Breastfeeding and returning to work/weaning

[flowergirl]

Unfortunately I have to return to work in November . At present I exclusively bf and REALLY want to give only breast milk as I wean LO up to at least 1 year if I can. However if I miss a feed and need to express the most I can get off is about 4oz and this can take up to 30 mins. Realistically I would only be able to express once during the day whilst at work and even if I expressed again in the evening once LO was in bed I would probably only have enough for 1 feed the following day.

A few questions...

Has anyone managed to keep to just breast milk whilst weaning after returning to work?
How many milk feeds are necessary 1 month into weaning?

Any advice/experience would be great- thanks

 

[Zodiac]

I'm going back to work in Novemeber too & am breastfeeding, and like you I don't get a feeds worth off when I express.

My plan is to express twice a day at work (at what would be his boob times)... but as a suplement bearing in mind boobie milk is good in the freezer for 3 months, I'm gonna start freezing stuff a few months before then to build up a store

I think the guidelines are that your LO should have 1pint of milk over the course of the day (I think milk on cereals/in yoghurts can count towards this too)

 

[Lola's Mummy]

I returned to work 1 months ago when Lola was 10 months.
I don't express at work though as she is on 3 solid meals a day now plus snacks. I normally feed her just before i drop her off at my mum's and then as soon as i get back from work. My boobs do get very full but it's not uncomfortable.

If your LO will still be needing feeds in the day I'd start stocking up in the freezer before you return to work

I was really worried before i went back because she was still having a few feeds a day and won't take a bottle but she has been fine while i haven't been there. I only work 3 x 8 hour days a week and when i not at work she will still have daytime feeds from me

 

[Squiglet]

I went back to work full time at the beginning of this month... and lil miss is still only on breast milk.

She has only just started on 3 meals a day (this weekend) and shes 6 months tomorrow. I express in the morning after the first feed before I go to work at 8:30 and get 1/2oz... I'm not allowed to express during the day so don't and at 3pm I come home, express both boobs and get between 4/5oz...My boobs start tingling around 11ish, when lil miss is due a feed, and by 3 they are very full...and when I get home I immediately breastfeed, lil miss almost has a fit when she sees me and immediately starts looking for boob.. its like a reconnection... but she can sorta go on nursing strike if I am not around, so I think she holds out till I come home

Lil miss has breakfast and lunch (and now dinner but before I used the weaning as a way of padding out the bm)... and a cup of boob milk with each meal. Although shes not overly interested in booby milk from a cup and refuses a fake boob altogether.

BUT.... she still is 100% breastfed... I've not had to introduce any formula.. you have to be pretty dedicated with your expressing, but otherwise its a lot easier than I expected.

 

[Zodiac]

I'm not allowed to express during the day so don't

Blimey - NOT ALLOWED to express at work? Is that Spain as a whole or is your employer just really harsh?

When I go back I'll be working 0830 -1730, plus it's a 20min drive to and from so my boobs would be ready to explode if I wasn't allowed to express at work

 

[flowergirl]

Thanks for the replies-they've really helped I am pretty committed to expressing and hope to have enough stock to keep LO supplied with her boobie milk feeds whilst I'm not around.

 

[KJ]

Hiya,

I exclusively breastfed Asher until 6 months when I started weaning. He was on 3 milk feeds a day from weaning onwards, and in the last few weeks he's refusing his afternoon milk feed and will now be on milk on waking and on going to bed, so 2 feeds a day. I make sure he has yoghurts, cheese, milk etc in his food so he still gets the right amount of calcium.

I did introduce one bottle a day at 6 months though. So when I went back to work I breastfed him morning and evening and he had one bottle at nursery.

I am still hanging on and expressing, but hardly get anything these days. But it's prob enough for him to have 2 bottles of breastmilk a week, which is better than none!

I take my hat off to you if you are going to pump at work. I express twice a day at the moment and what with washing and sterilising breastpumps, etc, it's a real effort.

K.xx