Mixed feeding

[trufflehumper]

Hi. DD is 10 weeks old. I am due to return to work in 8 weeks time. Have tried expressing upon return twice before with DDs 1&2 and found it was v. StressfulI due to diminishing supply and amount of mill nursery asked for. With this in mind we have decided to mix feed with formula. Am thinking I will BF morning before work, overnight and in eve when I get home. DD will then have 2/3 ff during day. Does this sound like it wil work? Will my supply adjust? Will I need to pump? Any advice appreciated.

Bump

It worked for me, although my LO was 9 months. I breastfed morning, when I got in from work and through the night if he woke. I was quite engorged for the first week back at work and I had to hand express to relieve the pain but after that it was fine and I carried on like that till my son was 20 months. I think your body will adjust and you'll be fine.

Thanks star I haven't mastered hand expressing yet.. what did you express into? Did you use the milk?

There's a good chance it will work but I think you have to set yourself up for the possibility that it won't, and that you'll end up fully formula feeding, which is what happened to me under similar circumstances. I think it's a difficult age as they are still having so much milk during the day, mine just got used to the bottles and couldn't be bothered with BF any more.

weasel I am worried that she will prefer the bottle tbh. But have to go back to work when she is 4.5 mths so not much choice really.

I was the same. Needs must. You've done brilliantly so far. In the grand scheme of things it won't matter a jot.

Hi OP. I went back to work at 8 months so not quite as early as you but baby still having quite a bit of milk during day at that point. I handed expressed into a sterile pot at work and took to nursery who would keep in their freezer. I found it hard to hand express before then but it's much easier when you're at work and would be due to feed as breasts fuller.

I didn't keep the milk, I was happy for him to have formula in the day and I didn't have the time or anywhere to express anyway (I'm a teacher). But if you have a job that allows you to take time to express then you could. I've been lucky that my boys have always switched between bottle and breast (too greedy to care!) but I suppose it depends on your baby.

Thanks weasel
green I might give hand expressing a go and see if I can get the hang of it. I used a manual hand pump previously but it was a bit noisy.
star I lecture in a uni. Can express at work albeit in a shower cubicle!

Your work should give you a safe space and fridge access. Our facilities team helped me with logistics (obviously not with expressing!).