Back at work, can I breast feed in the day at weekends?

[Sigur]

I've been back at work for a week (mon, Tues, wed, thurs) - going great, bf first thing in morning, grandad gives 2 bottles of formula in the day then I feed when I get in at 5:30pm, at bedtime and once in the night, but...

... I breastfed fri and sat in the day and she woke up loads in the night wanting to feed.

Do you think my body's cut its production and she's not getting enough milk in the day if I bfeed?

Should I give her bottles in the day at the weekend just like she'd expect in the week? (really don't want to!!!)

DD's 8 months and on 3 small meals a day (plus porridge in the bath, but that's another story)

Sigur, I think you are doing really well (great you are back at work) and your dd is entirely normal.

I think what your dd is doing is called 'reverse cycling' where she catches up on feeds at night because you are not there during the weekday. When I went back to work, I fed all through the night co-sleeping - drove me slightly crazy but I was reconciled to it eventually because it gave me extra cuddle time and was psychologically important to me and dc to ease the transition of me going back to work and dc growing up.

I don't think your dd is necessarily waking up to feed because she is hungry. She might just be wanting to be close to you. It is particularly so if she is going through separation anxiety - which is an entirely normal phase that usually kicks in a bit later but my dcs started early.

If you see it as a problem, I suppose you could get tough - someone else would be able to advise because I am not good at that.

Otherwise, my dcs grew out of it eventually, with a little encouragement, sometimes forceful, when they were older, say 1.5 years.

Are you ready to wean?

Hello BlueShoes, thanks for your answer. I hope you're right because I really don't want to give up breastfeeding in the day when I have the opportunity to do it. Will have to see how I get on at work; broken nights are one thing when you're on maternity leave, but when you need to appear sparky and intelligent...

Hi Sigur, there is a good chance you will still be sparky and intelligent at work. I like to think I was even though I was woken up once an hour through the night.

If it is a real problem, then by all means explore alternatives. Otherwise, it is nice to have them there at night too, if your day still continues in a fashion. It was my cure for working mother 'guilt' - I never had any!

I did exactly the same Sigur, only was working Mon-Fri, and I am teacher so then throw in school holidays - DD just adjusted, as did my milk!
Fed once or twice (sometimes 3 times!) before work, same again from 5.30ish till bedtime, then what seemed like endlessly overnight (at first). (DD was 9mths)

At weekends and during school hols I exclusively BF her, when I was at work she took 1-2 formula bottles, then onto cows milk at about 11mths.

Night feeding lessened as intake of solids increased (we did BLW and it took a while - now she is a mammoth eater).

I still feed her 2x per day when I'm at work, 3x per day at hols and weekends.

It all just sorts itself out! And you do eventually get some sleep!

I actually had never co-slept till I went back to work, then I think it saved my life (and probably my job! )

I want to know about porridge in the bath

Is there any way you could express a little in work to keep your supply going throughout the day?

i went back to work when ds2 was 7 months and did 3 days/week. i fed as normal on the days off and on work days expressed once but after about a month i stopped this. ds2 had expressed milk or a bit of formula in a cup when i was at work. he fed a couple of time a night til a year-ish i think.

i found my breasts adapted and so when at work (quite long days would be away from him 7am to 6-7pm) i didn't really leak or feel engorged after a few weeks but the days i was off he seemed to get enough from me.