Breastfeeding & returning to work

[Bex107]

I've posted on here previously about this, however I didn't factor in the settling in period for DS at nursery

So, DS will be around 10 months when he starts at nursery for 1-2 days a week initially. He is weaning but still breastfeeding - usually feeds around 7.30am/11am/3pm/6.30pm and a couple of times in the night. He'll be at nursery from 8.30am-5pm, so I'm not sure what to do - assuming he'll still be breastfeeding at least once during those hours, should I be expressing and leaving him with a couple of feeds (in a bottle or sippy cup)? If so, has anyone got any tips for successfully expressing while at work?!

Or should I be expecting him to be ok without breast milk while at nursery? To complicate matters he is dairy free so can't supplement with cows milk instead.

Basically don't worry, it will be fine. My DS1 went to nursery at 10 months, EBF, didn't wean onto solids well so still mainly reliant on breastmilk. I just bfed him before and after (plus during night!) and he coped during the day with water and formula. I suspect for the first few days he went thirsty during the day but he quickly worked it out. I would be guided by your nursery as how they prefer to deal with these situations as they will have seen it many times before.

I never bothered expressing at work because (1) I didn't like the faff and (2) DS wouldn't drink the stuff. My supply coped just fine and I fed him on demand when I was home. I continued BF him till he was nearly 2 and DS2 till nearly 3, after a while settling down to just morning/evenings so there is no reason you can't combine BF with working.

My almost-11 month old has been in nursery for 3 months, he's fine in nursery on mostly solids and water and a small amount of expressed milk. He feeds more in the evening when we're back together too.