Returning to work - baby milk

[Caz1412]

I'm returning to work in a months time, my little one will be 9 months. She's breastfed and eating solids pretty well.

When I return to work, I want her to stay on breastmilk but I'll be working full time and won't have time to express all day. I know from my first I can sustain my milk to feed in evenings and weekends without having to express in the day.

I had my first on formula for his daytime feeds whilst he was in childcare, I don't want to waste my money this time, she's so close to being able to have cows milk!

My question is, if she's still getting breastmilk everyday, surely it can't hurt to go against nhs advice and give her blue cows milk just for her two daytime feeds?

Has anyone else introduced cows milk early? What are your opinions? Did you have to do anything to bridge the gap?

I’m worried you say you won’t have time to express at work - your work legally has to allow you time. If you feed your daughter on demand during the day then you’re likely to find you’ll need to pump at least once during the day to prevent discomfort and mastitis. Have you spoken to your work about their breastfeeding/pumping policy?

I returned to work when my daughter was 10 months and used to pump once a day and then drop off the milk with nursery when I picked her up. She only had one bottle of milk a day and for the rest of the day she had water - could you do this rather than cow’s milk?

9months isn’t particularly close to 12 months developmentally for a baby is it? I would stick to formula for 3 months. I would be surprised if a nursery was happy giving cows milk to a 9 month old in a bottle tbh.

@Caz1412 I found this:

www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/feeding/breastfeeding/toddler-formula-vs-milk-whats-best/

I personally thing at 9m you can try blue milk. If she gets stomach issues you can always go back to formula. I find formula extremely sweet when compared to cows milk.

Of course, my employer will provide me with time if I ask, however, it's just not sustainable in my role. I'm a social worker and when you are out and about on visit etc. Expressing milk doesn't take priority everyday.

I do plan to express as much as I can freeze breastmilk this coming month so that'll help. I just found the first time that there's so much to feel guilty for when returning to work, this time I didn't want breastmilk to be one of them! 🤦🏻‍♀️

She will be with a childminder but nutrition wise, I'm sure cows milk if she gets along with it, would obviously be lacking the nutrients that are added to formula but she will still be getting that from breastmilk and food so I am not entirely worried on that front.

I've got a month to consider it, obviously I always do what's best for the little ones so I'll probs have her on formula anyway. I'm just interested in my options and what other people have done. 🙃

I returned when DD was 8.5m. She didn't take a bottle or really drink much from a cup. I breastfed in the morning, when I got home and before bed, plus usually twice in the night. In between she had solids, including cows milk in cereal etc. If she drank milk it was cows milk. Someone told me that at 9m they need a minimum of 2-3 feeds a day, so I figured as she was having 4-5 she was getting sufficient nutrients.

I never expressed at work. I never really got on with expressing at all. I was uncomfortable the first day or two but it settled down.

No, not cows milk, it doesnt contain enough iron.. I was in this situation and used formula just for the one or two feeds at the childminders. Formula contains lots of vitamins and iron so its a good dietary supplement at that age. It's not for long.

It’s pretty bizarre that you feel less guilty about cows milk than formula tbh.

It isn’t poison!

3 months is a quarter of the time away from when she needs breast milk/formula as her main drink. It’s not wasting money to provide good nutrition for your child.

My daughter paediatric dietitian wanted her to move off her formula at 11 1/2 months but no way would I be doing it at 9 months to save money.

I'm in a similar job to you and wil be going back when dd is 10 months. Given that she'll have 2 feeds per day from me, and I imagine 1 or 2 overnight if she's anything like her older sister, I'm happy that bf will be her main source of milk, so will give her cows milk during the day.

I’m a childminder. One thing I’ve found in these situations, is that it’s not just about the milk. Babies need to suck and get a lot of comfort from doing that. So whatever you do, please make sure that your baby has the opportunity to have a bottle at some point in the day. 3 months is quite a long time though, so I don’t think cows milk is the right way to go at this point.
Can you pump extra now to develop a freezer stash to use up as you go back to work? That could get you through an extra month or so and get you nearer to 12 months old.

@Maryann1975

I’m a childminder. One thing I’ve found in these situations, is that it’s not just about the milk. Babies need to suck and get a lot of comfort from doing that. So whatever you do, please make sure that your baby has the opportunity to have a bottle at some point in the day. 3 months is quite a long time though, so I don’t think cows milk is the right way to go at this point. Can you pump extra now to develop a freezer stash to use up as you go back to work? That could get you through an extra month or so and get you nearer to 12 months old.

That's the thing, she doesn't drink my milk in the day, she has very short feeds, usually just for comfort. Most of her feeds unfortunately are during the night 🤣 so I know she will be getting all of the nutrition she needs from her breastmilk. Those daytime feeds are just comfort so I hadn't seen the harm in cows milk as she probably won't drink even half the bottle.

I do plan to store as much breast milk as possible in the next month and I will always express in my free time when I can.

It's not that I feel cows milk is better than formula and I don't think anyone needs to be concerned about it, I'm just considering my options here as I know she gets the nutrition she needs 🙃

So far, I think my plan is to make it to 10 months on breast milk, I can hopefully get enough stored whilst I've got this month off. The health visitor said to put my eldest on cows milk at 11 months so I'll speak to her when & if we get close to the point i can't sustain breast milk during the day.

I know I know I know they are horrendously expensive, but would an Elvie pump allow you some greater flexible to pump when out and about?

Or even a manual pump (although less discrete)?