Return to work and breastfeeding

[RosieLee2019]

Hi, my 11 mo has been ebf since birth, apart from the occasional bottle of formula if I've been out for a few hours. I go back to work in a month, when DS will be 12 months. I'll be working 4 days a week. He'll be in nursery 3 days, and DH will look after him 1 day. I don't intend to stop breastfeeding, but i don't know how this will work.

If I bf on demand as normal on the days I'm with him, does this mean I'll have to pump on the days I'm at work?

And is it ok for him to just have cow's milk at nursery, or will he need expressed breastmilk too?

TBH I don't really want the faff of expressing, but nor do I want to give up breastfeeding until DS is ready.

There are a few different options - you could express at work and store your milk for the next day. They can then have expressed milk and/or cows' milk at nursery.

Or you could bfeed in the morning/evening and gradually stop feeding in the day and replace with cows' milk then. I did this from 10 months and only bfed in the evening for a couple of months.

You don’t need to do anything in terms of pumping, I didn’t.
You just feed when you are there.

DD had cows milk on her cereal at nursery but only water to drink. They don’t need a milk feed by that age during the day.

I did a morning feed, when we got home feed and a before bed feed on work days and non working days fed on demand. Your supply will adjust to this fine, at 12 months it’s very adaptable.
We’re still going at 25 months with sporadic feeds-DD was off with Covid and fed loads for 2 weeks, then missed a few days completely when back at nursery.

Hiya, I went back to work when my daughter was 8mo, BF, bottle refuser. She is at nursery three days a week 7:30-5:15. She’s one next month.

On a nursery she feeds as normal at wake up, then she has her breakfast at nursery. She drinks water all day, when she was younger she would have a feed when I got home and then before bed. Now she just feeds in the morning and before bed.
On a non nursery day she feeds more, just when she fancies really, but not much more as she’s good with her food. I don’t think she woke for extra feeds overnight cos she’s just a shit sleeper anyway!

I expressed a bit at lunchtime for about a week or two, just hand expressed for my own comfort and (touch wood) I’ve had no issues with blocked ducts or mastitis.

My supply hasn’t been affected in the slightest. It was a much smoother and easier process than I thought it would be!

Good luck!

My daughter started at nursery at 12m. I breastfeed her on demand when we are together and at nursery she just has food and water, I’ve never sent milk for her and I didn’t pump. (I’m happy for them to give her cows milk but she doesn’t often drink it). In the first couple of weeks she fed A LOT in the evenings post nursery but that settled down and we got into a regime of morning and evening on nursery days, plus a lunchtime feed on my days with her. She’s almost two now and the feeds have dropped a lot, but we managed to keep that 2-3 feeds pattern for several months post nursery and it was great.

At that age they don't need any milk in the day. A feed from you morning and night is enough. They can control how much they take so you might find they feed for longer at those times.

You might also find they don't ask for milk when away from you either. They know where it comes from so no need to ask when they can't see mum.

You don't need to express, but a Haakaa style pump might help you to feel more comfortable when away. Your supply will adjust very quickly now feeding is so established.

Thank you for your replies! That's helped to clear it up in my head!!