[lucky 2]

Hi all ,

I thought I'd open a thread for members to share their experience of managing exclusive bfing and returning to work.
There can be many concerns when women look ahead to this separation, how will bub cope, how will I cope, can I express, should I use formula, what if bub wont take a bottle, on and on it goes, it can be a very stressful time for many (if not most) women.
This is so for all women irrespective of feeding method, but for the mother of an exclusively bf bub there is the added fear of "how to feed my baby" as bub has only had milk directly from the breast.
These concerns can remain even if bub has commenced solids.

If you would like to share I can pin this topic at a later date so members approaching this challenging time will be able to read through the experiences of women who have already successfully negotiated this path.

Information you might like to include:-

Number of working days per week-

Age of baby on return to work-

Baby's diet- ie exclusively bf
- bf with introduction of solids- no of meals and size of meals

Any preparation before starting work?

How was baby fed in your absence?

How did you manage your breasts at work? ie expressing or not, what type of pump, once or more a day

Any impact on bfing, supply and managing bfing when not at work?

If you want to add extra information please do so, I may have missed some important bits of information to share.

Thanking you in advance ,

luckytwo, Moderator of this forum


I have pinned this thread, please add to it with your experiences as I'm sure it will make interesting reading for other members.

Internet resources for Breast feeding and Working-
https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bf-info/br...till-breastfeed
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bf-links-pumping.html
http://breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/return-to-work.html
http://www.tresillian.net/tresillian-tips/...ng-to-work.html
http://www.breastfeedingfriendly.com.au/

This post has been edited by lucky 2: 25/09/2012, 10:01 PM

[IVL]

More than happy to reply to this as I asked these questions when returning to work with my DD.

Number of working days per week-
5, very full time

Age of baby on return to work-
10 months (DH stayed at home with her for 2 months then we did a comination of daycare, grandma and a nanny).

Baby's diet- ie exclusively bf
- bf with introduction of solids- no of meals and size of meals
DD was eating solids very well by this age, mostly finger foods

Any preparation before starting work?
Tried to express and stock pile some EBM but this was difficult as I couldn't express large amounts and DD did not like to drink EBM.

How was baby fed in your absence?
Solids and water. DD would not drink from a bottle but was quite happy with a straw cup, I think the Pigeon MagMag from memory. She would drink cows milk or water as she refused EBM and formula.

How did you manage your breasts at work? ie expressing or not, what type of pump, once or more a day
First few days I was qute uncomfortable and hand expressed when it got too much. I was very ready for a feed come home time as was DD. Mondays I was also quite uncomfortable for the first weeks after allowing DD to demand feed on weekends, but after a while my breasts seemed to adjust to not only the time of day but also to what day of the week it wasand whether I was working or home with DD (aren't breasts clever!)

Any impact on bfing, supply and managing bfing when not at work?
We carried on as usual and demand fed when I was at home on weekends, by about 12 months DD was having 3 feeds a day and whenever she woke at night. We then went to a morning and bedtime feed and I weaned her when I went away on a business trip at 18 motnhs (I had attempted to do this when she younger, about 13 months and she was fine whilst I was away but she got quite frantic when I returned so I gave in). Second time around she never asked or indicated she wanted the breast again when I returned.

[lucky 2]

Excellent IVL, thanks!

[=R2=]

This was with DD2 nearly 3 years ago now but here goes:

Number of working days per week 2

Age of baby on return to work 11 months

Baby's diet Solids 3x a day, water in sippy cup and breastfed/EBM 3 times a day

Any preparation before starting work Bought a breastpump and started storing EBM from about 6 months of age.

How was baby fed in your absence? EBM in a bottle + solids + water in a sippy cup

How did you manage your breasts at work? Expressed twice per shift with my Medela Pump In Style Double Pump (only took 10 minutes at a time). I did night shifts so my breasts were full when I got home ready for the first morning feed.

Any impact on bfing, supply and managing bfing when not at work? No. She self-weaned.

[papilio]

For those wanting information on expressing, I have a huge word doc 30+ pages, full of tips and hints on expressing. If you'd like me to send it to you, please PM me your email address.

Candi

[wallofdodo]

Baby was 7 months when I returned.

4 days a week

He had started solids, 3 meals a day. Was almost fully Breast fed, had previously had formula top ups, but this had stopped with the introduction of solids.

During the day he had two bottles of formula, and meals. BF on return home, over night and morning before work.

I had a room where I could express. I replaced the two feeds with pumping. I kept this up for 2 weeks until my boobs adjusted.

My original plan was to drop the 2 bottles for the 3 days I was home and feed, however this didn't really work. On the first day I felt he wasn't getting enough milk, then by the Monday, I was fully supplied and incredibly uncomfortable at work. So in the end I kept the 2 bottles pattern up when I was home.

My supply was fine and adjusted quite well to the pattern, we continued to feed until the week of his first birthdays. He weaned himself, slowly dropping a feed at a time.

First he wasn't interested in the evening feed, then he stopped waking overnight, then in the morning he was more interested in his wheatbix than me!

I was quite happy with how it all panned out.

[Hunca Munca]

Number of working days per week 3 days per week, leave the house at 7am and get home around 5pm. Bub is at home with DH.

Age of baby on return to work 8 months

Baby's diet Breastfeeding 5-6 times a day (inc. 1-2 at night) and BLW. Some days he eats a lot of solids, others very little.

Any preparation before starting work? About 1 month before returning to work I started expressing a small amount (30ml) once per day and freezing it. This helped me know that I could express, and also built up a stock of milk for my first day back. I also went to an ABA Breatsfeeding and Return to Work session. We also made sure bub was able to drink water from a sippy cup

How was baby fed in your absence? Mainly on solids and water. He won't take milk from a bottle (so wouldn't have taken formula either) and so far we've had no luck with cups etc. either. A little EBM on his breakfast cereal is about all we've managed. I was very anxious about it at first, but he's been fine not having milk during the day so now I'm less worried. Although I do hope we'll get to use all the EBM I'm freezing!

How did you manage your breasts at work? ie expressing or not, what type of pump, once or more a day Expressing using a double electric pump (Ameda Purely Yours - I tried hand pumps but could barely get any milk out). I started out pumping twice a day, as that was the number of feeds bub was missing. Bub would feed at around 5-6am at home, I pumped at around 10 then around 2, then fed bub again when I got home at 5pm. But I've now found that if I pump once at work (around 11:30) I can get the same amount of milk as pumping twice. It takes me around 30 minutes to pump 400 ml (200 ml from each side) compared to 20 minutes from two sessions, but I save time in the preparation and clean-up afterwards. I use a dual-pumping bustier which holds the pump in place and also provides compression which helps to increase the milk output. I find if I pump on a higher suction level (just under discomfort level) I can get more milk.

Any impact on bfing, supply and managing bfing when not at work? I've only been back two weeks but I've not found any issues with my supply or managing breastfeeding when not at work. Some nights bub will wake more often for a feed, other nights he's actually sleeping better! I have noticed that he spends more time comfort sucking though, but that's OK - more cuddles for me!

I'll come back and add more if I think of anything else!

ETA:
- When I get home from work bub is very keen on a feed - sucking my shoulder when I pick him up and trying to latch on through my clothes when we sit down together. My supply and storage capacity is large, so in the past he's usually only ever wanted one side per feed, but the first feed when I get home he wants both sides.
- I usually feed bub to sleep, so was a little concerned about DH getting him to sleep, but there have been no problems. DH just cuddles him for about 5 minutes in a dark room with the sleepy music playing, then puts him in his bed and he falls asleep quite quickly.
- I'd say that bub is probably starting to want 1 extra feed per day on the days when I'm home. I haven't noticed this causing engorgement problems at work yet, but I wear breast pads just in case
- To help my let down when expressing I have some pictures of bub, especially ones where he's feeding, and an item of clothing that he's worn recently so it smells like him

This post has been edited by Susil: 25/01/2011, 10:47 AM

[lucky 2]

Thank you all for your responses, it shows we all manage somehow!
Keep them coming!

[deejie]

Good idea Luckytwo! I'm happy to share my experience because DS was tricky in several ways.....

Number of working days per week-2

Age of baby on return to work-6.5m

Baby's diet- 2 solid meals a day (baby lead weaning). Allergies to cow's milk protein, egg, oats and mild allergies to wheat/soy diagnosed at 6m of age. Breastfed, refuses the bottle & refused prescription elemental formula (nasty, horrid smelly stuff!) Re-tested at 12m and got the all clear for wheat/soy but had developed allergy to sesame.

Any preparation before starting work? I started expressing 3 times a day for a month in advance to build up an enormous freezer stash of EBM. Tried in desperation for him to take the bottle, every trick in the book. Fail fail fail. I had a preparation chat with the centre co-ordinator about how to handle a baby who required feeding through the day with EBM only who refused a bottle which was very reassuring.

How was baby fed in your absence? I would BF DS when I dropped him off at 8am. I provided childcare with EBM in 50mL lots which they stored in their freezer. They would spoon feed, use an open cup or syringe it in to DS outside of solid meal times. I was happy for them to mix EBM through purees and forgo the BLW at childcare, because this was the best way to ensure he had large volumes of milk. Eating with a spoon at child care had no effect on our BLW at home. I would BF him when I picked him up at 5pm.

How did you manage your breasts at work?
I expressed at my normal feed times with an Avent electric pump (single sided), which was quick for me because DS refused my left side from about 5m of age so by the time I started work there was nothing on the left to pump anyway! I've always been a terrible expresser volume wise. By 11m of age I was expressing 20-30mL a session and my freezer stash was gone, so from then on he went to child care just with solids and water.

Any impact on bfing, supply and managing bfing when not at work?
Because I was a terrible expresser, I always felt "full" on work days. DS would often want an extra feed overnight on work days as well. Overall, I noticed no decrease in supply and he is still feeding happily 2-3 times a day at 19m.

[louise3now4]

Number of working days per week-

2.5, 2 one week, 3 the next alternating.
Age of baby on return to work-
11.5 months until 19 months

Baby's diet- ie exclusively bf
- bf with introduction of solids- no of meals and size of meals

bf with limited solids, but breast milk was the primary food source for her, feeding at least 6-8 times during the day and night. She was not having any cows milk at that stage, as she didn't like it.
Any preparation before starting work?
Nothing. I could get 240ml from one breast without even trying.

How was baby fed in your absence?
Given two - three expressed bottles of milk during the day by my mother. Fed by me just before departing in the morning, and then practically as I was walking back through the door at night.
How did you manage your breasts at work? ie expressing or not, what type of pump, once or more a day
I took a pump and freezer bag to work. They provided me with a quiet room with a lock on the door and a computer to surf on whilst I was pumping and I left my milk in the fridge at work without any comments or jokes being made. The expressed milk I took home and froze for the next day or week.
Any impact on bfing, supply and managing bfing when not at work?

None whatsoever. She continued feeding after I left work when she was 19 months and actually still fed until she was 4 years and 11 months.