Maintaining supply when not expressing at work?

[Mamastalawatt]

Hi,

I always set myself a goal of breasfeeding my DS until he was 6 months old minimum and will have achieved that goal in 1 week   

However, now I have reached that, I don't want to give up.  The problem I have is that he has just started nursery (2 mornings a week) in preparation for me going back to work 3 days per week in September.  When I go back to work it will be virtually impossible (due to my job) to express twice a day. 

My question is, if I don't express at work 3 days a week, will I then be able to breastfeed normally on the other 4 days?  Am I then likely to have problems with engorgement at work?  (I'm having nightmare visions of severe leaks...)

I will definitely continue to breastfeed first thing in the morning and after work, but I'd appreciate anyone's advice, experiences etc.

Thanks

Mama
xxx

[RachelC]

I am sorry I do not have an answer for you, so I am bumping this one up for more exposure

[Petunia]

My question is, if I don't express at work 3 days a week, will I then be able to breastfeed normally on the other 4 days?  Am I then likely to have problems with engorgement at work?  (I'm having nightmare visions of severe leaks...)

That is a really good question!  At first I thought, "I have no idea!"  But then I thought some more.  Your situation is different than I originally thought because your little one is older.  By September your little one will be 8 months old!  He should have quite a bit of solids in his diet by then and will be down to only 3-4 breastfeeds a day.  The days you are at work you could feed in the morning, when you get home from work, and in the evening after work.  Maybe you could keep this same pattern on the days you're not working and therefore prevent engorgement while at work.  Your breasts will know not to make milk during that time.  Is this making sense?

Here is some information about breastfeeding when the mother is returning to work (full-time) after the baby is six months old:

Myth 3. Babies need to drink milk when the mother is not at home.
Not true. Three or four good nursings during a 24 hour period plus a variety of solid foods gives the baby all he needs nutritionally, and thus he does not need any other type of milk when you are at your outside job. Of course, solid foods can be mixed with expressed milk or other milk, but this is not necessary.
(Here's the link: http://www.kellymom.com/newman/17feed_baby_working_moms.html)

Congratulations on having made it this far!  I know you can keep it up if you just get a little creative.

[jennyb133]

I returned to work when my DS just turned 4 months old.  I am a nurse & I work part-time since I returned to work. However, part-time at the hospital is 2 days a week of 12 1/2 shifts!  7am - 7:30pm.   When I first went back, I had no choice but to pump twice per shift. I was def. engorged & wore nursing pads in my bra.  Also kept an extra scrub top in my locker in case of leaks, but never had to use it! I would pump once in the morn. around 11, & once in the late afternoon around 3 or 4.  This is back when my DS had 6 milk feeds per day & was just starting solids.  I fed him once in the am before work,  was able to pump 2 bottles each time, so I had 4 bottles pumped, then I came home & fed him before bed at 8pm.  We have a wing in the hospital that is not used much anymore & I use one of the offices to pump- it has it's own bathroom & is very private.  It was very hard trying to leave my busy unit to pump, but was co-workers were very understanding & covered my patients till I was done. It took me 20-30mins. each time.  What type of work do you do?

He's 7 months now & naturally weaning b/c of the amount of solids he's taking now.  He has 4 milk feeds per day.  I don't feed him in the early am anymore before work b/c he doesn't get up until 7am.  I only have to pump once now at work & don't feel extremely engorged anymore. I pump around 2 pm.  I was able to get 3 bottles pumped right uptil the past few weeks. And would feed him his 4th when I got home.  The bottles I pumped I kept in a lunch cooler in our nurses lounge refrigerator then I would put them in breast milk storage bags & freeze when I got home.  I would take them out of the freezer & put in the fridge the night before I had to work. And he would have the perfect amount of pumped milk!  I would always BF on my days off to keep up my supply though, since pumping alone won't do it & it's supply & demand.

The problem I have now is, my milk is starting to dry up on it's own. I want to keep BF till my baby is 1 yr.  When I pump now, I only get 2 bottles at work & sometimes I can make the whole shift without pumping!  Then I pump the 2 bottles when I get home.  I've been having to supplement with formula on the days I work now since I don't have enough pumped milk for the day. Luckily the baby took to it ok.  I told my doc my concern of not having enough milk & he told me to pump each time after I BF to keep up my supply even if it's only a few ounces & eventually I'll start making more again.

Good luck, let me know if you have any questions.  How many milk feeds/ day does your LO take now that he's 6 months?  If you can't pump twice at work, maybe you could pump all you need once at work?  What are your hours? Can you feed your baby before & after work?  If so, you may not need to pump at all?  Or you can pump after you BF on your days off too to keep a supply in the freezer.  You definately can BF normally on your days off. That's what I did & I kept my supply very well until recently.

Hope I helped.

Jenny

[Mamastalawatt]

Thank you so much ladies!  You are really helping me to try and figure a way through.

I work as a special needs teacher (with children with emotional and behavioural disorders) which means I start at 9am and finish at 4pm and I have to supervise over lunchtime.  I won't be able to leave classes and I can't guarantee even a quick break at lunchtime.

DS is now on a 4 hour routine which will look like this (on work days):

 7.00am  Wake & BF
 7.30am  Dress
 8.30am  Go to nursery / breakfast (not yet introduced)
 9.00am  Nap
11.00am Bottle
12.00pm Lunch
 1.00pm  Nap
 3.00pm  Bottle
 4.00pm  Home / Tea
 4.45pm  Pick Daddy up from work
 5.00pm  Time with Daddy
 6.00pm  Bath / massage
 6.45pm  Bottle  (I'd like to be able to BF instead here)
7.00pm   Bed

If I feel particularly full or engorged, I can usually pump a maximum of about 4oz per breast but it takes me about 20 - 30mins.  DS takes about 7ozs each feed now(when he's had bottles) and I just don't think I can provide two large bottles a day (ie 6 per week).  I already struggle to find time to pump due to keeping up with housework, taking my DH to and from work, etc.  When I go back to work I will also have to bring some work home, which will just add to the pressure.

People (including my HV) keep saying to me that if I feed him in the morning and before bed then give him two bottles of formula for work days, he'll still be getting the benefits of breast milk.  Sometimes I think they're right, but other times I just feel guilty and an immense pressure to continue to breastfeed and provide EBM.  It's really quite getting me down and I just feel so torn

Anyway,  I appreciate your thoughts on this - thanks for taking the time to respond.

Mama

[jbepko]

I included a link about how much a baby really needs while separated from mom- he may be getting more than he needs.
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkstorage.html
Previous poster was right on about LO's milk needs at 8 months. There's a big difference between 6 and 9 months!
The golden rule to working and BF moms is feed right as you are leaving and as soon as you get back to LO. So you might work eliminating 3:00 bottle and plan on nursing at 4:00 and then again before bedtime. That would leave one nursing needing a bottle (11:00). If you can't pump at work- pump before LO wakes in morning and before you go to bed. And pump on days you aren't working.
I just took my LO from 3 bottles of EBM during day to 2 (he's 10.5 months old) and I could have done it alot sooner.