can i go back to work (at 8m) without formula and without expressing?

[beforesunrise]

hi all- i am bfing dd2 who is currently 5 months. am due to go back when she is 8 months. with dd1 at this stage i started to gradually wean her off the boob and give her formula, she was totally happy with it and it was a very slow, gradual and easy transition.

dd2 however does not seem so keen on either bottles or formula, she will take them if she is desperate but it is hard work and i don't want to force it if i can help it.

i spoke to a paediatrician friend who seem to think that by 8 months she will be ok with just a feed in the morning and one in the evenings, and solids (with lots of dairy products) during the day. but tbh i seem to remember that dd2 was still on something like 4 bottles at that age and i just don't see it happening... expressing at work not an option as my job is too hectic to allow for pumping breaks. plus i really don't like the idea.

anyone has successfully achieved this?

thanks in advance!

By this age DD2 was having bf morning, evening and late at night, and a ff which she would mostly not drink in the afternoon. Lots of dairy and she was fine.

I know you said you don't fancy the idea of pumping, but your employer is required to provide somewhere for breastfeeding mothers to rest. It's also recommended that employers provide a private environment to express and store milk (but that's not a legal requirement). www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg373.pdf - just fyi (I'm sure you're aware of it all anyway). You may need to express for your comfort.

You say dd will take a bottle if desperate - does she take it better from other people or is she still not happy about it? I'm just thinking maybe she would take it from her care provider but not from you because 'why should I? You got milk!' My ds, for eg, would only nap for me if nursed, but went down beautifully without at nursery). Maybe practice leaving her for a few hours with someone to see if she takes it?

As pp said, your dd should be fine with a big feed in the morning and a few in the evening with a good diet of dairy in between.

Sorry, I put a link in that post but I don't know how to make it clicky. If you want to look at it you'll need to c&p the address.

How many days will you be at work for each week?

I went back for 3 days a week when my DS was 8mo - he just had a feed in the morning/evening/bedtime on those days, but wouldn't take milk from his dad/nursery nurses. He ate well at nursery though, and although it took my milk supply a few days to settle down it's all worked out fine - he's still having a morning feed at 14mo

fancy, did you nurse him more often on your days at home? i am also looking at going back 3 days.

will start practicing with formula next week and see how it goes!

thanks

i went back 2 days a week when dd was 8 months or so. she was a boob monster, & i b-fed her til she was 18 months. basically i just fed her normally when she was with me (morning & evening on the days i worked, all the time for the other 5 days. she always fed on demand), & she ate at nursery.

she was a serial bottle refuser until another mumsnetter gave me some playtex bottles which she took to, so you could try those.

i never expressed, she had formula or water at nursery. my supply adapted really easily (though i once leaked copiously at work whilst reading an article about breastfeeding ).

good luck!