Combination feeding - going back to work

[leesey]

Right, this is going to sound ridiculous, but all night last night I was dreaming about formula. I think I'm weird.
But anyway, because I'm going back to work so soon, I had initially planned to breastfeed exclusively for the first few weeks and then when I went back to work I would breastfeed and express so that hubby and MIL could share feeding (they will obviously be responsible for childcare when I'm back at work). But I think my subconscious mind is trying to tell me how difficult expressing is going to be if it means that daytime feeds will be solely reliant on my expressed milk - that's a lot of pressure especially considering I'd have to express and store milk while at work - not easy in a busy school working full time.

At no point while making the decision to go back to work very early did I think it was going to be straightforward, but I think I'm going to have to make some tough decisions regarding my decision to breastfeed.

So, I'm wanting to look into my options about combination feeding, as I thought perhaps it would be better to do this than go straight to formula. I mean, it would be possible (if my flow was consistent enough) to breastfeed before work, when I got home, and at bedtime, for example, and formula feed in between. Obviously we won't know baby's routine yet so this is just hypothetical.

Has anyone any experience of this they can share or can someone recommend a good book to help me with coming to a decision about combination feeds? I really want to educate myself properly.

I can't believe I spent the whole night dreaming about formula - how sad is that? xx

 

[Hope81]

I am planning on going to work early and express. I will use a cooler bag and express at least once or twice at work.
Also expressing from the first day my milk comes in will help building my supply and stocking the freezer.
Ofc if it's not enough I will give formula too.
I think your supply will suffer if you only express twice per day? Also providing that probably you will put the baby on the breast too at morning and night I don't think it will be much left to express?
Did you ask to your work? I think they have to provide you a clean quiet room where you can express if you choose too. Expressing directly in bottles and then putting in a cooler bag wouldn't be quite feasible? If you have a double breast bump and everything goes ok 15 min should be enough they say.
if its not possible then it's nth wrong of course to give formula

 

[leesey]

Did you ask to your work? I think they have to provide you a clean quiet room where you can express if you choose too. Expressing directly in bottles and then putting in a cooler bag wouldn't be quite feasible? If you have a double breast bump and everything goes ok 15 min should be enough they say.

This was the plan, I'm able to request this but what I feel the problem will be is that I won't get any time to do it. Not cos they won't let me but because I will be on the go. It's a busy school, and although I scoped out possible places to express, they are quite far away from my classroom, and I think I would only really manage it at lunchtime. Which might be enough to keep a consistent flow, it might not be.

I'll obviously just see how it goes once LO comes along, but I want to be totally educated about all my options so I can start off on the right foot.

Thanks Hope xx

 

[Lolly85x]

I don't have any experience with this. But it's something I'm interested in aswell... Unfortunantly im not going to be able to sit at home an exclusively breastfeed for 6months...!!
I asked about this at my feeding class, and she said a good tip she has was that breast milk could be frozen. And she recommended that using sterile ice cube trays, and then pop a cube out a while before the feed is due and it will melt to room temperature for baby. And also said that the little cartons can be very handy for mix feeding as your not leaving a big tub of milk open for longer than necessary.
Also its a legal requirement for your work to provide a room for you to express and provide storage for your milk... Don't think you'll want to put it in the staff canteen fridge!! Ha...xxx

 

[jennilisanne]

I didn't carry on breastfeeding when I went back to work as I was lucky enough to have 9 months off. But it shouldn't be a problem. Invest in a good pump (I think people say the Medela Swing is great) and pump at regular intervals. Get bottles that are best suited for combination feeding (we have Tommy Tippee, they're pretty flat) and hopefully baby won't have a problem.

 

[Jayjay027]

Although I'm not going back to work for a year, I'm very interested in combination feeding and hope to introduce it to LO as early as possible.

I really don't know how to go about it, but I'm really hoping I get support from mw and hv x

Sent from my BlackBerry 9800 using Tapatalk

 

[leesey]

I didn't carry on breastfeeding when I went back to work as I was lucky enough to have 9 months off. But it shouldn't be a problem. Invest in a good pump (I think people say the Medela Swing is great) and pump at regular intervals. Get bottles that are best suited for combination feeding (we have Tommy Tippee, they're pretty flat) and hopefully baby won't have a problem.

I'm a teacher hon, I don't get regular intervals!

I have the full Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature range xx

 

[leesey]

Although I'm not going back to work for a year, I'm very interested in combination feeding and hope to introduce it to LO as early as possible.

I really don't know how to go about it, but I'm really hoping I get support from mw and hv x

Sent from my BlackBerry 9800 using Tapatalk

I think because there's so much pressure on midwives and nurses to promote breastfeeding exclusively, I'm not expecting too much support in that area. I already know they will disapprove of me going back to work so early but they'll have to accept it and support me in doing the best for bubs in my own way.
I went to the library today and picked up a few books, first one I started to read today is really capturing my attention. It's Tracy Hogg's Breastfeeding (she's the Baby Whisperer one) and it's really making sense to me. I'll let you know how I get on with the rest of the book, it's only a little guidebook, I have her big book for later on xx

 

[Jayjay027]

Yes definitely let me know how u get on with the book. Might have to take a trip to waterstones lol x

Sent from my BlackBerry 9800 using Tapatalk

 

[Kirsty.Y.84]

I am combination feeding at the moment. I tend to breast feed him during the day, and then at night I normally top up his breast feeds with 2 ounces of formula so that he sleeps for longer! The only advice I have is that if you are replacing one of your breast feeds with a formula feed, you should express thè same amount so that your body still knows that's what it needs to make to feed baby.
I made the mistake of replacing 2 nightly breast feeds with formula, but not expressing so I was finding I didn't have as much milk. That's why I now breast feed him overnight but just top up with the formula so that I'm not going too long without breast feeding.
x

 

[Kirsty.Y.84]

Although I'm not going back to work for a year, I'm very interested in combination feeding and hope to introduce it to LO as early as possible.

I really don't know how to go about it, but I'm really hoping I get support from mw and hv x

Sent from my BlackBerry 9800 using Tapatalk

I think because there's so much pressure on midwives and nurses to promote breastfeeding exclusively, I'm not expecting too much support in that area. I already know they will disapprove of me going back to work so early but they'll have to accept it and support me in doing the best for bubs in my own way.
I went to the library today and picked up a few books, first one I started to read today is really capturing my attention. It's Tracy Hogg's Breastfeeding (she's the Baby Whisperer one) and it's really making sense to me. I'll let you know how I get on with the rest of the book, it's only a little guidebook, I have her big book for later on xx

I have had lots of support from both the midwives and health visitor around combination feeding. They basically have said to do whatever works for you and as long as baby is happy and putting in weight then they will support your decision x

 

[jennilisanne]

I didn't carry on breastfeeding when I went back to work as I was lucky enough to have 9 months off. But it shouldn't be a problem. Invest in a good pump (I think people say the Medela Swing is great) and pump at regular intervals. Get bottles that are best suited for combination feeding (we have Tommy Tippee, they're pretty flat) and hopefully baby won't have a problem.

I'm a teacher hon, I don't get regular intervals!

I have the full Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature range xx

Ah, didn't see that! Hope you find a way to sort it, sure you will!

 

[leesey]

Kirsty that's brilliant to hear it from someone whom it's working for. If I do the E.A.S.Y. routine from Tracy Hogg I'll be looking at roughly 3 hours at a time, so if I express at lunchtime it shouldn't be too bad trying to keep the milk up. I might only be able to express once to compensate for 2 feeds but it will still be roughly the 3/4 hours.

Thanks for everyone's advice, feeling more confident about this now xx