Can I stop BFing my DS during the day when I go back to work, without resorting to formula?

[GenericDietCola]

My DS is 7 months old and I am due to work a few days next month and go back to work full time in September. At the moment, he is EBF and also weaned onto three solid meals a day.

When I had my DD, I mix fed her from about 5 months, so that when I went back to work at 6 months she could have formula during the day and BM in the morning and at night when I was at home.

Maybe because DS is my last baby, I don't feel ready to phase out BFing yet and I'm wondering if I can simply cut down on the daytime feeds and just feed him morning and evening. If I do this, could he manage without any milk in the day? He could have yoghurts and cheese for calcium and I'd make sure he had decent feeds when I am around. Is this enough?

Can't you express so he can have a bottle during the day? 2 feeds a day doesn't seem a lot in my mind, however my DS was on formula by that stage so he was recommended about 20oz of milk at that age which was 3-4 bottles.

I'm not sure about expressing as it would be difficult to fit in at work.

I'm not averse to giving him formula, it's just that when DD started on formula, she soon gave up BFing altogether and I wanted to carry on a bit longer this time.

8 months does seem too early to cut out daytime feeds. I think you'll need either expressed milk or formula at least once in the day.

I went back at 7 months and tried to carry on with morning and night feeds with bottles in between but my supply didn't hold up and i gave up breast feeding around 9/10 months.

I think that you might well need to be able to express during the day to retain your supply, whether you pump and dump or take it home for a bottle feed.

I'm going back to work in three weeks when DD1 will be just short of 9 months. She will just be having solids and water during the day for the three days I'm at work. I'll feed her in the morning before I go and at tea time when I pick her up and she'll be having extra yogurt, ready brek etc.

At the moment she only feeds mid morning and mid afternoon during work hours, so the mid morning one would be missed and the mid afternoon would shift to pick up time

I went back when DS was 7mths. I expressed, but he didn't really take it at nursery. He'd feed first thing in the morning, have a massive feed when I collected him and then last thing at night. He was bf until 19mths and never had formula.

Fatima, that's the kind of pattern I'm aiming for. He will be 9 months when I go back to work and I'll prob only be away from him for three days a week as I can work from home a bit.

Matchsticks, that's encouraging!

I did the same as Matchsticks - BF feeds in the morning and after collection and again in the evenings. I had no choice as baby refused to take a bottle and would only have sippy cups of water.

Hey all - my dd will be 12mths when we start nursery - saw a lactation consultant recently (sounds posh but she's a friend of the family) she said to me water during day is fine then big feeds before and after and also to expect a few night feeds too. She said expressing at this stage would be hard as your supply is exactly tailored to what the baby takes. As long as your DC takes water there's no issue at nursery. At the nursery we are starting they don't do any milk feeds - all on just on food and water (though is a 12mth+ group). Hope it works out for us all - fingers crossed xxx

Giving a sippy cup of formula rather than a bottle might help keep the bf/comfort association?

Still bf at 14 months with DS in nursery 4 days a week here. I gave expressed milk in a cup to the nursery for the first few months then bf on arrival at nursery, every morning and every evening.

Sounds like we are in the same boat, KingRollo!

Thanks, everyone, for your advice. I think I will be leaving DH with formula, bottles and cups, as well as DS's usual food, including cheese, yoghurt etc. I'm a bit worried I'll have exploding bosoms, but doubt I'll get much opportunity to express at work! I'm sure my body and DS will adapt soon enough.