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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Preparing my boobs for return to work.

15 replies

squizita · 11/04/2015 13:03

DD is just over 6 months. When she's 9 months I will be going back to work (for a few weeks - then it's summer holiday as I work in a school).

I am not worried about her as we have a bottle type she uses fine, I can pump well and she likes SMA gold so we have "back up".

But I don't want to be squirting milk by 3 pm every day! Grin Neither do I want to cut my supply too much.
In an ideal world (and I know some mums who do this ) I'd like to bf evening and overnight, with expressed/formula by day "longer term" ... having spoken to other working mums.

Any tips for getting this set up or is it luck?

OP posts:
WiggleGinger · 11/04/2015 13:21

Watching
As I am pretty much the same situation except my DS won't take a bottle :(

YokoUhOh · 11/04/2015 13:27

DS just fed in the mornings and when I got home from school at 9 months. My boobs were rock hard by 5pm! He was fine at the childminders, he just drank water from a cup if he was thirsty and we did BLW so he wasn't eating much either. It all evens out. Good luck!

YokoUhOh · 11/04/2015 13:29

Oh, and he fed all night (reverse cycled) - we co-slept so it worked for us (but I was totally knackered).

lucidlady · 11/04/2015 13:37

Can you express during the day?

AwakeButNotForLong · 11/04/2015 13:51

I went back at 8 months, and didn't bother expressing or cutting down at all. Got mastitis in the first week which was not nice, but after that was fine and no problems with squirting or discomfort. Maybe just express a little in the first week or to relieve pressure but then after that you might be OK without expressing.

Original poster
squizita · 11/04/2015 14:03

Lucid it wouldn't be easy. Though the school would be able to find me a room etc the nature of my job is such that I'm either tied to the timetable or, in my 45 min lunch break I'm "available" (ie at lunch time if a parent had a pastoral issue or a child had a fight - or a less experienced colleague needed support - I need to drop everything. It's what's expected ... check the education boards, the staffroom board or AIBU if you need proof! 8-5pm I'm not a person I'm a machine!).

OP posts:
Original poster
squizita · 11/04/2015 14:05

I could probably comfort express in the short term of course.

But the other thing is ... part of my role is covering/teaching PSHE. Pictures of babies etc! Shock If I'm super full the mind boggles lol!

OP posts:
weebairn · 11/04/2015 15:01

I found an absolute world of difference between 6 months (baby feeding every 1-2 hours) and 10 months when I returned to work as a hospital doc doing 13 hour shifts at 100mph with no time for expressing!

Honestly a 9 month old will be ENTIRELY different to how she is now so I would maybe prepare nearer the time…

My first baby was a milk monster and was just fine on water and food while I was at work. I didn't have to express for comfort either - it was uncomfortable for the first few weeks but no more than that. Never leaked either (wore big bras and dark clothes at first in case).

I am also going back to work when dd2 is 8-9 months old so hoping the situation is relatively easy again.

Good luck

TheOriginalWinkly · 11/04/2015 15:06

DD is 9 months and I've only just returned to work. I'm still breastfeeding at home, and she has some formula or ebm when I'm at work, but she won't take bottles so drinks from a sippy cup. The first day I leaked a bit Blush but I can go around 6 hours before I need to comfort express. 5 minutes on a loo break with a hand pump does the job. DD also reverse cycles, so her night wakings have increased drastically but then she won't drink much milk unless it's direct from the source, so you might be ok. All in all, its.going fairly well.

Original poster
squizita · 11/04/2015 15:21

Weebairn thanks! Thats reassuring. Yep mine is every 2 or 3 hr now (tiny wee girl ... don't know where she puts it!) but even doing first tastes she likes yoghurt and fromage fraise so when she's older hopefully she'll be ok for dairy by day. Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
squizita · 11/04/2015 15:23

Theoriginal Cool. I don't mind night wakes tbh. Not one who "needs my sleep" (tbh bit of an insomniac) so will brace myself for midnight booby!

OP posts:
McBaby · 11/04/2015 19:38

By nine months both of mine were feeding first thing, mid morning, late afternoon and before bed. So you may only be swapping the mid morning feed for formula or expressed milk. If you do this a week of so before going back you won't need to express in the day and won't feel uncomfortable!

PuppyMummy · 11/04/2015 22:35

squizita I went back to work at 7 months. also in a school, im a teacher and a head of year so similar pastoral commitments.

I express twice a day so ds can hav 2 bottles at nursery. he doesn't have any formula so I have built expressing into my day.

I dont do it at the same time but aim for around break time, just before if I can and then end of the day or before if I can. I do have to 'make' time and have said to people 'ill be there once I have done some milk!'

school have been supportive and I haven't had any problems although it is on occasion stressful but for me its just 'part' of breastfeeding, which I chose to do!

PuppyMummy · 11/04/2015 22:35

forgot to add. it didn't make him feed anymore at night but he is a crap sleeper anyway!

PuppyMummy · 11/04/2015 22:37

sorry, should have rtt better!

he was a bottle refuser until nursery. took him 3 days to decide he would have ebm!

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