Some advice on bfing and working - ds 11 months!

[returningtoworkalready]

Hello! I really need some advice from wise MNetters as to what to do about work. This will probably make boring reading, I warn you!

ds will be 11 months when I return to work (in 3 weeks time)
I'll be away from him from v early morning (6am) till 5pm twice a week and 6am-1pm one day a week. He is breastfed now but we are in NO routine really. He'll take a cup or bottle but isn't fussed on drinking much formula from it.

my questions are: should I be practising giving him a bottle beforehand (ie. replace daytime feeds with bottles now?)
and: is it possible to give him a bottle on nursery days and bf him when we are together the rest of the time?

basically, I want to bf him as much as possible still but I (obviously) don't want him to miss me badly when he is at nursery. help!
thanks, Dinny

like my imaginative new name to ease me from SAHM to working laydee....?

I personally would not bother giving him any formula. Nor would I get him onto bottles either at this age. He doesn't particularly need milk if he isn't fussed. Water or juice (mine all had juice and they are not fat and their teeth are fine) will be fine with meals. You can breastfeed him as normal when you are home.

Mears, thanks. he doesn't feed that much in the day now really (more at night ) do you think my boobs will adjust to missing a couple of (small) daytime feeds a week and be able to provide milk on the days we are together?

also, do you think it unfair to wake him at 5am to feed him before I go to work? or should I just express? feel like I haven't worked this out at all!

I think your boobs will adjust fine. Personally I wouldn't wake him and only express if you feel the need for comfort. He will still get all he needs/wants on the days that you are there. I used to work night shifts and miss feeds when I was too busy to express. Babe just got masses when I got back home. Keep life simple. He wil survive without breastfeeds during the day for the 2 full days you are at work. He'll enjoy his feed all the more when you get home

LOL - thought you were incognito and had worked out who you were from the title of the thread! PMSL!

Don't wake him for a feed on the days you go back - he'll just be grumpy at nursery. If he does wake, feed him. He won't need bottles or formula, as Mears says - he might drink cow's milk from a cup, he might not. He might bfeed more often on days you're with him to begin with, he might not. Bfeed him when you're with him and he'll soon work out that he has other things (water, etc) when you're not there. They're contrary little blighters, these baby things!

Looking forward to seeing you at work! Don't stress out about it - and remember, if you were in a routine, you'd be worrying that nursery would muck it up for the days you weren't with him! There's ALWAYS something to worry about if you look hard enough!

Or even for the days you were with him. Or both. Or something else.

Cabbages.

Really? Oh, feel like crying with relief! Can it really be so simple? I don't need to DO anything now/wake the whole house up hideously early??

thanks so much, Mears and Hunker.

so what do I ask nursery to do - offer milk in a cup when the others are offered it (kind of mid-am and 2-ish)? don't want him to be left out...

ps Hunker - you in work next Wed (6th)? am coming in after dentist app (about 3ish)

Yes, ask nursery to offer him milk in a cup - he may take it, he may not. Tell them not to press the issue if he doesn't want it though - make sure they know you're not eager for him to finish every last drop!

YES!!! Am at work on Wed!!! Hooray!!!

formula or cows? (he will be just under 11 months)

excellent - will be feeling very shy (especially as have just had hair massacred by over-zealous Kiwi and look like a boy)

Personally, I was giving DS a mixture of EBM and cow's milk from 10.5mo and total full fat cow's milk from when he was 11mo. Couldn't be arsed to bugger about with formula. He was still bfeeding loads, so probably only had about three cups of cow's milk a week - he's not a huge fan of it, but loves yoghurt and cheese.

Yes you'll have not probs! i went back to work when dd was 3mths and bf until she was 2.

My working hours were completely irregular and so we had no routine whatsoever. When she was young she had bottled ebm when i wasn't around and bf from me when i was.
As your son is now 11mths, i would be inclined to introduce cows milk and just ask nursery to give him milk and water in beakers. BF him whenever he fancies at home and don't bother with expressing. Your boobs will be fine and all will be well!

If everyone else gets cows milk then no need to give anything different. If he doesn't like it, give him water/ dilute juice. It really is as easy as everyone says

Keep him to a cup if you can though.

Thanks for all the advice! Do you think he won't think about breastfeeding if I am not with him?

Also, if he's not awake when I leave for work, should I just get dh to give him cows or formula milk in a beaker when he wakes? Worried it's not very...comforting, I suppose...

Yes I would because at 11 months he is capable of it. Much better to get him drinking from a beaker when you are not there. He can get his comfort later. Don't think he needs a drink before breakfast though. When you are not there he could just have his breakfast then a drink from a beaker.

no worries, Feffi

again, thanks for the fab advice, Mears - just feels really weird that he will wake and I won't be there. and I can't really explain what's happening to him (will tell him though, of course!)

Hi feffi - yes you can do that. You might find you get full at work and need to express but you may well find it is copable with. I worked part-time and sometimes did not have time to express but just fed DD whenever I got home, whether she wanted it or not! On days off I fed her as normal.

dinny - he will be absolutely fine. You are the one who will be fretting. He will probably be as happy as larry (whoever larry is)

I went back to work 4 days a week when ds was 8 months old. He took formula from a beaker at nursery and I continued to breast feed on my days at home. Didn't have any problems with engorgement and never needed to express. At about 11 months I cut out all daytime feeds which he coped with very well. Turned one last week so have moved onto cow's milk now.