How can I continue breastfeeding after returning to full-time work?

[Ag00se]

/// TLDR: how do I carry on breastfeeding when I go back to work? I'm not great at expressing loads of milk. ///

I'm thinking ahead here but I'm already hating the idea of going back to work so trying to get organised and reduce stress!

I'm due back to work in June when my baby will be 8 months old. I'm taking shared parental leave with my husband so he's off work for 4 months, then baby will go to my mum at 11 months old.

Sadly, I have to go back to work full time.

At present, baby is exclusively breastfed but we are just starting to think about weaning. Obviously baby should still be getting all nutrients and calories from milk even after I go back to work, and I'm reluctant to start formula (not judging formula use but just my choice) but how do I make this work?? Do I need to try to build up a freezer stash? I'm a "just enough" kind of supply mum, and I have a hungry baby so I don't have much milk or time in the day to get expressing loads. I probably get 3-4 oz per pumping session and can usually only fit one session in a day. Also, some of this is going to be used when we start weaning to make porridge, etc. We are taking a hybrid purées/mashed/baby led weaning approach.

I imagine by the time I go back to work, baby will have feeds from me before work, after work, before bed and maybe through the night, hopefully 3 meals with daddy during the day but what about milk top ups around the meals?

Any thoughts or advice much
appreciated!

Both my children had a feed before going to nursery/first thing and then a feed when I picked them up or as soon as they got home and then a nighttime feed. I stopped the feeding in the nursery car park as I wanted to get home. I then fed as normal during the weekend. Your breasts will adapt. They were used to drinking water from an open cup so they just had water during the day as I could never pump.

I went back at 8 months both times and did shared leave also. I breastfed mine til about 14 months to 18 months. We used normal milk in weaning for porridge etc. I pumped twice a day at work and just fed massively in the am and pm.

Actually a tip my cousin gave me was the Medela hand pump- I found I got so much more milk from this £20 manual pump than my expensive electric pump. It was also so light, I had it in a little chiller bag in my handbag. Then just transferred it to the fridge in the bag with the zip open- if the pump is in the fridge you don’t need to clean it between pumping that day. Then just a dishwasher and quick microwave sterilise (not necessary but I preferred to) and packed for the next day.

I found looking at pics of my hungry baby when away from her would let down my milk when I was at work and needed to express . Pics of her with her mouth open or feeding were particularly useful! I expressed by hand to avoid having to sterilise at work and always chose the same time of day just after lunch .

Put just used pump in a clean ziplock bag and keep it cold, no need to rinse or sterilise so you can pump a number of times if you need to when you're at work.

Lots of bodies are able to adjust and feed loads in morning and evening.

Your baby may also end up feeding more at night...which can sound worrying, however they may wake at night to 'see' you and connect after not seeing you in the day...whether you breastfeed or not. So hopefully being able to feed in the night easily (bed sharing perhaps) can get you through the early months of being away from your baby

Firstly there’s no need to use expressed milk in your cooking or food preparation so that’s some BM saved. If you introduce solids from 6 months then full fat Cow’s milk is perfectly fine in things like porridge, weetabix, pancakes, Yorkshire puddings, mashed potato and fish pie and it means that they’ll be eating more family food which is always a plus as it makes things easier for you.

I agree with feeding before drop off, when you get home and before bed.

They are likely to wake more for a while. Partly for reassurance that you’re there, babies need a lot of physical contact, and partly because they’ll just be about to hit the 9 months sleep regression.

So I would start building up the time you are leaving them with DH now so they get used to you not being around. Can you give them a good feed in the morning, maybe use some breast compressions, get them changed and send DH out with them for a while?

Also expressing 3 to 4 Floz is a good. BF babies take on average 25 Floz in 24 hours so that is around 3 to 4 hours worth.

I started work at around 8 months with both my kids who breastfed till they were around 2-2.5 years old. I did not express or give formula. By that time I breastfed before and after work and during the day when they were with my husband they got food (blw), and water in a cup.

As pp said, I definitely wouldn’t waste breast milk in food!
Spend time teaching your little one to drink water so they don’t get thirsty away from you. And be open minded about weaning (it sounds like you haven’t started yet) - a lot of babies (and parents) actually don’t get on with purees. You mentioned baby led weaning, but baby led weaning wouldn’t include purees. As it happens, the original Baby Led Weaning book, by Gill Rapley is a good read - you can find copies second hand or in library.
And if you’re really worried about this, speak to a certified lactation consultant, because some of them are very experienced in this area. I always recommend Emma Pickett (she’s amazing); she has a pretty good podcast too - ‘Makes Milk’ I think it’s called.

I worried about this too - my babies both 100% refused bottles all together and I didn’t know how it was going to go!!

but both went to nursery at 9months and it just was a non issue - i fed mornings and as soon as I picked up ! And both managed totally fine

I was nursing on an Orthopedic ward when I returned to work, when my son was 8 months old, I did all late shifts 3.00 till 8.30. Someone actually brought my son I'm at 5.00 and I fed him on the ward. No one had ever done this before and jot everyone liked it as breaks were taken when they could be fit in and mostly not at all. Feeding my son took around 15 to 20 mins. Did this for 2 months.

I went back to work when DC1 was 8.5 months. In the end we just did:

• before/after work, before bed, usually 2x in the night
• food to include 'milky' food e.g. Weetabix at breakfast (temporarily used formula then cows milk)

I was told at that age they need at least 2-3 milk feeds a day, so she was feeding plenty in a 24 hour period. Luckily she ate quite well. She was also home with DH, so he had flexibility to prepare whatever foods she would eat and help her eat them if needed.

Also I just wanted to say, it felt like this big arduous thing when I was thinking about it with my first, but actually it was fine once I got into the swing of it. A little more prep in making sure the pump was washed and cleaned and packed. Also, I don’t know how feasible it is, but my partner came and met me some lunches and we had lunch together while I fed the baby. Fine with my first when it was a short walk to the office, not possible with my second when I had a commute. But either way, I was worried both times, and it was okay. And I managed to extended breastfeed both

Thank you, it's so helpful to know especially as you were in almost my exact same situation! I actually have a Medela hand pump lurking in the cupboard, I can use it for this! I work in a hospital so not entirely sure where I'm going to be able to sit and express milk but it sounds like they have to provide somewhere. I would ideally like to get to at least 12 months of breastfeeding if baby still wants to.

Thanks so much everyone, your replies are so reassuring! I'll aim to express at work, but if I don't manage to, it looks like baby will be just fine having feeds with me when I'm home. I hope it is the non-issue for baby you all experienced and it's just me worrying!

They don’t need as much milk at 8mos. The peak is at 6mos.
Practice by pumping from one breast while nursing from the other.
You can then freeze the milk in sachets to be defrosted for milk top ups from daddy while you’re at work.
Your employer should have a space for you to pump milk. At 8mos you’d probably only need to pump at lunch break. Then put the milk in the fridge at work.
Do nursing on demand at the weekends.

You will be fine. I worked full time and exclusively breastfed from 10 weeks on. That young, I had to pump 3x while at work. And pumps where not that good then!

Starting with a freezer stash before going back to work really helps.