Returning to work and Breastfeeding - any tips/advice pls

[fledtoscotland]

DS2 is BF with one bottle of formula a day (DH wanted to feed DS2 and i couldnt get to grips so to speak with expressing). this has worked well for us and DS2 is nearly 5 months old.

anyway, my plan is to return to work when he is 7 months but am now getting concerned about how BFing will fit in. I will be working shifts (both days & nights) so on my days I will BF DS2 at 6.30am but wont be home til 8pm so he will have to have formula during the day. the reverse will be overnight. I will be working one long day and one overnight a week plus one morning.

will BFing be established enough to cope with this pattern? DS2 should be being weaned by then so the feeding should be reduced but he has always been one to snack during the day every 2-3hrs and then have big long feeds through the evening and overnight.

please reassure me that it will all work. have put so much time and effort into BFing at the beginning and I do want to feed until he self-weans rather than my work commitments forcing us to move to FF all time.

TIA

You'd be amazed what your body will cope with, and I think that actually your shifts might help as you won't be missing the same feeds.

You might want to give expressing another try when you are expressing to replace a feed, just so you don't get too full

Working and bfing are compatible - I worked and fed for a looong time !

My ds was a bit older (10mo) and he has always had water when he was with the cm and bm from me. I am away 7am-6pm Mon and Fri 7am-1.45pm Wed and that worked fine. No supply problems. As your ds is younger he will have formula during the day, but your supply should be ok as long as you feed several times each 24 hour day.

One word of warning, at 7 months your ds will have just started exploring food, and is unlikely to have reduced his milk feeds much if at all.

thanks. you have just made me feel so much better. Have been reading kazbeth's posts and i was where she was 4 mths ago. i just feel that BFing is the best thing i have done in ages and i dont readily want to give it up.