Author Topic: Going back to work..I need a plan.  (Read 1111 times)

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Offline Miamamma

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Going back to work..I need a plan.
« on: June 02, 2014, 19:54:13 pm »
I go back to work part time in just over two weeks and am in a flap over how to manage the milk situation. I hope someone here can help please?
DS currently bf 4-5 times a day and twice at night. I suspect he has a dairy allergy / intolerance (got appointment at allergy clinic on the 9th June to find out what's going on). So rather than worry about which formula to give him, I thought I would try to express milk for him to have when I am at work.
Thing is, I haven't got a clue where to start with expressing as I only did it a few times with DD. Should I start doing it daily now and freezing it? What time of the day should I express? How much should I allow for a feed? I don't want exploding boobs at work, so should I express when I am there? I'm only working two days a week but don't want him to be hungry and crying whilst I am there.
DS is 9 months old. Unfortunately I don't think he is ready to drop a feed yet (which is what DD did, but then she was nearly 12 months old when I went back last time). Can anyone offer any advice please? Thank you


Offline *Ali*

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Re: Going back to work..I need a plan.
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2014, 20:42:30 pm »
Does he take expressed milk from a bottle (or cup) at all now or will that be something new?

I would definitely start expressing now if you can so you have a little stash to take the pressure off when you go back to work.

Ideally you would pump at his regular feed times when you are away from him. So if you miss two feeds while at work you would pump twice at those times when at work. Btw your employer is obliged by law to provide you with time and a place to express as well as somewhere to store your milk. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/breastfeeding-back-to-work.aspx#close

There is some great info here on working out how much milk he will need.
http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/
It will depend on how much solid food he is eating but if you think he takes about 30oz of milk in 24hrs and you are giving 6-7 feeds then he will probably need about 4.5-5oz a feed. Not all feeds need to be the same though so if he has bigger feeds at morning wake up and BT you may find he can make do with a little less at the daytime feeds if he either won't take much from the bottle/cup or you are struggling to pump that volume. You may also find he starts taking bigger feeds at night although I'm guessing that would be less than ideal.
Cadan Dec 2009 and Colby Aug 2011


Offline Miamamma

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Re: Going back to work..I need a plan.
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2014, 13:47:15 pm »
Thanks Ali. I will start pumping. At what point during the day would it be best to pump? The most convenient would be once the kids are in bed, but not sure how much I would get then as DS would have just fed....
He hasn't ever taken expressed breast milk, only water from a sippy cup and doidy cup. Hopefully he will take the breast milk this way too.


Offline *Ali*

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Re: Going back to work..I need a plan.
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2014, 14:03:34 pm »
Supply is generally lower in the evening so you might get less then but it really depends what suits you. Maybe try then and of it isn't working out perhaps after the morning feed would work.
Cadan Dec 2009 and Colby Aug 2011