Worried my 2 month old with starve...

[Bhappy12]

I'm currently pregnant with my first child and DH and I have been deciding on childcare arrangements - For a lot of reasons, it makes sense for me to go back to work after having the baby for 3 months, when the baby is about 2 months old.

I'm hoping to breastfeed, but am concerned about how we will manage this when I'm back at work? Will I be able to express enough of a stock for the freezer to cover the feeding while I'm at work for those 3 months? Will I need to express at work to stop my boobs becoming sore? If the baby is breastfed and bottle fed, will they then start to refuse one or the other option (I've heard this happens a lot)? What if they're a mixture of formula and breast fed?

I'm a bit anxious about going back to work as everyone keeps telling me I won't want to leave a baby when it's that young and that I shouldn't come back to work until the baby is older - so I'm really obsessing over the feeding thing. I don't think I'm really looking for answers because, obviously, no one can say for sure what our baby will be like, but if anyone has any advice or experience, I'd be grateful!

Hi, I have a 6 month old, EBF and I’ve been back at work just over 2 weeks. I expressed and froze milk for a few weeks beforehand, which was really useful, although that’s all gone now! It would be a challenge to express 3 month supply, and its difficult to know how much you’ll need, mine drinks more from a bottle with childminder that he does with me when BF, so I have to pump quite a bit.? I express at work to produce milk for the following day. You will need to express to maintain your supply. I also express before and after work, and now adding in a night pump session to keep up with demand! I have used Minbie bottle tests which replicate breastfeeding to try to avoid a preference for bottle feeds (and also because my LO refused a bottle at first.) My advice would be to practice bottle feeds at home well before your return to work to make sure baby will take a bottle! (Not something I even considered could be a problem!) As for leaving baby, I think it depends how well they settle. I was apprehensive first day, but LO has a great time with childminder and is always smiling who dropped off/picked up. She sends me updates/photos though out the day which is lovely. I was concerned it would be too early to go back, but having done a couple of weeks, I’m happy it was the right decision. Good luck!

It sounds like a lot of trouble really. Why not formula feed? Breastfeeding is really great but I don't think it's realistic in your situation. Expressing enough to build up a supply for a two month old? They feed all day long at that age, when would you have time to build up the surplus? You'd be feeding and expressing literally all day long. Plus you'd have to keep it up at work or your supply will drop.

And are you planning on getting up at night to bf the baby or would that be expressed milk as well?

Even a six month old (as pp describes) has very different feeding habits, in terms of taking a feed at certain times rather than wanting to be fed all day long.

Its fine to go back to work but I would forget bf, it just isn't realistic.

If you had your baby cared for near to your work, you could breastfeed when required. Your work has to make allowances for this, by law. If that's too hard you could establish a pattern of breast feeding morning and night and give a combination of formula and EBM through the day.

It is very common in the US, where they have very little mat leave.

Combi feeding both ff and bf you have no idea whether it will work for you until you try it. Imo mix feeding does tend to end up ff relatively quickly, with some exceptions.

Mine was a little older but we ended up “reverse cycling”- he woke to feed every three hours at night, we co-slept to facilitate. So only one or two bottle feeds were needed in the day, which i expressed at work for the next day.

It’s not unusual to have an oversupply at first, which adjusts about 8 weeks to what your baby needs. If you intend to feed ebm it’s worth expressing in those first weeks to build up a freezer stash, 6-8 oz a day will be more than enough.

Just shamelessly jumping on to see the advice, as like you OP I will be going back to work very early, when my baby is 3 months old, and I am also worried about the exact same issue.

Combi feeding could be a good compromise, but be aware that even if you introduce bottles very early (as in day 1) some babies will just prefer the breast and refuse them.