Hoping this wont ruin feeding ( not sure how else to describe it)

[IneedAsockamnesty]

Dc is now 8 months has never had a bottle or any fluid other than BM, exclusively bf until 6 months then combined bf with solid food.

Much to dads and in laws disgust as apparently only selfish mothers refuse to bottle feed and its so they can hog the baby ( not really relevant but an idea of the lack of bf support I have)

I struggle to express but with the help of sure start peer lady was able to express about 4 ounces a day however dc refuses bottle completely even when told its real

Dc s weight and everything is fine no issues but now I have 2 days a week consecutively where it's impossible to take dc to work so childminder is used.( been preparing for this for ages so have loads f frozen BM and dc will take it off a spoon)

If I can't express as much as dc would have during these days how can i make sure my milk does not go?

I'm rather worried about this as I don't want to have to stop before we both want to

Hi. My dd won't never taken a bottle but since turning 6 months will happily take a sippy cup of ebm. Have u tried that? Much meeasier than spooning it in!

Hi

I don't think your supply will 'go' now DC is 8m... and presumably you'll be able to feed before and after work, at night?

DC might take from a bottle/cup from someone other than you

At 8m will probably get through a day without the 'need' for BM, IYSWIM... and is taking solids as well so won't get hungry as such

And will come home to a lovely bf

I went back to work at 9m with all of mine (1st was 6m) and bf continued to 16 and 18m with DC2 and 3 . Good luck

Expressing when you've missed a feed is much easier than expressing to stockpile ime. As long as you feed on demand on the other 5 days a week, plus morning and evening on work days you'll be fine.

He will probably refuse bottle at childminder initially but hunger will take over. Try the Tomme tippe close to nature. Bf babies will always refuse bottle if you are around they just know!
As for your supply it just adjusts to demand. I went back to work at 6 months and although I sometimes had to express a little when it got uncomfortable I was always able to feed DS even though I worked every other day. Also found I got amazing endorphin rush when I sat down to feed him on our return from work. I had not noticed it before that.

Feed before you drop off and express when you can at work (hand expressing may be better than a pump in some circumstances, and take a few photos of him when he was newborn so you can relax and look at his chubby little newborn pics ).

When you return, whether he has taken any milk or not during the day, he will have a mammoth feed off you

Dd was a bottle refuser (well, a milk refuser from anything other than my boob!) and my instructions to MIL when she had to have her for a full day was keep a sippy cup of water near by to 'offer' to her and keep offering food including water based food like oranges, cucumber, pears etc. She was fine.

The other option - could you see if the childminder could visit you a lunch time for a quick feed in the car? Offer to compensate fuel etc. she may have other children so not feasible but worth asking.

Honestly OP, your supply won't dwindle from two full days at work- and your ds will feed like mad when he sees you!

Oh and well done for getting to 8 months with little support from your uneducated family. You're a credit to your son for persevering and going against the grain of your family's deep routed 'norms'

YY to the photos thing; I also found a warm room helped for expressing and having something my baby had worn, to sniff (I know, it sounds very odd but curiously worked for me).

DS would not take a bottle of anything unless it was very very warm indeed, much warmer than I would have thought necessary. Obviously not scalding, but I think the feeling of warmth in the larger part of the teat helped DS feel more like there was a BF going on.

Good luck!

Its weird because I bf all of mine and its the first time expressing has ever been hard and its the first time I've ever encountered the negative attitude.

I just tried in the bath and got a bit more. He does have long feeds throughout the night so I'm guessing that will help as well.

mine just adjusted itself when I went back at 11 months also 2 days - although I went to work the first day in what started off as a modest wrap dress, and ended up looking like a glamour model (at chest level), I didnt express and my body just sorted itself out. Your supply wont go as long as you are feeding before and after work and the rest of the time.