Returning to work and moving to mix feeding- DS four months

[NorthernChinchilla]

DS has been ebf (with the odd bottle) since birth.
However, needs must financially, and I'm going back to work- DP is doing the other half of the 9 month mat/pat leave period- in just under a fortnight.

We're having to move from ebf and co-sleeping (just me and DS) to mix feeding and cot. The bed issue isn't a problem as he has his naps and the first bit of the night in there.

It's pretty tough, as I would have loved to have got to ebf at six months, but I'm intending to bf for as long as possible, with the mix feeding.

Couple of questions really- I'm currently in the process of dropping one feed every four days (I know a longer period would have been better, but I wanted to prolong ebf). Does anyone have any good tips for this, as I'm terrified of getting mastitis again?
Also, my plan is do the morning feed, an express at work around midday (I know about my legal entitlements, and my boss is very pro bf, but I know that's all I'll be able to do), evening feed 7ish and then the half 10 feed. Does this sound workable, as obviously I don't want my supply to dry up.
TIA!

I think it does sound feasible. Have you talked it through with a BFC?

I think at such a young age if you could at lest to start with exprecss at lest twice during the day. Even if this would only be managable for the first couple of months untill you start solids. This would help with your supply espicaly if you would like to carry on long term.

I started ft work at 4 months as well. I expressed twice a day until 6.5/7 months. I took the approach of getting DH to limit her daytime milk to 6-10oz, basically 1oz/hr. Then at 7 months she was on one bottle at lunchtime of 3/4oz. We found DD would finish the bottle regardless of amount so DH would offer 3oz bottles and give more if she still seemed hungry at a 1oz per time. If she was due a feed in the 30 mins before I was home, he would stretch her out. The first week or two she took more 10-15oz but DH soon got it down. I had 100oz in the freezer before hand but we didn't use any until I stopped expressing at 9 months.

Thanks all! Btw, it's nice to see you JJJ, as I remembered you were really helpful on a thread a while ago about c-sections/bf clothing. I called one of the helplines and they were grand.

Managed so far to 'swap' two feeds, and my supply is holding, and no mastitis despite a near miss at the end of last week. Next feed to drop is a nighttime one and I'm dreading it. Going from just turning over in bed to getting a bottle and getting up will be a nightmare- I've no idea how people manage it and I've no idea how we're going to do it !

That's a good tip Penguin, and I'll ensure DP doesn't over-feed during the day. DS is a grazer, he tends to take about 100-120 ml per bottle feed, about half what is on the back of the tin, but then he's feeding around ten times in 24 hours, so it makes up overall.

I'm telling work that I'll need to express; I will see how it goes with one a day, but if I'm aching and leaking everywhere then I will up it if it's possible, even if it's a swift pump and dump situation in the loos (again, it's not down to work being unsupportive, just the nature of my job).

It worth learning to hand express in case you find yourself stuck in a stituation where you couldn't access your pump and need to express to releave pressure.

There is no reasion why you couldn't carry on night feeding and co-sleeping many mum's find this really helpfull when they go back to work. As baby will often take more milk at night, it's also the best way to help with your supply as hormones are higher at night.

Unless of course you'll be doing shirts/maynot be there for some of the night feeds.

Hi Chinchilla. I returned to work when DD2 was nearly 8 months. EBF until 6 months and then did a mix of weaning foods, BF and EBM (to get her used to bottles) before I went back to work.

I used my stash of frozen EBM when I started back to work and tried to express during the day. Work were very supportive about giving me time and privacy for expressing, but I couldn't 'get into the zone' to make it work (2oz after an hour of trying) :(.

So we now do (DD2 is now 10months): 6am BF; breakfast; mid morning formula; lunch; mid afternoon formula; dinner; 7pm BF, 11pm-ish BF. Sometimes also a nighttime 5 mins BF to settle.

However, during the Easter holiday, I BF the mid-morning and mid afternoon feeds and found my supply adjusted to the new demand (yes, after 2 days body adjusted to provide more milk - don't know if this is the same for everyone). I was a bit full for the first couple of days back at work after Easter, but has now settled again.

My bottom line is, while I'm sure it'll be absolutely fine for you as you sound like you have a really good supply :), please don't be disappointed (I was in tears) if the expressing at work doesn't work for you. You'll still have the lovely closeness of BF morning, evening and bedtime, and your body correctly adjusts to the demand ime.

hope it all works out for you.

Thanks; I know the psychological issues around expressing at work (a woman on my post natal group was the same) can be a real barrier, and it's one of those things you just don't know until you try!

I'd hope that when DS starts weaning I'll be able to drop the expressing at work 'feed' as it were, and just do morning, evening and bedtime.
And that's a good point about hand expressing- God knows why, but even with childbirth, bf'ing, expressing with a pump, hand expressing makes me wibble! Even massaging when I've had mastitis has made go a bit knock-knee'd.

We'll see how we go!