Advice regarding returning to work.

[Jakeyblueblue]

Hi! Am pretty new to mumsnet but was hoping some of you could offer me some much needed advice!
My DS has just turned 7 months and is ebf. I return to work on the 2nd April :( I am going back mon, weds and fridays and will be working 8 til 4. My mum and mother in law are sharing the childcare and both live nearby work. I am quite lucky As I am a community Macmillan nurse so out and about all day and could pop home if needed. However am starting to feel very worried about what to do about feeding when I return!!!
Luckily and by pure fluke, now DS Is on 3 meals he only tends to feed once during the hours of 8 til 4. He usually feeds about half 7, midday and then again about half 4. He has always been a little guzzler at night and picks up his feeds again in the evening and overnight as we co sleep. I will be able to still do the half 7 and half 4 feed as live very near work, it's just the midday one!!!
To be honest, his interest in the breast during the day has really dwindled with introducing his food and I think (I don't know for sure though) that if I didn't offer the midday one and just gave him his lunch a bit earlier he wouldn't protest. He is very easily distracted now as so alert so this feed I usually give him on the end of a nap when nice and quiet!!
I have been religiously giving him a cup with water and he is doing ok with it but there is no way I can see him taking a full feed from it in my absence.
He is my first and I am no expert but this was my plan. I plan to feed him at half 7 and half 4 myself and then leave my mum a bottle of expressed milk for the day. She can try him with the cup but if he isn't interested I was thinking she could add it to his cereal and lunch so he was still getting some milk. Then on my days off I will carry on as normal. I plan to express at work at lunchtime to avoid any engogement and keep a stash for my next working day. So here are my questions.....

1. Do you think my plan sounds workable or do you think it sounds plain stupid?
2. Do you think DS will be ok with dropping that feed on those days?
3. Do you think my supply will be ok as obviously I intend to entirely drop that feed in a few months?
4. Do you think I ought to try giving him expressed milk from a cup only between those hrs now on some days to prepare him and see how it goes?
5. Or should I just go home and do the feed myself? Am thinking this may cause problems though!!

Any other thoughts and advice would be greatly welcomed!!!!!! Am worried sick about it!!

If I'm right your son will be 9mo when you go back?

My DD hasnt had any milk during my work days since just before she turned 9mo. I feed her a morning feed at 6.30-7am and another at 5.30-5.45pm when we get home. In the weekends I feed her 2 more bf mid morning and mid afternoon. I don't have to express anymore now during the day. But a month ago (when she was 8mo) I went home midday to pump or I'd ended with really painful melon balls by the end if the day. I'm not sure if my supply has dwindled or what but DD isn't complaining so I assume it's ok even having to feed at weekends during the day.

I don't think there's any need to try to give him ebm in a cup to train him. If he fancies it at your mums or mils then he will take it. Otherwise it's fine he just have solids between 7 and 4.

Thanks so much! Feeling so much better about it all now! My hv reckoned it wasn't possible but I knew it probably was, just thought I would check with some other mums first! I think he will drop that feed soon anyway, he isn't really interested in it now. Thanks again, it's s weight off my mind!

Can't believe your hv told you such nonsense! With dc1, I returned to work at 4 months but breastfed till 12 months. I expressed once or twice a day during working days and then carried on as normal the other days. I had no problems at all. Same with dc2 (who is feeding as I type :) ), 8 months and doing the same thing as dc1, again no problems.

I returned to work when first daughter was 9 months, and have done the first full day (9 hours) away from second daughter when she was 6 and a half months old.

Both girls were breastfed at the time (No2 still is), and don't/didn't take bottles. I've expressed for a few weeks with No1 but she wasn't interested and just took boob in the evening), No2 doesn't mind the occasional drink of formula from a cup, but isn't too bothered, solids were enough to keep them both going without tears or being unsettled while I'm away.

If you don't express during the day, your breasts will adapt, it won't hurt or anything

Both of them are BLW'd, too.

Yes she's pretty rubbish to be fair!! She said he would def still need milk between those hrs. I told her I couldn't see him drinking a whole feed from a cup she said I needed to think of other ways of getting it in to him! Not sure what she meant really! I think he won't be bothered if I am not around, he is so easily distracted from the breast anyway. I am sure he will be ok with water, juice, food during those hrs, it's only a total of 24 hrs out of a 168! The rest of the time he will have unlimited access so sure he will make up for it if he needs. I think I will express for the first month just to see If he does actually wAnt it, then if not, I will stop. Hoping to try for a second at some point so would welcome the drop in feeds so my cycle returns! Thanks for your help!

Thanks widow, thats good news! Am feeling much better!

If it's not even full days there's no need to worry at all. I worked full time which meant 10 hours a day 5 days a week away from child including commute, and will again once this one turns 9 months.

I breastfed the first one for 18 months despite work trips away over night meaning no feeds for 48 hours once she was a bit over a year.