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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Going back to work

15 replies

blondiep14 · 19/10/2008 10:26

I am going back to work Tuesday for 3 days a week (I will be away from home for 12hrs each day).
DS is 8.5m, he has never had a bottle or formula. The one time I have left him for a whole day he had some ebm in a beaker, but not loads.
CUrrently he's feeding pattern is a BF at 5am which I will keep. A BF at 8-9am which he doesn't always have, i forgot it the other day and he was fine. Cereal & fruit at between 9 & 11 depending on what we're doing, lunch at 1ish, a BF at 4ish, dinner between 6 and 7 and a BF when I go to bed.
I am planning on trying him on formula for the 9 & 4 feeds as i can not express enough to give him and I also think he will soon drop the 9am feed.
He will have to have it from a beaker as i don't want to introduce a bottle then try & get him off it in 4 months time but I am worried he will not get enough.
I'm also worried he might not like formula. And i am also worried about leaving him altogether but do feel bad about not being able to get enough ebm for him.
Is this going to be anough? Will he work out he has to drink the formula cos i'm not there??
Any soothing voices welcome!!

OP posts:

SheherazadetheGoat · 19/10/2008 10:30

i left dd at the same age, i had an excellent health visitor who told me not to worry and let her have yogurt and water etc during the day and bf her in the evening. the manager in the nursery agreed completely and it was fine.

it is hard leaving them so good luck and don't worry too much about formula.

Original poster

blondiep14 · 19/10/2008 10:35

Oh really?? Mine said I would need to leave about 8oz because I will be away all day.
Also he doesn't really drink water really, just waters the dog/carpet/his legs with it!

Thanks

OP posts:

EffiePerine · 19/10/2008 12:22

Mine gave up on daytime expressed feeds byt about 9/10 mo - just made up for it when i was around. You'll prob find he adjusts pretty quickly. BUT you may find he starts feeding more at night, both to make up for missed feeds and to stay close to you.

Original poster

blondiep14 · 19/10/2008 12:47

Ah, thanks, maybe he'll do the same. Did your baby drink much water?
Thanks for the heads up. I love the idea I will BF morning & night feeds til his a yr (probably, never thought i'd go this long tbh!) i just hope it works out ok when i'm back at work.
Everyone in RL is just saying give up bf-ing altogether

OP posts:

EffiePerine · 19/10/2008 22:01

We kept up morning and night feeds until about 15 months, then slowly down to one nighttime feed at about 20 mo? So stopping feeding during the day (esp only 3 days a week) doesn;t mean you have to stop altogether - your supply should be pretty well established by now .

Original poster

blondiep14 · 20/10/2008 10:10

that's so good to hear, thanks EP!
x

OP posts:

Original poster

blondiep14 · 21/10/2008 16:32

[PANIC]!!
Just spoke to MIL & SIL, DS was having none of the formula !!
SIL says she doesn't blame him as it tastes vile (aptamil follow on cartons).
Will he have it if i keep trying, should i try another brand or is he really OK just having a feed at 5am and then one at 7ish when i get in?????

OP posts:

EffiePerine · 21/10/2008 16:43

does he eat yoghurt and cheese? What about other fluids? You could try it and see.

ChezzaB · 21/10/2008 20:06

I tried to wean ds (7mo) off bf about 3 months ago because he has two teeth and was chowing down on nipples and it really hurt! sorry TMI! Anyway I thought I'd try him on Aptamil as I've heard it's "the best" and he was having non of it! I thought he just didnt like formula and went back to BF for a while, Could not take any more pain so tried again with SMA follow on milk a month ago and he is loving it! I did keep his last night time feed though but have stopped BF completely now! This is also good as I to am going back to work in 2 weeks!

Original poster

blondiep14 · 21/10/2008 20:27

I guess it is only day 1 so i should calm the heck down first of all!
He loves yoghurts & i've been trying to get more cheese in to him so we can up from one yoghurt to at least 2.
If he has his cereal made up with whole cows milk or formula and maybe baby rice pud made up with formula/whole milk would that be ok do you think?

OP posts:

theLoneFeeder · 21/10/2008 21:06

I went back to work for 3 days a week, and have continued to bf my 10 month old (went back to work at 6 months). I too worried that I wouldn't be able to express. In reality I only needed to really work at the first day's supply (as I was expressing and still feeding ds). It was then pretty easy to express 2 or 3 times a day at work to get around 8oz. Much easier to express when not feeding for a whole day. Helps to get a good pump too...

ChairmumMiaow · 21/10/2008 21:15

I'd second the whole thing about it being easy to express at work. Although I can't get that much out when I express, its more when I miss a feed for DS than when I try to fit expressing in a normal feeding day!

I would try to fit in one pumping session a day (oustide work) to build up extras for the freezer, then just rely on what you can get out while at work. Once you know how much you're getting out, you can drop the extra pumping or not.

I go out to work a couple of times a week for around 7 hours and I only send DS out with 2-3 oz as that's normally enough to stop the night-time topup. If he's having a bad day he has some out of his auntie's freezer - I keep it stocked up. I just cram in more feeds when I can. He gets one at 8.30 (instead of around 9.30) before I go out, then we do a big one when I get back from work at around 4 (he sometimes has one between 3 and 4 depending on what we're doing / how much lunch he had)

Original poster

blondiep14 · 22/10/2008 13:32

Thanks, I don't feel expressing at work is an option but i guess i will have to attemmpt it at home when i'm there & see how that goes

OP posts:

mamijacacalys · 22/10/2008 13:44

Left DS at 5 Months and DD at 6 months and went back 3 long days like you. They were both on solids by then and both totally refused formula.
When being looked after at nursery or with my parents, they had water in a beaker with meals and were fine.
Happily carried on bf DS until 14 months, DD until 20 months.
Good luck, I'm sure it will be fine.

waitingtobloom · 22/10/2008 13:54

I left DS at nursery for about 8 - 9 hours a day. He refused any drink at all - would sip at water but nothing substantial. He was fine - he ate the purees etc and just had lots to drink when he got home.

At that age their food has so much water in it as a lot is fruit and veg that they will be fine.

On the other hand you may like to try leaving formula - in a new place with new people he may just well drink it. Or if he gets thirsty enough he will drink it.

Im sure he will be absolutely fine.

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