Breastfeeding teacher

[OopsieDaisyB]

I'm due to return to work as a Nursery teacher in March and my DD will be just 8 months (sob) I am yet to start BLW but am keen to continue BF when I return to work. Are there any teachers who went back to full time work and managed to express? How did it work? Was your employer accommodating? What kind of pump did you use? (I currently use a Haaka pump.) So many questions!
Any help/ advice appreciated!

I returned to work (FE college lecturer) when ds was 6months. I'm back full time and have access to a room on campus to use whenever I need to express. It is quite stressful fitting in expressing between lectures, but employers have a duty to provide a suitable space. I use an Amazon electric pump that can run without a cable if needed and then decant into storage bags to use the following day. 6 weeks back to work and it is going OK so far!

I went back to work (as a busy hairdresser) when my DD was 5 months. We don’t have set breaks (common practice in our industry) but I would find time in between clients. I used a medala swing pump. It was a bit of an inconvenience but I felt it was the best option for my daughter.

Not a teacher but nurse. Went back at 8.5m, DS never ever took a bottle. I fed him at 5am before I left for work then fed him to sleep as soon as I got home (12 hour shifts). Fed him through the night. Fed him completely on demand on days off with him. He ate 3 meals a day plus snacks by then and had a sippy cup with 2 little cartons of formula for nursery...he only ever drank 1 at most. Bf this way until he was 17m. Hand expressed at work on the first day to stop me leaking but after a week my body had completely adjusted. I was given option to express in a private room but realistically I would never have found the time to be off the floor, worked much better for us not to express.

I am a teacher and did almost exactly what
@Beseen19 did. I was offered the heads room to pump and I did for the first week but it was just very inconvenient tbh. I would have far rather marked and prepped through my lunch so I could leave earlier to pick LO up. He’s 14 months now and he feeds in the morning and bedtime and overnight I know that legally they have to allow you to pump, but I imagine that as a nursery nurse it would be hard to fit in regular pumping sessions because of maintaining ratios?

Oh I forgot to say that mine never took a bottle of formula or expressed milk, so pumping was pointless for me anyway 😂 He was fine at nursery on three meals plus snacks and water to drink.

Thanks for the insight everyone. I guess my main concern was if I go all day without expressing would that affect my supply? HV said I would need to express to keep up supply. DD is also not really a fan of bottles. Hard to know what she will be like on food too as she's still ebf. I'm just a panicker! 😂
Like you said bird, I would find it so hard to find time, children are in 9 - 3 and I have a half an hour lunch. I only work half 8 til half 3 too so already spend a lot of my own time at work, often there till 6 (joy!) Don't want to repeat this when I go back now that I have DD

I think your supply will adjust. You will probably have a drop in supply during the day, and if you try to BF at weekends/holidays at the time when you’d usually be at work you might find you have little milk st that time, but if you continue to feed your daughter overnight your supply then should be fine. Lots of people carry on BF only at night for years and it works fine.
I’m also a teacher, returning when baby is 9m. She’s now combi fed anyway, so I won’t need to pump, but I will continue to feed at night hopefully like I do now. I am doin BLW, at 7.5m milk feeds have not dropped at all as she is only picking, not eating full meals yet, which I think is fine. Don’t be afraid of using a bit of formula to make your life easier if necessary. Like a PP, I would prefer to mark and plan at lunch to allow me to get home earlier, than pump at lunch and have to stay longer after school to mark etc. Good luck x