to pump or not to pump over 2.5 month holiday

[oliversmommy]

Hello!  Currently I am working full-time and pumping 3x/day and nursing 2x/day my almost 8 mo old DS.  He receives 2 bottles during the day - one is 8 oz EBM and one is 4 oz EBM and 4 oz formula (in separate bottles).  I have to supplement w/ formula b/c I can't pump enough to give him BM exclusively.  In about 2 weeks I will be off work for about 2 1/2 months.  I can't decide if I should continue to supplement with the 4 oz of formula (and pump after that feeding session) or if I should return to nursing exclusively.  Obviously I'd rather give him only BM; however are there any advantages to continuing with the formula that I don't foresee?  Also, should I continue to give him a bottle a couple of times a week so he still takes one when I need him to?  I'm a FTM so I'm having trouble looking into his future to see what will work best . . . also he'll be 10.5 mos old when I return to work - I'm hoping to still be nursing at that time (and I guess going back to pumping during the day). . .

TIA for your help! 

[Fiver]

I think if you're going to be returning to pumping when you return to work that it would be best if you continued to pump at some point during the day.  I know when I've had breaks from pumping (not that I ever did it much and don't now) that it's been difficult for me, if not my body, to adjust to pumping again.

As for the formula supplement, I'm not sure.  If you think you're still going to need to give it when you go back to work, it might be worth keeping it just so you're not potentially in a situation where DS has gone off the taste in the 2.5m you're off.

[Erin M]

I'd definitely keep giving the bottle so he won't forget how to take it.  As for the formula, do you think you'll be able to build up enough of a stash over the next 2.5 months do you won't need it?

[oliversmommy]

Amanda and Erin,
Thanks for your responses!  You've brought up some good points - I never even thought about DS refusing formula after being off it for a while - I'm so glad I posted!   I think I am going to continue w/ the pumping and formula supplementing while I am off work, just to be on the safe side.  Erin - I would like to think that I could pump and store enough to not need to supplement when I go back to work, but to be honest I don't think I could pump that much no matter how hard I tried, and I'd hate to not have enough and have to add formula back in.  However I'll try to build up as much of a stash as I can, and then I can always stop supplementing whenever I feel I have enough to get me through til DS turns one.

Thanks for your help ladies!

[Erin M]

Yes, it's tough to build up that stash!  Good luck!