Going back to work – advice appreciated on feeding!

[julia.north]

Hi everyone,

So I will be going back to work (fulltime) in about a month and I was wondering if you have any advice or tips concerning my routine and how to adjust it well.
My LO is 7 months old and will be 8months when I go to work. He will stay with his dad, they get along really well, he will be a stay-at-home daddy, which makes me feel very blessed and happy. As he has been very much involved with our LO over the last months, neither feeding nor putting him to sleep is any issue.

I am wondering about food though.
So I have been BFing and giving solids. I intend to keep on BFing in the mornings and evenings. But now I am wondering what to do with the other two breast feeds – supplement with formula, or more solids, or pumped milk? What do you think? I also do not know whether I will be able to pump enough to sustain my milk supply, or whether I will find the time to pump in the office. I already built up a supply in the freezer which should last about a month, but I just want to make sure all goes well. So if you could look at our routine, and maybe share some thoughts – is the routine appropriate for his age? What do you think about the food? Thank you ladies! (and gents ☺) I appreciate any input.

So here is our routine, more or less… I am wondering what to do about the two BFs at 10:30 and 02:30.

Wake: 5:45 am
E: 06:00 am (BF), followed by breakfast cereal
A: about 2 hours to 25, hours
S: around 08:30, about 40min.
E: 10:30 am (BF), followed by lunch at 11:30 (pureed meat with potatoes and carrots usually, or something similar – eats about 15 tablespoons)
A: around 2-2,5 hours
S: 12:00, lunchtime nap for about 2 hours, sometimes wakes up half way, but usually resettles quick and easy if we put in the paci.
E: 2:30pm, BF
A: 3h – sometimes 4,5 hours, depends
S: catnap at around 4:30pm, but sometimes drops it
E: 6pm dinner (vegetarian + pureed banana for dessert)
6:30pm: BF
S: 7pm bedtime, sometimes 7:30pm.

Dreamfeed at 10:30pm (takes a whole bottle)
Then sleeps through the night until 05:45 am.

He get’s about a total of 13-14 hours of sleep in 24hrs..
His early morning wakings are due to the light room. I am working on making it darker, but it is a bit complicated for architectural reasons (he used to sleep until 7 am at my parents house where it is pitch dark at night).

What do you think?


 

[creations]

I intend to keep on BFing in the mornings and evenings. But now I am wondering what to do with the other two breast feeds – supplement with formula, or more solids, or pumped milk? What do you think?

At 8 months old, when you return to work LO will need those 2 milk feeds mid morning and mid afternoon. It really is your personal choice as to whether this is pumped breast milk or formula but he will need one or the other.  it may come down to whether you are able to express enough for the 2 feeds or prefer not to express or mix feed with some breast milk and a formula top up.
LO is not going to be ready to give up those 2 feeds until more like 10 -12 months, it depends on the individual LO if it ends up being closer to 12 months or a bit before 11 months.  Milk remains the primary food until 12 months although obviously in the last couple of months there is going to be a gradual move towards that, it doesn't all change overnight.

I also do not know whether I will be able to pump enough to sustain my milk supply, or whether I will find the time to pump in the office.

Can you speak with your employer and find out what your rights are?  In some countries women have the right to a private room to express milk (not a toilet) and (I believe) the time needed to express and a fridge to store the milk.  It would be worth looking into for your country (another thread might answer this or look up the legal side on line).
What I'm saying is, I think you will be able to *choose* to express or not to rather than not having the option due to work.

Your E times look fine. The only thing I'd mention is that LOs often take dinner better if it is earlier.  The way the routine stands you could do dinner at 3.30/4pm then perhaps LO can join you at the table for the later evening meal but just have a nibble on something, so it's not vital to get a full meal in at that time.  However if your LO seems happy with a 6pm dinner then that's fine.

Most LOs this age would be on 2 naps now, you might want to consider a tweak to times to get the first nap a bit longer and drop the CN altogether (please post on naps or EASY if you'd like support with this).

Now would be an ideal time to introduce finger foods rather than all puree.  LOs can chew and gum away on all sorts of food including meat and fish even without teeth.  There are great benefits to LO self feeding finger foods including fine motor skill and language development.  From now and certainly over the coming months LO can eat the same food you do (adapt cooking if necessary to make finger sized batons rather than diced veg, no salt or honey, no whole nuts) rather than pureed meals.

hope this helps

[julia.north]

Thank you so much!

Moving dinner earlier is a good idea, we actually struggle with it every once in a while, now I realize it might be because it is too late.

Thank you also for the finger food suggestion! I didn't really dare to start this yet, but will go for it now.

And in terms of the milk feeds... it will probably end up being formula. I did a pumping test run and can barely get enough. But maybe it will be enough for one of the two feeds...

Merci!

[michaeljacknnugg]

At around this age I moved my first lo onto formula in a cup for the feeds you mention. It worked really well and I'm going to try it again with this baby. Milk feeds then became 'snack plus milk in a cup' if that makes any sense? So still milk as nutrition but that more grown up feeling of sitting with a snack and drink for lo.

I'm not going to pump at all. I will be aiming towards stopping bf some time around 12 months so dropping feeds gradually is a gentle transition that I think we will both need.

[julia.north]

This is also a good idea - thank you!

Yes I was also thinking of quitting breastfeeding at around 12 months.