink from a bottle or a cup at all.

Secondly I just cannot express anything like enough for her. I have 60 mls in the freezer and have managed to get 30mls today from an hour of pumping. I will keep persevering as I am desperate for her to be ebf. However I have had to buy some formula in preparation for Tuesday.

I realise I am being really really precious about this and I am very lucky to only have to go back one day a week for now but would really appreciate some advice as I am getting really upset and sad.

Will she be able to take in any food when I'm gone? Will she take a bottle if she's hungry enough?

If we have to resort to formula for that day will it really muck up my supply and our feeding relationship? I am going to try to pump at work to keep up supply on that day but it might be tricky.

I am just struggling so much with trying to pump enough for a day that I think formula might have to be the answer but I feel so guilty about it - I'm not anti formula at all but bf has worked out really well for me (I know I'm very lucky) and so I didn't think I would need it.

So please talk some sense into me! I know I'm being stupid but it's really hard to remain rational when your baby's diet is in question!

Thank you very much and sorry this is long and rambly.

Hi,

you're not being stupid at all :) I was happier not using formula too.

I went back full time (out about 9 hrs a day) just before my DS was 6 months and he was ebf, I had built up a tiny stash in the freezer beforehand, but it was quite hard work.

I found expressing became easier if I did it at the same time every day (i.e after I went back to work and was doing it twice a day at first).

I'm not sure how this will work if you are just one or 2 days a week though. Could you maybe fit in an expressing session every day and freeze any extra?

Hope someone comes along with a situation closer to yours and good luck for Tuesday. :)

www.kellymom.com has a calculator thingie to work out how much ebm might be necessary. (I think i left 2 x 120-150ml for DS, but he was a lot bigger.)

I am no expert but I couldn't leave your post unanswered.

With DS1 he went on "hunger strike" when I first left him, although it was initially just for afternoons. He compensated with night feeds ( which might not be ideal if you are returning to work) and soon realised that he would have to take the bottle. At 15 weeks this is obviously a risky strategy.

If you've had success with bf then you're unlikely to be too affected by a day off. Although you might need to express at work so you don't explode ( wear breast pads if you don't already!).

www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/index.html

Here's the whole expressing section (pumping in USA!) in fact, hope it has some useful info. :)

Thank you so much for your responses! Really appreciated. I know i need to toughen up a bit but it's hard with your pfb! Am sitting here attached to the pump and will keep on trying! Kellymom site is fantastic. Thanks again.