Planning on BF but returning to work at 7 weeks....

[MishMooshAndMogwai]

I have a dilemma, 2nd DC due in July and planning to breastfeed. Didn't manage it with dd for various reasons so more or less clueless in the practicalities department.

The inescapable plan is that I will need to return to work 2 days per week nearing the end of September. Baby will be in the onsite nursery for those 2 days beginning when they are 8 weeks old (for the first week they will stay with me at my desk until old enough to start at the nursery).
It will be difficult to leave my desk for on demand feeding and after a few weeks they will also be at a local child minder for 2 days a week which I definitely won't be able to attend for on demand feeding.

So the plan is to get feeding fairly established in 7 weeks (is it counted as established by then?) and have a bottle introduced for when they start at nursery (or at least when the start the childminder).

Is this practical and realistic? Will I be able to express at 7 weeks successfully? Will I need to introduce a bottle and do part breast part bottle feeding from day one? Is that even possible?

I really want to have a plan in my head but I know I can't really until I meet my baby and know how we both cope with it all!

Firstly the most valuable feed is the first one, so if it all gets overwhelming you can just plan to do that one.

Then the advice on bottles is to inyroduce them by 6 weeks if you need the baby to take one. So given your situation it will probably be best to be risking a drop in supply or breast refusing by getting lo onto a bottle by then.

Pumping will be fine as soon as your milk comes in, so from day 4-6 if you feel up to it. Might cause oversupply issues but shouldn't stop lo getting enough milk.

More us based forums might help more, shorter maternity leave is more common that side of the pond.

This is very common in the States where maternity leave is much much shorter than it is here (typically 6 weeks I think). Lots of my US based friends have successfully breastfed while at home and sent expressed milk for the baby to have at daycare.

There is lots of info on how to do this successfully on US parenting sites and FB. Search for 'nursing and pumping' and 'working and pumping'.

You will probably need to express at work to keep up your supply. Your employer must provide you with a private space in which to do this.

Thank you both, I'll have a Google and see what the US can come up with