BLW and work

[vj32]

I was thinking of doing a mix of purees and finger food for DS from just before 6 months because I have to get him able to eat a bit before I go back to work (p/t) at 8 months. I am starting to try and express (he is 4 months) as I would prefer to continue to bf rather than formula, but don't think I will be able to get enough to be his sole source of calories - he is a huge baby and big eater! I am not quite sure if this makes sense though, I guess it is a bit irrational to push him to have food rather than give formula. I'm a bit muddled.

Has anyone else gone back to work before a year? Any advice?

I'm going back p/t at 7mo. From all the things I've read, and talking to the HVs, they are supposed to still have milk as their main source of calories. So it basically mean formula for me. (I have had enough of expressing). My DD isn't keen on bottles, so I'm starting with a tommee tippee free flow cup with her at 25wo. On day 3, she's managed to finally put the spout into her mouth, holding both handles. I helped her by tilting it (as one of the mums her suggested). I was so glad when I saw the bubbles appearing on the lower side of the lid! Not sure how much gone into the bib vs her mouth of course. I'm using water atm, but will switch to formula in the cup after 6mo.

I started work when my DD was 9.5 months, and she started settling at nursery the month before. We did BLW, no purees. I chatted it through with nursery and they were perfectly happy with it. In fact, the girl in charge of the room was delighted that they could just leave her to get on with it as it gave them more time to do the spoon-feeding for the other babies. It feels really stressful from this side of starting back, but honestly it will be fine! It's worth chatting to the nursery staff, though. Occasionally someone would be covering breaks in that room and would attempt to spoonfeed DD but DD would soon put them right

Unless you are feeding pureed avocado, then no food has more calories than breast milk or formula. Your LOs main nutrition should be milk, regardless of how big they are. We BLW and I was working fulltime from 4 months. The BLW mantra is "Just for fun until they're one" so it doesn't matter how much food your LO gets during the days you're at work. You will be able to BF on the other days and it will all balance out.

I went back to work 3days/week when DD was 8 months. We did BLW which DD took to straight away. Nursery were happy to do it and I leant them the Gill Rapley book so they could understand it. They aLso asked lots of questions. I carries on BF at home and expressed once at work which gave me usually 7oz. I also would do some expressing during the.week so that I could try to have 2bottles of ebm to give her ( the beauty of ebm is that it' ll keep a.week so Fridays work express was.ok for following Wednesday). I did that for about 2 months until expressing at work was a.pain and.DD dropped to one daytime feed. I would either send a bottle of ebm I'd expressed over the week (started getting less out) or a carton of formula as that was cheaper and easier the PIF. She only had max 2 cartons a week. She's now 13monrhs and has cow's milk during the day and bf at bedtime which is a nice way to reconnect after a day apart.

Ps sorry about typos