Going back to work

[Confusedfirsttimemum]

DD is 7 months and I'm starting to plan for my return to work, at about 11 1/2 months. She's never had a bottle (well, a few times with EBM, but won't really take a full feed) and people have advised on here that she shouldn't need formula at all if she's so close to her first birthday when I go back to work.

My questions are:

• I'll be working three days a week and won't reliably always get back for bedtime those days (probably 1, maybe 2, nights a week I won't make it in an average week). Is there any way it's realistic to keep breastfeeding in that situation? Would I need to express on those days? Could feed every morning if she was interested.

• When I'm not there, we'll need to settle DD with a bedtime drink some other way (she doesn't feed to sleep, but is always really thirsty). Since she doesn't like a bottle, we've only tried her with free flow/doidy cups and she doesn't yet drink much water. Can I realistically expect her to be drinking well enough from a cup for pre-bedtime milk if DH's doing it?

• We're doing BLW. I'm slightly concerned that she won't be eating enough to have really cut down on breastfeeding. Any tips?

I really don't want to have to give her formula or bottles [disclaimer: nothing against them, but seems so daft to start on formula when your DD is so old, and I really can't face the fights with a bottle unless absolutely necessary].

Sorry for so many questions!

Yes you can keep bf, assuming your supply adjusts (think this is v v likely as you are working 3 days / week not full-time) and only reason to express is likely to be your own comfort whilst supply is adjusting.

Don't know about other things though. If you let her have baby yoghurts I would think that would help though.

i went back at 12.5 months 3 days a week and dd had never had a bottle either. i felt the same, seemed silly to introduce one that late so didn't bother.

supply has adjusted no problem, never even had to express for comfort until one day the other week when she'd fed absolutely tons in the night (teeth), i feed her in bed in the morning around 7ish then when i pick her up from my friend who takes care of her at around 6pm.

she is still a keen feeder on my non-work days (and at nights, but hey ho )

i wondered about food intake as we did BLW too, I think she does eat a bit more solid food on my non work days but is fine.

dd has never been that great with cups, not very clear on tipping them up to drink! But my friend who CMs has one she can get decent amounts with, it's a Nuby bottle with a drinking straw.

oh, and i tried to introduce cow's milk but she didn't like it so she just has water when i'm not there.

she will change so much between now and then anyway, but just to reassure you it's all been absolutely fine for us.

Thanks guys. Does anyone else have any tips -especially about missing the odd bedtime?

the odd missed feed should be fine by that point. I cut back to two feeds, morning and night, around 11 months in preparation for going back to work. By 13-14 months that was moving toward just the evening feed, and now at 16 months I miss or opt out of the bedtime feed a couple of times a week.
My son does take a bottle though (even on the nights I am feeding him, he has a bottle first - BF is more of a quick comfort thing for us at this stage) so not sure if you might have more trouble settling your daughter.
it's probably good to get her used to the idea of other forms of comfort, a bedtime story, gentle rocking, etc.
I always sing the same two songs to my son. (he's probably bloody well sick of them)

I panicked (first child) when missing bedtime feed for first time when DS was 15 months old... but he glugged down a beaker of cowsmilk and went to sleep no probs. He also had not had formula and only the odd bottle of EBM when tiny. If I'd known it would go so smoothly I would have done it sooner!

He did take a while to get used to cowsmilk, started to introduce it at a year. I would say a big helping of yogurt after tea might be an option, if your DD is not interested in non-mum milk.

I went back to work 2 days a week after DS and found my supply adjusted very quickly. He did cut down on daytime feeds even on days I wasn't working, but carried on with gusto at night

Good luck with it, and remember that your DD will change so much in the next 4-5 months.