Returning To Work

[Trina]

Hi

I'm doing a swap with my hubby in a couple of weeks and while he stays home and looks after our little boy (4 months old) I'm going back to work. I could do with some advice on breast feeding whilst working.

I figure I could BF in the morning before going to work, he can have EBM for morning tea, (I've started building a supply of frozen breast milk), and was going to use Formula for his lunch time feed. I should be home to give him his afternoon feed, he can have Formula for dinner (I can express) and then I feed him before he goes to bed.

Has anyone had a problem mixing Breast feeding with formula feeds? I've already tried him on Formula and although he doesn't like it much, he takes it when he's hungry.... Should I try him on this schedule before I go back or just keep BF him as much as I can for then next two weeks?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[mamafelix]

Hiya Trina

I went back to Uni 3 days a week when Felix was about 7 months- so a bit older than your bub, but he was exclusively breastfed until he was 10 months so maybe not too different.
My partner found that Felix tended to not feed as much while I was away, he would wait until I came back and then feed like crazy ( a big relief for my poor swollen boobs) He would also feed heaps during the night after I had been away all day. I was away for about 8 hours. I used to leave about 400ml of EBM but quite often there would be some left when I got back. Eventually we stopped giving the EBM but he had started eating some solids by then ( at about 10 months).

Are you going back fulltime straight away? That might be pretty hard... could you ease yourself into it a bit more? I would breastfeed as long as you can...

[Valla]

Hi ladies,

Sorry to go off the topic a bit - but I've moved to Australia last January and feel ready to return to work now. My baby boy is turning 1 next month. It seems most long day care only take children from 2 years? I would really appreciate any advice..

[jakobsmum]

Hi Trina,
I went back to work part time when Jakob was 6 1/2 months. I found it tiring to express after about 3 weeks. I then fed him formula while I was away as he was losing weight :( He eventually grew disinterested in the boob and he was fully weaned off the boob by about 8 months? All the best :)

[Trina]

Hi

Thanks for all the responses - please keep them coming.

Mamafelix - yes, I am going back full time straight away, althought I will probably have reasonably light days at work. If I can find an appropriate place I should be able to express. I'll be away from Adam 7 - 8 hours each day. I'm not to keen to wean him yet would like to BF until he is at lease 6 months old, at least part of the time. I guess time will tell.

[Eleni's Mum]

HI,

Just a tip, if you want to continue breast feeding when you're home of a night and weekends you will probably need to express while at work (during normal feed times) or your supply tends to lessen. That whole supply and demand deal where your body will produce what it needs to.

J.

[Gemma]

Hi Valla,

? long day care. Most daycare centers start at 6-7am - 6pm, starting with bubs from 6wks old. Would you require care outside thoes hours? If so you may be able to get extended hours using family daycare, where you drop kids off at another mum's house who looks after no more than 4 kids at a time.

Otherwise, daycare centers affiliated with hospitals have the best part of 24hr daycare to facilitate nurses shiftwork...however these are very difficult to get into, usually 2yr waiting list.

Check out bubhub's main site under daycare as they have info for each state, what is available and contact no's. (link is http://www.qld.bubhub.com.au/qldchildcare.htm)

HTH.

[xkwzit]

Hi Trina
I too am heading back to work in the next few weeks after baby 2 (now 5 mths). I also did the same thing with baby 1 when she was about 7 mths old. I had started to swap some breast feeds for formula at about that time too and had no trouble with her accepting formula. A lactation consultant advised me that I needed to express at work around the time I'd normally feed the baby if I wanted to maintain my supply. Don't worry if you don't get much volume, its more to remind your breasts that they should be doing something at that time (I got hardly anything the first time I did this at work :( , but got better) :) . Other tips I have are:
Get a breast pump that only requires one hand (a handle to squeeze rather than the piston-type action that requires both hands). This is really important.
Take your breast pump to work in a little cooler bag with an ice brick. You can easily carry it to where-ever you want to express and it will keep just fine in the bag. That way you don't have to store it in the fridge and you don't risk forgetting it, or worse, someone using it in their coffee :eek: (it never happened to me - but I have heard of it!)
Hiring an electric breast pump is a great way to build up the freezer supplies. If you are an Australian Breastfeeding *** member, you can hire one for only about $10 a week.

Hope this helps.

ps Valla, by long day care do you mean normal 7am - 6 pm? If so, there are certainly centres that take young babies (from 6 weeks old), you just have to shop around. I think that the government can help you. A friend of mine rang the relevant department, told them her requirements and where she lived and they sent her a list of centres in her area that suited her requirements. Best of luck

[Trina]

Hi Valla

Regarding childcare... start ringing around now and put your name on as many waiting lists as possible. There are places that take babies under 15 months but they can only have 8 babies due to gov regulations. I started putting my name down when I first found out I was pregnant looking for full time care for 2005. A couple of places told me then I had little or no chance. At one place I am 50th on their waiting list! You may have more luck with Family Day Care (depending on where you live). You can find their number in the phone book.

Good luck.