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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

How do I switch to formula when going back to work

11 replies

Positron · 03/12/2009 13:44

Hi.

I am going back to work first week of January, and am breastfeeding DS who will be just short of 6 months when I leave him with childminder.

I won't be doing the "expressing at work" thing - just not feasible for me in the sort of job that I do (although I could exercise my right if I wish - just don't want to do it).

So, I need some advice about how to start switching to formula. I would still like to maintain some breastfeeding - in the morning, when I come home and before DS goes to sleep. I will also start weaning him the first weekend after I have started work.

Thanks.

OP posts:

chickbean · 03/12/2009 21:47

Has he taken a bottle at all? I switched to formula (with breastfeeding morning and night) for DS1 when I went back to work at 6 months - he kept me sweating until my first day back by refusing a bottle - but seemed to sense that he had no alternative and drank from a bottle that day. Didn't seem to suffer from swapping to formula for the bottlefed part of the day. Not much help - it just worked for us. Hope it will for you.

Original poster

Positron · 03/12/2009 21:57

Yes, Chickbean - he is taking bottles - I was lucky that he has always been easy to switch between breast and bottle (the bottles I gave were usually expressed breastmilk, but occasional formula top ups). I'm just wondering how to go about scaling down the breastfeeding so that my boobs don't engorge/leak when I'm back at work. What kind of timeframe do I need?

OP posts:

chickbean · 03/12/2009 22:03

Hmmm - I just did it overnight and was lucky not to have any problems - same with DS2 after a year (though I suspect that he wasn't getting as much from me as he should have been really). I guess you could just start scaling down now. Hope other people reply to give different experiences.

Molinko · 04/12/2009 14:18

I went back to work after breastfeeding almost exclusively (formula before bedtime) at 4 months. I was never much of a "leaker" so your experience may be different but I scaled back a week before I went back and didn't have any problems at all with engorgement. I bfed my DD until she was 6 months (before and after work and sometimes during the weekends) but that point my supply was really waning.
Best of luck going back to work, hope you're not too nervous.

mistlethrush · 04/12/2009 14:33

I bf ds - went back to work 3 dpw when he was 6mo and weaning - expressed just once a day (lunchtime) and at other times during the week. His milk was more or less exclusively bm until he was 1 when I couldn't keep up - but I bf until he was 22mo, dropping back 2 just 2 feeds then 1 feed per day. So you don't necessarily have to stop altogether, even if you do go on to predominantly formula during the day...

susiey · 04/12/2009 19:19

I did it by dropping one breast feed a week then supplementing that with formula

I think I started with the afternoon one for some reason but I don't think it really matters

With this I still managed to keep the morning and evevning feeds

NotQuiteCockney · 04/12/2009 19:37

Dropping one feed per week is the standard advice. I think it's worth being that careful, particularly if you're inclined towards blocked ducts or engorgement.

You should have no problem carrying on with the feeds you want to keep.

Original poster

Positron · 06/12/2009 10:53

Thanks everyone .

I will go with reducing one feed per week, starting tonite - I will replace the evening feed with formula, and still nurse him off to sleep when its his bedtime.

OP posts:

awomba · 06/12/2009 16:27

I've been breastfeeding my 6 month old, but want to get him onto formula. He has been bottle fed expressed milk before and was fine with it but he is refusing to drink the formula. I've tried mixing with expressed milk which didnt work, plus I find it hard to express enough these days. Any advice?

Galena · 06/12/2009 20:02

awomba, have you tried different formulas? I've started moving my DD onto formula, and she didn't like the first one we tried, but the second one seems to be more popular (i.e. she took 1 ounce a couple of times, then 2 ounces yesterday and 3 ounces today - bearing in mind when she would occasionally take EBM from a bottle she NEVER took more than 2.5oz!)

Original poster

Positron · 07/12/2009 00:36

Awomba,

I think Galena has a good point re. switiching to different formula.

Just a thought - but they say that at 6 months, it is worth trying to feed straight from a cup (not always that simple, mind you!). Maybe you could try a new formula, and from a free flow cup, just to see what happens.....?

OP posts:

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