How can I maintain breastfeeding

[tryingtobemarrypoppins2]

when I return to work 3 days a week when my DS2 is 6 and a half months old??

I can see how the morning feed and night feed would continue but during the day I am sure he will need milk??

Are you happy to express at work?

Either he has bottles of formula during the day, or you express milk at work and then he gets that the next day you are at work and you breast feed on the days you are not working.

I teach, so could find a way to express. How much would he need do you think?? Could I go straight to a cup?? If so what sort??

Wish I didn't have to go back

I'm fairly sure an employer has to provide you with somewhere quiet to express if you wish to. I expressed at work for a few weeks when I went back to work after ds, but the job I was doing was really irregular and I was out of the building for most of the day, so it was impossible. If you spend most of the time in one place then I think it's much easier. I just used to pop off for 20 mins in the middle of the day.

I think if I was in one place I probably would have expressed more often, but as I couldn't I think my milk supply was quite affected.

Do you think on the 4 days I am at home I could just go back to the boob??
Still unsure how many oz I would need to express??

there are lots of good calculators on the net. Generally they say a BF baby drinks about 25oz of milk a day, so work out how many feeds your LO has during the day, divide 25oz by that, etc. I'm starting back 3 days a week this week (DD is 4 months on thurs) so I've been busy researching, have worked out she will robs need 400ml expressed. Also over the last month I have stored milk in the freezer incase I don't make enough during the work days, and will store extra milk on the days I am off work. At least by the point you go back, your ds2 will perhaps need less milk as he will have started the weaning process, so that should take some stress away from you.

It's possible for a child of this age to be fine with water and food in the day, and have lots of boob morning and night, and overnight, if you're happy to be fed on overnight.

It's almost certain that he will take more from you, when he gets a chance, than from the cup.

And at six months, you might be ok with feeding lots on the days you're home, and expressing some (or not much, maybe: depends how susceptable you are to blocked ducts etc) on the days you're at work.

When are you going back to work? I know your baby will be 6.5 months, but is it soon?

I teach as well and went back to work when my DS was 10 months old. I work 4 days a week. When I went back to work I took advice from my union rep who told me to request a risk assessment from the health and safety officer, who at the end provided me with a key to the first aid room so I can use it to express some milk.

My son doesn't like the expressed milk very much, so he keeps demanding more feeds when I come home after work.

As for the breast pump, I hired one from my local Sure Start children centre for only £7 and can keep it for as long as I need it!

You can use a cup if you like, as it's better. Try doidy cup and tomee tipee trainer cups.

I'm not back until September so should really start building up a supply in the freezer.
NotQuiteCockney thanks for your advice. I was thinking about the food and water for the 3 days i'm at work with lots of boob before and after work but he tends to settle to sleep after lots of boob and I'm worried he won't settle. I guess around August I'll get some idea.

If I start expressing loads now for the freezer should I store it in 3oz 'portions' do you think?? Is it as nutritious once its defrosted??

aactionmum any chance the health and safety officer would say its not safe to return!!??

I would say it would be fine feeding from you as much as he wants when you are around, and whatever works best (expressed milk/formula) when he is in childcare. But talk to the nursery/childminder if you want to feed him yourself as much as possible so that they don't, for example, feed him a large bottle at 4.30 if you are picking up at 5.

My DS went to nursery at 9 months, and managed with just one bottle (expressed mostly), which he often refused, between 8 and 6, drinking water instead. But the difference in food intake (and therefore decrease in milk intake) was quite drastic with him in around month 7, so you might need quite a bit of expressed milk for the first month and then not so much.

Don't worry about the settling, they soon learn to settle however works best with their nursery/childminder.

cleanandclothed thank-you. Lets hope he likes his food!!

If you can get him down to 3 feeds per day you just need to express once at lunchtime, and then on the days you are not working put him on your breast.

You need to have access to a fridge at work to store the milk. Probably no need to express more than around a few days worth in advance (I wouldn't store for more than 4-6 weeks in freezer) because you'll have the milk you express on your work days for him to have on the next work day.

I went back to work with both DD and DS at 6 months, when I stopped feeding, both happy to take bottle - tried beaker but they prefered the bottle.

I think that once they had 3 meals a day at around 7 months, they drank 6oz at 7am, breakfast at 8am, lunch with water at 12pm, bottle 6oz at 2pm, dinner at 5pm and bottle 6oz at 6pm. Whilst it was just 2 meals a day they drank 4 bottles.

3oz not enough for 6.5 month old baby.