Exclusive breastfeeding but going back to work - advice needed!

[ftmceejay]

Advice needed for first time mum!

I have exclusively breastfed my son on demand since birth and it's worked for us - but I'm going back to work in 3 months and my son will be a year old and off to nursery.

To this point I have been 'playing it by ear' in terms of his breastfeeding and although I've been reassured by friends that he may wean himself off by 1 year, I feel I ought to plan in case he doesn't! My son has 3 meals a day and milk feeds usually between, as well as to help him settle for his naps and bedtime.

So 2 main questions if you've been in a similar position:

1. How do you start pumping? I.e. just pump what you need for the next day (how did you know how much you needed) or create a freezer stash by starting to pump in advance.
2. How did you transition your little one from breast to bottle? I plan on using straw cups that he's already familiar with using.

Any other advice would be gratefully received!

[User0ne]

I ebf 3 DC (youngest is now 3 and fully weaned about 6m ago).

Tbh I wouldn't bother pumping at 1yr, just feed when you are there and save yourself the hassle. You can use follow on milk if you want instead, mine didn't get on well with dairy but loved the alpro giraffe and monkey milk (non dairy stuff).

You might need to express a little at work initially for your comfort but your body will adapt.

Be prepared for a possible increase in night feeding (all 3 of mine did this). And that they might not self wean - I had to wean all of mine- longest they got was 3 years.

[Shipsafeinharbour]

I went back to work when my baby was 13 months old and didn't pump at all - your supply is well established by then and will regulate in a few days to your new routine. Nursery are sleep wizards and will figure out a way to get baby to sleep without milk.
You will likely find they will reverse cycle - feed more at night at least initially to make up for it. But they will be fine with water and food in the day. She was having water in a sippy cup thing so was used to that.
I fed until 21 months whilst working 4 days a week so do-able for sure.
You can pump if you want of course. Have a look at Lucy Webber feeding support on Instagram, I think she runs back to work courses.
Good luck! It's a transition and a tiring one for sure but it does eventually get easier.

[GiantRoadPuzzle]

I went back to work when DS was 9 months, so used to send nursery two pouches of milk.

Id built up a bit of a stash in the freezer and also woke up early to pump then also pumped once at work.

Nursery staff got him to take a bottle which we had never managed.

I stopped sending in milk when he was 13 months. He did reverse cycle for a bit, but managed to night wean him about the same time.

[Yogatoga1]

It’ll be fine. Don’t bother pumping as they’ll be well on to solids and can eat when you’re not there.

by a year a feed am and pm wouldn’t be unusual. I went back slightly earlier at 9 months, they fed before work, after work, and before bed. As pp said they did wake in the night for a few weeks for an extra feed, but by a year were settled again.

[Tuxedomom]

At a year, he doesn't need a bottle. He will be fine on food and either breastmilk, cow milk or something else high calcium like a yoghurt or cheese in his daily diet.

I BF 2x a day at that age, it was fine. When I dropped to 1x day, my milk dried up almost immediately.

[coverp]

The reality will be far easier than the prospect - he will adapt to you not being there. I was back at work at 4-6 months with mine and they both managed whilst I was gone despite one not taking a bottle. I was only in the office 2 days a week and could nip out to feed whilst WFH so our routine was unbalanced across the week - yours should be fairly straightforward as he'll just get used to only BF morning/evening/overnight.

[Namerchanger1]

Don’t bother pumping at a year. He can have cows milk or water and you can BF in the morning / at night

[Bibbitybobbity70]

Honestly don't worry too much about it. I'm a CM & have looked after plenty EBF babies when mum goes back to work. If baby is able to take a bottle of expressed milk great if not they will manage with a sippy cup with water during day as long as having meals. Many of my mums have a quick feed at drop off & again at pick up time, all childcare settings will be supportive of this if you want to do (if they aren't then look for somewhere else!)
Often babies will take a bottle no problem when mum is not there when it's almost impossible for you to get them to do so because they know the difference & you are there.
It feels awful, I know as I was also you many yrs ago leaving my ebf children at our CM but they will be fine.

[lavagal]

I felt exactly the same worry as you. DD was entirely breast fed.as luck would have it she also weaned well and loved tasting new food. Send her to nursery at 10m with out other Milk options - she loved her after nursery / nighttime breastfeeds until.l she was 15m when she decided she preferred the food options given and a zippy cup.

DO NOT WORRY YOU A D YPUR CHILD WILL FIGURE OT OUT. I KNOW IT FEELS SCARY NOW

[AntiHop]

I went back to work when my eldest was 9 months old. I pumped once a day until she was 12 months. She bf on demand on my non working days and before and after work. That continued when I stopped pumping. My supply adjusted no issues.

With dd2 she was 10 months. I didn't bother to pump and we carried on bf on demand. My supply adjusted no issues again. Still bf twice a day and she's nearly 3.

[Mumoftwo1312]

I expressed at work once a day from 1y-2y to relieve engorgement. Less than 50ml. My dd barely took any at nursery but fed ravenously at night and on my days off to make up for it. I did give the expressed milk to nursery sometimes, or sometimes just mixed it into dd's morning weetabix etc. By 1y they can have cow's milk in a cup.

You don't have to express at work, but that feeling of ouchie fullness all day is awful.

I'm going back to work sooner with ds (probably around 6m, staggered return) and I'll be expressing twice a day to begin with. Absolutely hate the engorged feeling. And I'd rather he didn't have to have too much formula each day.

[ftmceejay]

Thank you all so much for taking the time to respond - you've completely put my mind at ease. I'm going to continue to go with the flow and send him in without anything and I'm sure it'll go absolutely fine 😁

Thanks again!

[RidingMyBike]

I wouldn't bother pumping at this stage. Your supply is very well established and should be pretty adaptable. You also don't need to BF often to keep it going by this point. They'll be fine at nursery just with food, snacks and some cow's milk.

Mine was combi-fed but down to two BFs a day at a year, which dropped to one a day by about 18 months, then a few times a week from 2.5 years. She eventually stopped at 3.5 years. I even had a month off BFing in that second year due to medication and then just resumed at the same amount!

[SummerSun24]

As everyone else's said, I went back to work at a year, absolute boob monster who refused bottles, not a problem at all. I just made sure that I sent them in with food they would eat for certain (even if it maybe wasn't the healthiest option) so I knew they were eating. They weren't bothered for milk in the slightest. I get up too early to feed before work so sometimes do when we all get home from work / nursery and at bed time.

[Mumontherunn]

Bfing morning and evening worked for us for several months when my LO started nursery. Our bodies are amazing.

[Hollyhead]

Just another voice adding to the leave him to standard meals with milk or water as a drink then bf him when you’re with him at that age. My elder one gave up bf at 18 months but my younger one carried on to 2.5 even though they were in full time childcare.