Take your pick as to some recent dilemmas

[zippyzapper]

Feel free to take your pick and provide your help / experience where possible:

1. I think I will have to go back to full time work at 6 months. I am looking to stretch it to 8 months but I want to be prepared if I need to go back at 6 months - i.e. me being away from baby for at least 10 hours a day for 4 days a week (I am going to try negotiate one day off as it is a 5 day week then I don't think I could cope).

My work won?t be that supportive about continuing to BF ? even if they legally should ? so what I am after is some tips from anyone who worked full time hours ? with a less than helpful e/er along with a commute - who managed to keep feeding their baby breast milk.

I find expressing quite difficult.

2. Mixed Feeding - My 9 week old baby has been breastfed apart from 60 mls in hospital and today.

Today my DH fed baby 2 formula feeds to give me a break - my baby and i have a bad case of a cold. I felt guilty for a nano-second and then relieved and rested.

My baby feeds very often and for what seems like a long time although normally he currently sleeps through at night - but sometimes ? say twice or a max of 3 times a week there will be a feed at 4am - although he normally cluster feeds at night and then he has a stretch of 5 hours at night he can seem to go for a stretch of 6- 7.5 hours at night without a feed. Having a break today was amazing - so I would like to consider mixed feeding - are there any thoughts from anyone out there?

I think mixed feeding might actually help me breastfeed for longer but am aware that it might be the start of a slippery slope. I do get so tired that some days I still spend the entire day in bed just feeding. I have been too tired to cook one meal since the baby was born. After feeding I am incredibly stiff and feel 100 years old. Also one side hurts and I have had my latch looked at and so on.

3. Given the above - Is it normal for a baby of this age to sleep for a long stretch at night ? should I be waking the baby for feeds during the night. Baby was below weight but has been picking up since the last 3 weeks. Baby is very happy and seems contented. He does sick up a bit but that is all.

I have BF 3 DC so here goes, in my experience:

1. Returned to full time work when DC1 was 5 months old. In 2003 the advice was to start solids at 4 mths old so I felt reasonably confident to cut his night feeds. I felt I could not cope with working 8 hours a day with interrupted sleep. I did controlled crying, 3 nights later and he has slept through ever since. Ahead of my start date I discussed with HR and put in writing that for my health & safety (very important to use this exact phrase) and that of my baby's I would need 30 minutes every afternoon to express and somewhere suitable to store my milk. I got exactly what I wanted. The staff room was available to me alone from 15.30 - 16.00 and I used the boardroom fridge.

Prior to starting work I expressed at every opportunity to ensure there'd be a good stock of milk. I found expressing whilst feeding my baby helped me express more milk, so baby on one breast, pump on the other. In my experience baby doesn't drink anywhere near as much milk away from you as they do with you so as long they're fed and watered they can wait till you return.

1. The way your baby feeds right now will be totally different to how he'll feed at 6 months. He'll be eating solids by then too. Right now he's going through magnificent growth spurts and is building up your supply by his constant feeding but by 6 months he'll go long stretches between feeds. Every BF mother feels like a feeding machine in the early weeks, you're doing it bang on, feed whenever he wants and 'duvet' days with baby are great to get your rest, enjoy and make the very best of it, you'll be thinking back on this time with fondness when you're sat at your desk. Regarding your latch search out your local BF Cafe, BF Peer Supporter etc, I never found any joy with HVs or MWs, it is not compulsory for their training to be updated, I found all they ever do is grab your breast and shove it in the baby's face or suggest formula top ups, neither of which contribute to successful long term breast feeding.
2. Personally, I would not wake a sleeping baby at night for a feed; my own sleep is far too precious. Your supply sounds good so his lack of feeding at night isn't hampering your milk production.

Good luck.

Thank you Treadmillmom for your encouraging response and well wishes.

My DH said he will continue to cook all meals and do the majority of the housework - so I will continue to count my blessings .... and I will make sure I pop along to a local BF cafe. Thanks again.