Going back to work

[Nicky_Jones]

I will be going back to work from the 8th January next year. I will be working 4 days per week and my LO will be in nursery between 8am and 17:30 - 180 for those 4 days. She will be 5months then and I am BF at the moment. I am starting to worry about expressing off enough milk etc for when she starts at the nursery.

How much (volume wise) am I likely to need for the first day? When are good times to build up the stock - e.g. express of after her first feed what I can and freeze that?

I have no real idea how much she takes at the moment. Is it realistic to be able to express enough during the day at work for the following day in nursery? Any advice will be appreciated.

 

[Lucy]

Hi Nicky

Here's a link about storing ebm: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkstorage.html

It's hard to say how much milk your little one will need when she's 5 months old, some breastfed babies don't take very much from the bottle but like to wait until they are with their mum again! I know alot of formula fed babies at 5 months old can take a fair bit of formula from the bottle but whenever Olivia has a bottle the maximum she will take is 4 ozs. I would just try and build up a store of frozen milk in 4oz and 2oz portions. When to express? If you regularly express at the same time of day your body will think it's your baby feeding and will produce more milk which will enable you to do the expressing but still have plenty for her now. Or, how about doing an expressing session after she goes to bed?

Not sure if I've helped but good luck

Lucy