Breastfeeding while starting work help!

[Emmab91]

Hi I am just looking for some advice or reassurance. My baby is 8 months old always been breastfed I have managed to get her to take a bottle a handful of times but never takes much I had expressed breastmilk at the start but hated it then it would get wasted . I made her a bottle of formula last night she wouldn’t take it from me but next minute I see her drinking it herself and she took 1oz! So I started a new job tonight was only 4 hours training started at 630, my partner struggled to get her down and she refused the bottle. I have a proper shift on Saturday 5pm till 130am I will be doing this once a week and I am really worried because tonight didn’t go as well as planned and my partner couldn’t get her to take a bottle. I really need the job but obviously my baby comes first. Do you think she will be okay me leaving her that long and what if she won’t take any milk from a bottle? The hope was that working at night she would only really be missing the bed time feed of me. Should I not go back to work? Or is there a way to make this work?Any advice is gratefully appreciated

My LO is 9 months and I’ve just gone back to work. He refuses formula and expressed breast milk from all kinds of bottles and sippy cups. I breast feed him just before I leave and as soon as I get home but for the 9 hours I’m gone he just has solids (he has a morning and afternoon snack, plus three meals a day) and water. He’s been absolutely fine. I guess your situation is a little harder as you’re working nights. I would just feed as much possible in the day and then try to give something really filling like porridge (made with breast milk?) for dinner. Have you tried different kinds of cups rather than a bottle? I’m sure your LO will adapt but it might just be a tricky time for your partner until they do.

Look up reverse cycling.

She'll be fine without milk if she's able to drink water and eat a bit of food.

She'll just catch up on breast milk when you get home.