Breastfeeding and return to work

[SJMBABYLOVE01]

Hi please could anyone offer advice and guidance.

I have a 10.5 month old baby and I have to return to work soon. He breast feed on demand and I'll be returning to work 3 days a week.

My question is do you think it's enough for baby and to maintain supply, feeding first thing in morning, about 430 pm, before bed and at least once in the night.

Should I give milk in beacker or water and healthy snack.

Any thoughts are appreciated

Thanks

Was fine for me - I did pretty much the same but for five days. Supply adjusted fine.

Should be fine. Does he still need a night feed at that age though?
I was feeding early morning and before bed and maintained supply. My daughter is a similar age but dropped the night feed over 2 months ago.

Mine's the same age and just feeds at bedtime - I work 5 days. Been that way for a while and supply's holding up fine.

Good luck going back to work!

Thanks you stealthpolarbear and maya15,

Im not sure about the night feed I think some is for comfort. Although I know I've always had just enough milk if you know what I mean. Not a drop to spare, pumped after feeds and taken fenugreek. Hence my concern to drop a mid morning and mid afternoon feed. I'm worried my supply will dry up and my little man will be left wondering where his milk has gone. I think my hormones are all over the place and I'm upset and anxious about returning to work

Many thanks

Thanks eatsleephockyrepeat.

If you don't mind me asking do you give milk any other way. I'm not sure if my little man needs a cup of milk for child minders.

Thanks again

You should be absolutely fine. I went back to work 3 days when DD was 9 months. She was EBF and had never taken a bottle. She did 3 days at nursery 8-5 and I just did the morning and bedtime feed. I continued to feed on demand the days we were together, though this did naturally decrease. She had only food and water at nursery as she continued to refuse the bottle but was happy and fine. We continued to BF until she was 22 months old.

Thank you bear2014 that makes me feel much better. It's nice to know the outcome has been good for others.

When you say you return to work soon, how soon? At >11mo, I'd be offering cows milk at the childminders, maybe in a sippy cup.

Thank you return in a couple of weeks so yes 11 months thanks

I returned to work when DD1 was 9mo. She'd been EBF to that point and would take a bottle but not formula! I did a morning feed, a 6.30 feed and a bedtime feed, and she had a bottle of cows milk for her nap at lunchtime. It worked very well, and I carried on BF until she was 20months with no problems.

We were on morning and night feeds only here by 11 months. It'll be totally fine. Water from a beaker during the day. No additional milk needed.

No additional milk for us either (not least because ds is allergic to it!), just water as others have said. Nursery asked me recently if they could give him soya milk from his cup with snacks as the other kids have milk and I said that would be fine, but he doesn't have any milk as a drink at home. I think either way's fine :)

Thanks eatsleephockyrepeat 😊 much appreciated

With my daughter I started work when my daughter was 7 month old. I work 2 days a week (2 long days) & I expressed during work hours & my daughter took the expressed milk at nursery. When she turned 1 she didn't take to cows milk very well at all, then starting refusing expressed milk as we tried to mix the 2 so wouldn't touch it so then just had her food & water at nursery. Oh & my son is 18 months & still breast feeds a lot both day & night but if I'm not around he's ok without it! Good luck

Yes think you will be fine and you shouldn't need to express to maintain supply but you may find you need to express a couple of times a day initially just to relieve the full up boobs! I found I had to do that for a few weeks but after that it was fine. With my son I chucked the milk as he refused it in cup/beaker, but my daughter did drink it so I saved the milk for her.