Breast feeding advice

[Aries29]

Hi ladies - I'm only 14 weeks but trying to be organized. I am planning to return to work within weeks of baby's birth - my question is

Ideally formula feeding would be easier as my fiancé can help with that etc , however I want my baby on breast milk if possible - obvs if I'm at work I'll have to express and store.

Any good brands of pumps
Advice on storage etc
Shall I breast feed for 2-4-6 months ?
I don't have much contact with midwife as only 14 weeks

What would be a good routine etc ?

 

[StephyLou]

How early are you planning to return to work as I think that would factor any advice your given?

 

[Aries29]

I'm planning to go back by time baby is 5 weeks old , I know it's soon but my fiancé is off work over Xmas and all off new year ( 5 weeks in total ) I am going back to work 3 days a week

 

[StephyLou]

I'm planning to go back by time baby is 5 weeks old , I know it's soon but my fiancé is off work over Xmas and all off new year ( 5 weeks in total ) I am going back to work 3 days a week

Most employers don't allow women to return until after 6 weeks.

Your entitled to 90% of your pay up to 6 weeks and then £139 a week up until 9 months, if your only going back 3 days a week have you worked out if there's any financial benefit to you doing that?

From a breastfeeding point of view you would need to express enough in the 4 days you were off to cover your work days, I know this doable after several months but for the first few weeks milk is still only in the producing stage and you'll struggle to get a routine going by 5 weeks.

Is there any reason you want to return so quickly?

 

[Maud]

Unless you are self-employed you won't be able to return to work until 6 weeks. To be honest, that is very early to return to work. Depending on how the birth went you may still be recovering physically and you may not yet have established breastfeeding or your newborn routine. To express enough milk to feed a newborn you will need to be pumping every 3 hours night and day, which might not be feasible while working. There's no way I could've returned to work so soon and I'd definitely recommend taking more leave if you can x

 

[Aries29]

i know you may all think it's irresponsible but we decided to try for a baby in March as I'd just started a new job before that and my partner earns 35k a year and the house is paid etc so financially in a great place. We didn't expect to get caught 2 weeks later though- my man laughs all the time that he must have super sperm

Im earning 23k a year also.
I'm 30 and my fella is 45 so we didn't really want to be waiting much longer either . There is 6 females in my family including me and the other 5 have all got fertility issues - pcos- tilted wombs - unexplained fertility - so we bought it may take a few months to get caught .

Anyway I'm not entitled to company pay for maternity an I know I can get state pay if worked 26 weeks- but again we earn enough between us so we are not worried financially .
My fella usually works 9am- 12 and then completes his reports at home on a work laptop - so childcare is not really an issue - my mum is helping out on the earl days I'm at work ..

I suppose I'm only returning so early because I'm new - I work alternate days not 3 days in a row -
I am lookin at having 3-4 weeks off before due date and then returning once baby is 5 weeks - totaling 9 weeks

I didn't realize tere was a 6 week rule ........
I'd love 10 + weeks off but I guess I feel guilty about being pregnant now -

 

[flexilexi394]

Hi Aries - Have you explored maternity allowance as an alternative source of income?? May want to research that one.

Anyway, In the USA people return to work much quicker so the thought of returning to work at 5 weeks doesn't come as a shock to me at all, I am in the UK but US born.

I am going to return to work after 8 weeks of this baby being born because I am self employed, so you do what you've got to do.

On the breast feeding thing - I breast fed my daughter last time and I returned to work after 8 weeks for one day a week and I managed it by expressing - I have the Medela Swing breast pump, you can buy storage bags to store the milk - they screw straight onto the pump and as long as you have access to a fridge at work you can save it up - you can freeze breast milk for a month in the freezer but I can't remember how long it is allowed to be refrigerated for.

Breast feeding is easy once established, and I started combination feeding when my daughter was about 6 months old. It is completely doable - just find out from your employer if they will allow you to work so soon after delivery - don't forget your body might not be ready yet but if it is only a few days a week you should be okay. xx

 

[StephyLou]

i know you may all think it's irresponsible but we decided to try for a baby in March as I'd just started a new job before that and my partner earns 35k a year and the house is paid etc so financially in a great place. We didn't expect to get caught 2 weeks later though- my man laughs all the time that he must have super sperm

Im earning 23k a year also.
I'm 30 and my fella is 45 so we didn't really want to be waiting much longer either . There is 6 females in my family including me and the other 5 have all got fertility issues - pcos- tilted wombs - unexplained fertility - so we bought it may take a few months to get caught .

Anyway I'm not entitled to company pay for maternity an I know I can get state pay if worked 26 weeks- but again we earn enough between us so we are not worried financially .
My fella usually works 9am- 12 and then completes his reports at home on a work laptop - so childcare is not really an issue - my mum is helping out on the earl days I'm at work ..

I suppose I'm only returning so early because I'm new - I work alternate days not 3 days in a row -
I am lookin at having 3-4 weeks off before due date and then returning once baby is 5 weeks - totaling 9 weeks

I didn't realize tere was a 6 week rule ........
I'd love 10 + weeks off but I guess I feel guilty about being pregnant now -

I don't think its irresponsible and there's absolutely no right or wrong to when you want to return to work but you should be doing it because you want to not because you feel guilty towards your employer.

I've worked for the same company for 3 years but I moved hotels on October 4th and found out I was pregnant on October 8th and had serious morning sickness that meant I couldn't keep it secret, was it slightly awkward yes but at the end of the day you can have the best employers in the world (and mine are pretty great) but mostly your a number on a balance sheet to them.

Sorry I don't want this to come across as preaching as I am 100% for women doing what they want when it comes to childcare, it will be my OH going part time when I return but I think that if for instance you had gotten pregnant a few months later would you then have felt and wanted to take longer off? If the answer to that is yes then you absolutely should do it as I can guarantee coming back 3,5,7 weeks early will be forgotten in fortnight no matter where you work.

 

[Aries29]

Thanks ladies, feeling better now. I've decided I'm going to just have 10+ weeks off as I intend to return to work and stay there for a number of years - it's nhs so it pays well and pension etc . I absolutely love my job and couldn't imagine working anywhere else. It's not like I'm going to be having babies every year - we are planning just this last one . So I'll just have a chat with my employer and explain that I do intend to return o work and give them a timescale etc that suits me - they'll hopefully be understanding and will be fine about it. I have a pretty good relationship with the whole team and my boss is usually approachable

I will do the breast feeding and hopefully baby will take to it

 

[Flo1]

On the breastfeeding: you can't plan how long you'll do it I started not wanting to breastfeed, then when DS arrived I decided to try it anyway and I ended up breastfeeding until he was 1 year old and feeling sorry for stopping it.
I hate the 6-week rule, I just had to decline a fantastic job offer because that. With DS I was studying and went back to my lessons 1 day a week after 3 weeks, did an internship of 2 full weeks around 6 weeks. It was hard but it didn't harm anyone. You should only go back when you feel ready, but if you would return early don't feel guilty about it. Just do whatever feels right for you. Good luck!