BF and going back to work-baby 9 months: Advice Please

[themonkey75]

I am going back to work 2 days a week (monday and tuesday) where I will be away from my 9 month old baby for a very long day. I will be able to breastfeed her first thing in the morning and then just before she goes to bed. At the moment she is on 3 meals a day and 4 breastfeeds- 7am, 10am, 3pm and 6pm. I had supply issues due to nasty thrush in the first 8 weeks which meant DD remained very small, she is now catching up well and my supply seems to be ok. However, I have found it very difficult to express milk (though I am going to try a better pump and get a routine going). I really want to continue BF until DD is at least 12 months.
I have a few questions which I hope someone has experience with:

1. Do you think at 9 months a baby can go all day without breastmilk if she has healthy snacks between meals and maybe an extra milk feed in the night (as my HV recommended)?
2. Will not BF her during the day for those 2 days affect my supply for the other 5 days where I can BF her as normal? My aim is to try to express during my lunchbreak if I can get it to work.
3. If I give her formula during the day (which I don't really want to do) will that fill her up so she doesn't take breastmilk when I get home and then cause problems for future supply?

Thanks!

Just thought I'd offer you some advice, based on what happened to me when I went back to work when DS was 7 months.
I went back full time (45+hrs a week) including runs of night shifts of 12hrs+

Will your DD take a bottle? And what pump have you got?
I started with an elec advent ... found it shocking NO milk at all, hardly any milk & got myself in a panic... finally got a double ameda lactaline pump BRILLIANT!! more milk in less time!

My DS wanted milk in day. It would be hard I think at 9m for no milk feeds in day.

Also - when BF in morning/night - express off other boob at same time. Baby will stimualte your let down & you'll get more milk! (in effect your own DIY double pump!)

Once I got in a routine (with a good pump) it worked for me. DS was 7m when went back to work.... now he's 12m & still BF by me at home & BM at nursery. Despite doing 80hrs at work this week!!!

Good Luck, hope that helps.

Thanks so much DrJen, and I am very impressed and encouraged. Like you I've been getting into a panic about little/no milk, I've tried a tommee tippee hand pump and a medela mini electric to no avail!
I was planning on getting exactly the same pump as you recommend- so I'm pleased to hear it has worked so well for you.

I have been working 2 days a week since DS was 9 months and he won't take milk from a bottle or a cup (although he will drink water).

On the days when I work he just doesn't have milk. He is offered formula (I didn't want to express) but rarely has more than a few sips. I just make sure he has plenty of yoghurt, cheese etc on those days and he has a really good feed before bed.

I think by 9 months your supply is fairly well established so drop in supply shouldn't be a problem and I very much doubt formula will fill her up to much.

My only issue so far has been one leaking boob in the middle of a meeting and by the time I get home I am often feeling quite full!

Best of luck

Thanks very much, DD has had a bottle every now and then, so I think she'll hopefully take it, but good to hear that if the expressing doesn't work out she may be able to hang in there. I'll be away from her for 11 hours, so I think I might explode if I don't try to express at lunch time!