continuing to BF when back to work

[sharonv]

Hi, not really posted before but looking for some advice in advance.

Currently exculsivly BFing my 6 wo ds. due to return to work when he is 14 weeks when my dp will stop work to become a SAHD.

I am SO please that i managed to BF successfully and hate that i may have to stop!

My job is a restraunt manager so involves
Shift work and dosent really allow time to express as work.

Is mix feeding an option, is so how do you do this, as would be at home at different times each day?
Is it possible to always BF when at home and FF when at work?
How would my supply cope with this?

He currently will take EBM in a bottle happily then go back to the brest, so no issue there.

Thanks

I went back to work when dd2 was 7 months and I fed/still do feed her when I am at home and she has bottles when Im at work and my supply has been absolutely fine. Have only expressed on a few occasions at work - mainly for my own comfort. DD2 has formula when Im at work as I genuinely dont have time to express.

not sure how it will work with your supply though as your ds will be a bit younger than my dd. Sure an expert will be along soon.

thanks yelnats. my consern is with him being so young and will be feeding regularly. How regularly do they feeed at 14 weeks? sorry im fairly clueless!

anyone?

Could you express at home? Feed from one side while expressing from the other sort of thing. The baby will still need quite frequent feeding at 14 weeks.

Could try that but if exclusivly bf would i not become painfully full if say working a 9/10 hr shift?

well - where I work we have a breastfeeding policy which allows time off to express - I'm sure there's a breast feeding room about somewhere. Your boobs would be agony after 9 hours

I went back to work when ds2 was 6m. I spent a month beforehand expressing after each feed to build up a stock in the freezer (it lasts 3 months), and continued to express at night to keep the freeaer filled once back at work. Admittedly he was older and taking less milk. In fact, I think I overdid it, I still have a drawrfull now but it's out of date so I can't even donate it to a milk bank

I think your breasts would get used to it, like when a baby starts sleeping for longer at night, you feel uncomfortable at first but after a day or two the breasts adjust.
Though if you could find a chance to express a bit at work at first it might make it less painfull.

Thanks for responses. Expressing at work would be very difficlut, world have to be in a toilet as my office doesnt have a door!!!
how long does it keep in the freezer?
once breast have adjusted to less feeds will i then go back to square one if i have a day off and feed myself all day< or should i still used some bottles then?
sorry for all the questions

From HSE publication www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg373.pdf

Your employer is required to provide somewhere for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to rest. HSE recommends to employers that it is good practice to provide a private, healthy and safe environment for nursing mothers to express and store milk (but this is not a legal requirement). It is not suitable to use toilets for this purpose.

You could use this to support you, though unfortunately it is not a legal requirement.

Sorry www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg373.pdf

Thanks milky, will take a look.

It keeps for 3 months in a separate freezer (as opposed to freezer drawer of a fridge). Have a trawl through kellymom.
As for whether your poor boobs will be overfull while at work, then get confused when you are at home and get massively stimulated again - I don't know. I would think that in the early days that would happen, and you would need to be careful to avoid blocked ducts. I would hope your body would adjust and get used to the variation, but everyone's different (sorry, that's not much help!)