Back to work and breastfeeding/mixed feeding

[LisaSimpsonsbff]

I have slowly come to the realisation (spurred on greatly by the discovery today that all my frozen milk is rancid) that when I go back to work in a month and a half I really, really don't want to express breastmilk during the day. So far DS is EBF, and has only ever been given bottles of expressed milk, which he takes fine (when it isn't rancid!). He'll be six months when I go back (full time), and DH will be on shared parental leave with him for the first four months after I go back. I just have some questions about switching to mixed feeding, with DH giving formula in the day and me breastfeeding when I'm around:

1. How do we best transition DS so it upsets him the least? Do all babies who take bottles take formula (I've never heard of one refusing) - will we need to try different brands, etc. to find one he'll take? Should we try and add a bottle a day gradually before I go back to work?
2. Presumably at this point my supply's established enough that it will cope with only breastfeeding morning and night (that's what people do with toddlers, right?)? Will I be able to feed him during the day at weekends, or will that leave either him hungry or me engorged during the week?
3. Can someone reassure me that this is all going to be alright?! Feeling very anxious about it.

Thank you for your wisdom!

Hi Lisa i don't have any answers but I'm wondering the same as you and go back next week. Hoping a bump might mean someone who knows can help!

Hello! First of I should confess I didn't mix feed (I expressed but not that much) but felt my experience may offer some reassurance

I went back to work FT when my daughter was 7 months and hasn't expected to need to return so soon so I had not build up a stash of expressed milk. I was also really worried she wouldn't take a bottle as we hadn't practiced. But it was all fine and after living through it and talking to others I would generally advise people to 'wing it' for the following reasons:

1. Babies often act/do different things when you aren't there so you could try giving formula before you go back and it all go wrong but your baby may well have some fine when you aren't there (this was generally the case with my daughter)
2. As long as you feed morning and night your supply should be absolutely fine. I even went away over night a few times when she was a bit older, it was all fine (and she carried on bf til she was well over 2, bit longer than I had planned 😬)
3. Even if your baby refuses the formula he'll be fine. Some days my daughter refused the bottle but she was having solids and water to drink and was fine. I think it's even possible to avoid formula and expressed milk at all - I found a very useful thread on here full of mums who were working before their babies were 1 year and had done that (didn't want to express, but didn't want to give formula - I stopped expressing when my daughter was about 10 months)
4. You cannot really plan so why bother with the stress of doing so (frank but true)

A few other bits of advice:

• even if you don't want to express at work (& I can see why, it's a pain to be honest) you will probably need to hand express a bit at first just to relieve your breasts which can feel very full and a bit sore at first (that doesn't last long though and after a bit I found I adjusted well at weekends/after holidays too)
• your frozen expressed milk may not be rancid but just taste weird as it can go oddly soapy after being frozen (which I thought meant it was off at first)
• if you do pump at work don't try to work and pump - you need to relax, I used the office WiFi to catch up with tv!!
• be prepared to be tired at first as your son may reverse cycle (feed more at night to make up for you being gone in the day). It's a total pain but I think probably important to ensure your supply. My tips for getting through are to co sleep and see the doc if you are finding it difficult to fall back asleep after feeds. I was and I got prescribed something that dealt with it but was ok to take while breast feeding

Good luck. It's hard admittedly but worth it

Just realised I didn't answer your question re weekend feeds. Yes feed on demand at weekends/during holidays etc. Your son and your boobs will be fine - it's all amazingly flexible really. I found my daughter wanted to bf quite a lot at weekends as I was there and after a little bit my supply adjusted fine

Thanks that's really helpful, and reassuring. I'm dreading going back as I'm so worried about DD going hungry without me