My grand plan to return to work and continue to BF - will this work?

[fhdl34]

I'm now looking at returning to work when DD will be almost 7 months old as some great shifts have come up (had planned to go back when she was 10 months). I'll be working split shifts of 9-12pm and 5-7pm Saturday and Sunday and then no more that 2 shifts of 5-10pm in the week. I think at that stage she will be able to go without any breastmilk for the weekend shifts as the longest I'm away is 3hrs and work is only 10mins away but if I get the 2 x 5hr shifts in the week, is that too long to go without a breastfeed at that age? We'll be starting BLW in a month but apart from one failed attempt by DH a week ago, she's never had any expressed milk. My plan would be to feed her right before I leave, then DH can do dinner around 5.30/6pm ish and then when I get back if she wants it (she goes up to bed about 8pm, usually down to sleep by 9pm). She's also mostly BF to sleep but has occasionally gone to sleep with a muslin to suck/hold so am now not too concerned about her getting to sleep. So, any views on my grand plan?

It sounds absolutely doable.

Once they are established on solids, breastfeeding changes again - fewer feeds, less urgency.

IME anyway.

Good luck :)

Definitely do-able. I went back to work when DD was 7 months, but was only doing mornings in the office- away from her 3-4 hours and she was absolutely fine. I then started doing more like 8-3, but she was still totally fine as she was eating solids so well. I really felt like when I wasn't there she didn't miss it, but then made up for it as soon as I walked in the door. When I was away she just had water or food. She did start getting up more at night- I understand this is natural as they try to make up time with you. She is now 11 months and for the past 2 months she only BF in the morning and in the evening. Good luck!

I think it's doable, I returned to work when DS was 14 months and pop home at lunch to express each day and I'm still bfing him at 2 years ( its his birthday today!) and it's not a bad thing if she can fall asleep without you, I wish DS could!

Absolutely do-able. I went back to work when DC1 was 6mo and she refused to take a bottle, so on the days I worked she just had massive feeds before and after nursery and I expressed midday to ease the discomfort.

Good luck!

My DS1 did take bottles, but I didn't express with him (he had cows milk or formula when I wasn't there). But I used to be out of the house from 7:30 - 6, 3 days in the week - both of us just adjusted so that when I was there he bf, when I wasn't he had bottles (or cups when he was a little older). He bf till he was 14m. I did similar with DS2 (but he would only have expressed milk, which was a faff) and similar hours - and he bf till he was 2.

So what you're saying is utterly doable!

Yay am so pleased, thanks! When DH tried the expressed milk on her, I was gone for about 3hrs. Had fed her to sleep before I left and he said she was grumpy before he have her the expressed milk, she took 10ml and most of that ended up down her belly but she was ok with that afterwards and just fed when I got back. I wonder if she just thought she'd wait for me or whether she was just a bit thirsty and that sufficed? Either way it made me realise at 5 months she's now a bit more flexible on the feeding front.

You should be able to start giving her (cooled, boiled) water to drink from bottles. My DCs would take water from bottles, especially on hot days, even when they wouldn't take milk.

Also she will probably eat yoghurt quite happily and mashed potato with melted cheese mixed in. Great ways of getting the milk/dairy into her without having to bf.

And persist with the bottle too.

She's not had a bottle, she had it from a sippy cup. Once we'd got to 4 months we decided not to bother with a bottle as would only have to wean her off it anyway. Once they're 6 months old can't they just have water from the tap? I'm not weaning till then so have won't be giving her water before that.