Expressing and breast feeding help please

[zinher]

My baby is 7 months old now. Have EBF for 6 months. She started food at 6 months but still EBF. I will be going to work in a couple of months so wanted to start expressing for her. Bought the medela swing pump. It just seems so much work. I am wondering if it would be ok to supplement with formula when I am not at home. Will baby get confused with the taste of milk? I really want to continue bf till she is at least a year old.

Exactly how much does it mean to you to continue bf? Is it worth the effort of expressing?

Of course it is fine to give formula if you want. Some babies switch between formula and breastfeeding and back easily. But- some may prefer formula/bottles and you may have to be mentally prepared for that to happen before you try.

My first refused the breast completely after her third bottle of formula, so mixed didn't work, we had to switch. With my second I really wanted to continue bf, so I expressed instead.

If you have a couple of months I'd start building in an "extra feed". I did mine at 10pm before bed, which was also her longest break, 6pm- 3am. I expressed the same time every night, and eventually could get 6 oz fairly quickly (from 1 or 2 in the beginning). Freeze anything you get! Once you do go back to work just express whenever you would normally feed...

I expressed almost daily 6-10 months and agree that it's a lot of work!

If you go back to work at 9mo and she's getting on well with solid food, hopefully she should be OK without much milk during the day, as long as you give her lots morning and evening. So you might get away without having to do the expressing/ff a huge amount or for very long.