Going back to work, 18wo EBF baby - help!

[FaneFeyre]

Hi,

Firstly apologies if I've posted this in the wrong place, it was a toss-up between here and the Feeding board. Apologies also that it's a bit long and PFB.

Okay, so I'm just wondering if anyone has been in my situation. I'm going back to work part-time in a few weeks, and my baby will be 18weeks old. She'll be going to a childminder's for four hours four mornings per week.

What I'm worrying about, amongst other things: Right now she's still EBF. She does take the occasional bottle of expressed milk when DP gives it to her, and unless she's very tired and cross will take it without much protest. But I absolutely hate expressing and I'm really not very good at it. When I mentioned that I was going back to work part-time, my public health nurse (equivalent of UK health visitor) said, 'hm, that will be tough, so she will need two or three bottles of EBM for those four hours each day.'

HELP! I absolutely cannot produce that much milk per day. I have been thinking about it and am wondering if I should try to introduce a bottle of formula from when DD is about 16 weeks old, so that this could be her morning feed while at childminder's. While it would be nice to get to 6 months EBF, I think trying to express the amount that would be needed would leave me absolutely frantic. She does NOT like the taste of formula (tried it once with no success), but maybe I could keep topping up bottles of BM with formula until she gets used to the taste?

I'm really worrying about this because her weight gain has been slowish since birth. I hate the thought of her being hungry for a whole morning because I haven't left enough milk with the childminder and she won't take formula. Has anyone tried the above approach? Does it work?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

if you will be away for 4 hours, feed last thing and feed on return then no, she can do without. Even if feeding 2-4 oz's would suffice.

will pop later as DD has just woken to read through proper and answer anything. I had a slow gainer as well but it isn't a health concern, just who they are and she will have 20 hours to catch up.

YY to feeding just before you drop off and on pick up. Do you think the Cm would let you feed her on pick up in the house? It might be easier then having to wait in the drive home.

Have you also told your employer about your breastfeeding so they can provide you a room to express and store milk at work. They have to provide it by law but you also have to tell them in good time. I know you don't like expressing but any milk you express will keep your milk in a better supply, esp if dd is a frequent feeder.

She won't need 4 bottles of ebm but it would be handy to try for 2 bottles of 3oz.

One thiong you will notice is she will likely feed more on anight as she will miss the daily feed so that should help with your supply.

Try and take each day as it comes with a positive attitude, if you tell yourself you willfail then it will be harder to succeed

Thanks for your thoughts, ladies. Yes I suppose I will have to express anyway to keep up supply. Having time to express is not really a problem as I'll be working from home and can sneak in a pumping session between videoconferences with global colleagues (note to self PUT AWAY PUMP before turning on camera...). Also childminder lives about an 8 minute drive away so baby could probably wait til we get home.
I'm being a total worrywart about this, I know. I guess it's just that it takes me so long to produce 3 oz. And don't even get me started on the napping problems...

in that case, don't leave milk and if an emergency arrives or as she is getting used to going 4 hours in the first few weeks just get cm to call you, you go round and feed her herself.

DS can take 1oz, once took 2oz when i wasn't there and missed a feed so i suspect yours would do the same.

I went back to work when DD was a bit older but she NEVER took a bottle and so she had to survive with a 'just before' and 'immediately after' feed!

As Debs said, she may just increase at other times to make up for it - so brace yourself for a bit of a limpet perhaps - but four hours isn't a horrendously long time and she will adjust! And you'll be weaning before you know it and then a nice, milky bowl of porridge will start to see her through.

Good luck