Breastfeeding and working

[mummy2rachel]

My dd will be exactly 6 months old when I return to work. I would like to continue breastfeeding then but am not sure how. Ideally, I would like to be able to breastfeed her through the day and night on days that I am with her, and just morning and night on days that I am working. I will be working 3 days a week and will be away from dd from 8am till 10.30pm on those days. Also, whilst I am aware that I am legally allowed to express at work , I am not sure if it is practically possible. I am usually very, very busy at work (barely time for lunch some days). I am afraid of getting engorged or mastitis, if I don't express at work. Has anyone just breastfed whilst with dc and not express at work? Is it possible? I would be just starting to wean her then. And she will be starting nursery at the same time. So afraid that all these changes would be too much for her to handle. Am tempted to start giving her formula through the day beforehand, just so it is easier for her to adjust. Not what I really want to do though. If I do start weaning her from the breast through the day, when should I start before I go back to work (ie. to avoid getting engorged etc)?

Sorry for the long post. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Probably not much help here to you as i decided to express whilst at work. T obe honest, although my daughter was ten months by then, I knew that neither of us were ready to cut down and I was only working three/four days a week. I found that my breast were so full it was uncomfortable and the expressing was very releiving. So if you are not intending to express then consider moving to other methods slowly beofre returning to work, about three weeks before hand. My job was also very hectic pre-children but I found this was important enough to me and I found time, and I was pleased I did. Don't be pressurised to give up early if you are not really ready - it really only takes about ten minutes to express. You might be glad of the break!! And it feels good to bring it home to the baby . You'll know what's right for you when the time comes.
I think some people's milk can handle the break and others can't. You might find your body adapts to not feeding on the days you are at work and that you still manage to feed throughout the rest of the week - it's very variable!! Good luck and hopefully someone will be along quickly with some good news stories.

bump- will be in a similar situation in jan

I did this for a year with DS1 and am still doing it with DS2 (21mths).

My hours were not as long as yours but I was/am doing 4 days a week.

With DS1 I didn't express at work at all but nearly killed myself dashing back for feeds and he had formula at the childminder's from about 3.5 mths.

I managed to express once a day for DS2 til he was 6 mths, then it was the school holidays, and then after that I didn't/haven't expressed at all.

6 mths should be easier because your LO will be eating meals. My two both had a feed from me in the morning (and overnight when/if they woke), then a bottle of milk at 3.30pm at the childminder's, and then a feed from me whenever I picked them up.

hth - ask away if you want to know more.

I went back to work when DD was almost 10 months. She wasn't eating much in the way of solids (would only eat fruit) and was BF loads during the day. I found I needed to express to start with to relieve the pressure/ prevent leakage (sorry if TMI).

I only worked 3 full days a week, and BF her as normal when I was at home. It's obviously a personal decision but I really didn't want to be giving formula at all, and with her being that little bit older didn't need to.

I've been back full-time 3 months now. She is still BF but I no longer express at work because I don't need to.

Thank you all for your comments. It is good to know that the body can adapt accordingly. I am now seriously considering expressing in the beginning when I start going back to work and then slowly easing it off. Hopefully it works! I so want to continue breastfeeding...My dd loves it and it is a sure-fire way of comforting her when she cries. Also, she is a 'I want my milk, I want it now!' kind of baby, so I don't want to start messing about with formula. Thanks again.

I'm also intrigued. Twins are 5 months and I'm keen to start part time back at work asap. BUT our offices are open-plan, the meeting rooms are glass-walled and the only rooms you can't see into are the toilets. I don't fancy expressing in the loo, even if there is a plug socket, which I doubt.

I have skipped a feed before (babes at home getting an EBM feed from daddy while I'm out shopping) and come home Jordanesque, but OK, no leakage. Couldn't do that for a whole day though, I'd explode. Unless the body adapts as seems to be suggested above.

I would love to BF morning and evening, babes having formula during the day. BUT can I go 10 hours without feeding or expressing, or will my milk supply dwindle to nothing?

(ps I know about the legal requirements ... but it's my own company, so I've only myself to complain to! )

Not sure if my experience is any help, but I went back to work part-time when twins were 8 months old. One twin was still BF, the other got EBM (he never got the hang of BF). I used to BF and express in the morning before going to work, then dash home at lunchtime to BF and express again, then repeat when home in the evening. It was do-able because I live very close to where I work. Nonetheless, it drove me slightly up the wall, and sometimes I would be desperate to express whilst still at work which is distracting (a-hem, maybe not just for me!).

Before returning to work (when twins were 6months old) we tried to switch the BF twin to EBM from a bottle. She was having none of it. Those bobos were hers, and it was staying that way.

She only stopped BF at 10 months - one day she just didn't want the breast any more. Might be related to a dwindling supply, since I was easing off the expressing and switching the other twin to formula by then. She never did accept a bottle, she went straight to an Avent beaker with the valve removed.