Breastfeeding whilst working part time

[Sleepyhoglet]

I may be returning to work one day a week 8am-4pm when my baby is approx 20 weeks old. I want to hear from others who have done this as I don't want to give up breastfeeding and if it won't work I'd rather not go back to work then. I'm not actually worried about my baby. She takes a bottle (though only the lansinoh) of formula at night ( although takes expressed when I can be bothered!).

What I am worried about is me! Will my boobs cope going that long? I may be able to express but can't really take the electric one as it's so noisy and here aren't places to plug in as id have to do it in a loo prob so hand one and chucking the milk is the only option (soul destroying I know).

I went back to work for both mine when they were 6 months old, so only slightly older than yours. I worked 3dpw and was gone about 8-6. I made sure I made time for a decent feed in the morning and again in the evening. I expressed in my lunch hour (hand pump) for the first 6 weeks with DC1 and for about 10 weeks for DC2, but to be honest I didn't need to after the first week or two in terms of sore boobs or keeping the milk up, but did it because I was trying to ebf for as long as possible. On days I wasn't working, I continued breastfeeding as before, and kept it up for both until 14 months.

So absolutely possible. Worth having express pump available if you need it but you can probably manage without. If you do want to, good employers will try to provide somewhere private (with lock / blinds or no windows) for you to express - mine did (except for a couple of weeks during building work). Go for it!

Ooh that makes me feel positive- I will be doing 3 days once she is 12 months

I worked full time and DS gave up aged 2.5. I found it fantastic for reconnecting at the end of the day. With my older 2 whom I ff I found I could get waylaid doing the evening time rush before focusing on getting in the cuddles. DS was all together more focused about getting his mammy time in the evening. He was able to ensure I knew my priorities.

I gave up expressing after 3 weeks. I had a monster stash which I had made up so it lasted a while but after a while I left solids and a half bottle of formula until he was 1. He really did not need it as he had plenty duting the night and evening to keep him going.