Going back to work (boo). Will my milk dry up?

[halfpaintedwalls]

Going back to work very soon. My LO is only 5 months old and ebf at the moment so it is going to be quite a change for us both.

By not feeding during the day will my milk dry up totally? Should I express at work?

Feeling a bit glum about the situation tbh. Still want to feed the wee man and original plan was to have longer maternity leave.

Was hoping someone has some shared experience / advice...

If I express during the (4) days I am at work will that keep my supply up?

I went back 3 days a week after 4 months and expressed at first which went fine - but eventually I realised I was adding time on to my working day sitting in a dark cupboard under the stairs expressing and in fact I was missing out on time with LO so I dropped off the expressing and my nanny gave a few bottles of formula - but the breastfeeding continued fine until LO was two.

I didn't go back to work till he was 0 months but I think by 5 you'll have a very well established supply. I expressed once a day for a month (it is recommended but not compulsory for your employer to provide you with somewhere rondo this and access to a fridge - don't think the understate cupboard cuts it!) and this made me more comfortable. Then I and just fed as soon as I got home. I was five days a week and was able to continue feeding till he was two.

Lots of info here

With DD1 I went back at 6m and moved to ff during the day and bf morning and evening/overnight. This worked out fine until she decided herself to stop bf at 8m, not sure if this was due to stopping during the day.
If you don't express during the day make sure you start in advance to drop feeds so you don't end up engorged.

Thank you everyone, really appreciate all the advice and hearing your experiences. I think I'll start with expressing and see how it goes then reduce when my guilt has subsided a bit to ff during the day and feeding at night.

Really hope I can keep it all going for a few months yet

I went back for two days a week at 9 months - on the days I was at work he had formula during the day, and bf morning and night. On the days I was there, I just fed him as normal, and I never expressed at work - I think my supply was just very adaptable. I went on like that until 19 months (although he was only bf once a day or so then.)

Up until I went back to work I was feeding him around 3 times during the day, and it didn't seem to leave me engorged or anything if I missed those three feeds. Breast are marvellous things :)

I went back 3 days a week at 6mo. No expressing (I'm a consultant so no "place of work" as such). I bf to 13 months :)
Also my ds refused bottles and survived fine with a cup and food.
It'll be fine :)