Returning to work and expressing vs formula

[arolf]

I'm going back to work part time when DS is 7 months, and because of the hours i'll be working (with commute, from 8.30-3), he'll need 1 feed whilst with the childminder. He currently has feeds during the day on demand (at 20 weeks), but roughly 7 am, 8 am, 11am, 3 pm, 5pm, cluster feeding/wriggling from 7-10pm. I had all these great plans for expressing at work, and having a freezer stock of EBM for emergencies, but tried him on some thawed EBM on friday, and he refused it, just screaming. Saturday, tried fresh EBM, and refused it. Sunday, formula, he yummed it up.

So I've been thinking about what to do. Formula would obviously make my life a zillion times easier, but then would I be able to still do the 11 am feed at weekends if I'm not expressing during the week? And if he won't take EBM anyway, would there be any point in expressing? it shouldn't be more than 5 months or so before (hopefully!) we can drop the 11 am feed anyway, right?

what have other people done, and has anyone managed natural term weaning and part time wwork, as that's what i'd like to do if possible

thanks

I went back to work when DD was 7 months, last Feb, I was working 3 days a week so she was at a nursery from 815 until 1730. She was breast fed exclusively until 1 week before I returned to work, as she refused to take a bottle at all. I had also planned to use EBM, but after a month of struggling to get her to take anything out of a bottle, I had used up most of my stores of EBM by throwing it down the sink after she had refused to drink it, and we switched to formula.

I continued to feed her myself in the morning, after work and evenings (she had dropped night feeds quite some time earlier). She had two bottles at nursery, and I found that to start off with I was still able to feed her myself during the day on the days I wasn't working, although I eventually swapped to FF during the day for convenience as she got a bit older and we were out and about a lot. I continued BF morning and night until she was 1, when she dropped them of her own accord.

HTH

If it makes your life a lot easier, the ff during nursery, bf when with you sounds like a good plan to me. A compromise that will work by the sounds of it.

You want baby to have breast milk all the time, which is natural, but, given your description of the circumstances, I would (reluctantly) go for ff. You have got this far ebf and are only dropping a couple of feeds out of necessity, so don't beat yourself up.

I think your body will adjust fine at weekends for an extra feed or two; for example, when babies are ill they often feed more and it does not seem to be a problem. If you struggle with supply, an idea may be to take a hand pump to work and have a break at 11 am every day to express off the feed baby would have had, therefore maintaining supply for weekend.

Good luck.

arolf, i am in a similar position, but DD will be a month older and will have to have 2 feeds a day away from me. I have decided to give formula as there is no way i can express (i work in a school) during the day. I will feed as much as pissible for as long as i can maintain a supply other than that.
I appreciate how tricky a decision it is to make but you have done really well so far and now you must do what works for both of you. good luck.

quick question - did you try giving the ebm or someone else? If ds could smell the fresh warm stuff from you he'd want that instead of a bottle... Just a thought...

But you've got to do what suits you both best and if thats a mix of bf and ff then ds will be absolutly fine and you'll be happy too! Good luck xx

good point ds1 will take expressed milk from my husband and my mother but i've tried a couple of times and all hell breaks loose

thanks all - tried to reply last night, but mumsnet was down

DP always does any bottle feeds (although he's maybe only had the bottle 10 times or so in his life, but it's always DP, not me). We're going to try refrigerated overnight milk again when I can express a few oz, then can try for a week or two when I go back to work I suppose, see if he'll take it from the nanny or a different drinking vessel perhaps? I'm not opposed to formula at all, but don't want to compromise my supply if possible

good to hear how other mums manage anyway!!