Breastfeeding 12 month old and back to work

[ThatGutsyHedgehog]

My DS is 9 months old and breastfed, always refused a bottle but will take milk or water from a sippy cup, I’m offering solids 3 times a day with mixed results
im returning to work when he’s 12 months old, im happy to continue BF for a few more months if it will make things easier for him but I don’t want to BF for much longer (nothing wrong with it just not for me)
At 12 months old how often can I expect him to need/ want breastfeeds? And when I’m at work will I need to pump to keep supply up/prevent engorgement?

im returning to work 3 days a week and will be away from him 730-630 approx those 3 days.
My thought was to breastfeed in morning and night if he wants them with sippy cups in the day time but don’t know if that’s enough to keep my supply

Any advise greatly appreciated!

Hi , this might not be an issue by the time your DS is 12 months. I went back to work 3 days a week when my DD was 11 months, and was away from home 7:30am to 6pm. DD was exclusively breast fed. A few weeks before she started nursery she got much more interested in eating and much less interested in breastfeeding. When she started nursery she was fine with drinking from a sippy cup and breakfast, lunch and dinner. I did keep on breastfeeding first thing and before bed but stopped at 13 months, as it was obvious she wasn't drinking much and my supply was drying up. In the end it was quite straightforward and seemed to happen naturally, hopefully will not be an issue for you either OP.

I went back to work 3 days a week when DS was 12 months and have been able to continue to BF morning and evening since then (he is now 19 months) with no impact on supply. He has cow milk in addition to BF which he also enjoys but shows no sign of dropping BF at the moment

Thank you for your replies!
did you find you had to pump at work?

I breastfed till DS was 2 and he just decided himself he was done. I went back to work when he was 10 months old, he was having solids but I still breastfed first thing in the morning and last thing at night. For a few months initially I also fed him when I picked him up and got home. I pumped once a day around lunchtime just so I felt comfortable and not too full at work and gradually I didn’t feel the need to pump. Work orally need to provide a quiet place to pump and mine were really supportive

I also stopped BFing at 12 months.

At 9 months we were on 3-4 feeds a day at set times (he was VERY keen on solids). I actively cut out one feed a month, then on his birthday dropped the last one and we never looked back.

No pumping was necessary for us - at this stage your supply adjusts to the new routine. I was on that last single feed for a good month, and even after it took weeks for my milk to completely dry up. I felt a bit full, but because I'd decreased feeds over months I never got engorged.

My first stopped herself at 10 months, but I fed the second til 19 months. By 12 months she was only feeding morning and evening anyway. I went back to work at nine months and never pumped. I think I fed her at her nap time over the weekend and did a dream feed for a while too.

No, I haven’t needed to pump. My supply seems to regulate quite well, some days I feed just once, although usually twice. If he’s off unwell and has to stay home he might BF even more in the day but my supply just seems to adjust (or maybe he’s dry nursing and doesn’t seem to mind?). I was really anxious about this before going back to work as well and we introduced cow milk as a back up option, but this hasn’t impacted supply either. I think at 1 year you’ll be pretty well established so even feeding 1-2 times per day will be enough to maintain your milk

I returned to work at 7 months and my son wouldn't take a bottle at all! Luckily nursery got him to have a bit out of a cup! I found my supply just adapted and at a year old your likely to be only feeding morning and night. I some how managed to breastfeed until he was 3 but by then it was only really before bed each night. It's amazing how quickly your supply can adjust!

My DD went to nursery full time from just under 12 months and immediately dropped to just a feed first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening. She was already not feeding at night, so when I wasn't around during the day she just wasn't fussed.
I continued to feed her like that until she was just over two, so it didn't affect my supply and I didn't pump during the day.

Fairly sure DD was only on wake up and bedtime feeds by that age. I continued until 18 months. She didn't really need it then but it was soothing for her I suppose.

I think it depends on the baby and parent to a certain extent. My dd is very nearly 1 and has always been a little and often comfort feeder (which I haven't gone to a big effort to try and stop), including through the night. She breastfeeds quite a bit in the night, again in the morning, I drop her at nursery at 8am and pump at lunch (for my comfort), then when I pick her up at the end of the day she instantly wants a breastfeed so when I get her home we get stuck on the sofa for a bit, then have dinner, then breastfeed before bed. She won't have formula at nursery but I don't think it matters as she's not too little. I don't want to add the stress of pumping just for nursery into my life, so leaving it as formula only at nursery. When she's 1 I'll ask them to offer cows milk but I doubt she'll take it. She's been at nursery properly for a month now and is pretty settled there. They do just adapt to their new routines. Good luck.