Back to work and expressing breast milk

[Ruth_Baldock]

Good morning all,

A few days ago, my super lovely boss offered me my former job back, from September. I was previously on a temporary contract and when I was 34 weeks pregnant I left the company as I wasn't eligible for Mat. leave. However, my replacement didn't work out, and the company want me back. Hurrah! It was a lovely company to work for and my boss was The Nicest Manager In The World (Seriously, when I left i cried for days because I KNEW I'd never work for anyone as nice as him...) I was doing my PhD, and working, which was really tough and after a LOT of thinking it through and talking to soon-to-be DH, I've decided to leave my PhD program, and work so that I can 1) Afford to buy a bigger place with DH in the next year or so and 2) Be able to have another baby in the next 2 years and be 'protected' in terms of my job and income.

It's only 20 hours a week, 9am-1pm Monday-Friday and by the time I go back Baby Baldock will be about 9 months old. He's still mix fed and breastfeeds around 4-5 times a day but I am assuming this should decrease when he's older, right- what with solids and all? Between 9-1 at the moment, he probably nurses twice- but once is just for comfort really.

Has anyone here gone back to work and expressed milk in the day? How did it work out for you? Was it awkward when broaching the subject with your employers? Since having the novo-virus, I've had problems expressing anything at all, although I know I DO have an okay supply now. Hmm. Tricky.

[Pickle]

Great news!

I would say that by then you'll probably only be feeding a few times a day (both of mine were down to feeds early morning, early afternoon and bedtime by that stage), so those hours will be easy to do without having to worry about expressing at all. It should be pretty easy to gently adjust his feeds when you get nearer to the time so that it works out for you with no stress at all.

P x

[alieh]

Hi Ruth, I went back 4 days/week when my Sebastian was 10.5 months. He was down to 3 feeds/day by that point. I found it no problem to express once a day at work (wouldn't have wanted to have to do it more than once though). I only had to do this for a couple of months as he started having cow's milk for the middle of the days feeds from 12 months (still BF morning and bedtime for a few months longer).

[EmilyE]

I don't think it'll be a problem. he prob won't be feeding in the morning much beyond 9 months, esp if that doesn't really suit you, and expressing at work shouldn't be difficult, if that's what you want to do. I was always working somewhere different, and would express in the loos. It's pretty grim doing that, but perfectly workable. I never mentioned it to any of my employers. And I think both mine were just morning and evening by 10 months-ish.

Good luck.

[GinaG3]

I have not had this problem as of yet, but surely if you talk to your employer about it they should try and facilitate for you where possible a clean, hygienic and comfortable place for you to express your milk in private. Your manager sounds nice though so should be happy to help as much as he can. I hope it works out for you.

[Fuschia]

I went back to work (2 long days) when my twisn were 7m and I did need to express twice, otherwise I would have exploded.

They took one or two feeds while I was away I needed to give the minder a total of 20z.. so 10z would be fine for a single baby but for a 9m old for half a day, one feed would be enough.

I used to express at my desk (office full of women) and we just locked the door, but I have heard of womn using a first aid room. It is a legal right.

You might find you don't need to express at all.. it's partly for your benefit, partly for theirs!

[trinity]

I went back to work full time when my lo was 8 months old. Expressing at work was no problem even though I was a contractor. I was given a first aid room and used a fridge in that room to store the milk.

My baby was perfectly happy with a feed first thing in the morning and one when I got home. Over the weekends she would have more feeds but my supply always seemed to cope well with the changing demands

[sunbob]

I started work 2 weeks ago and have been expressing once a day. It's a busy office and rooms are in short supply, so the first thing I did when I got back was to go through my outlook diary and book a meeting room at 11am (or similar) every Thurs and Fri for the next month.

[Fuschia]

If you drive in, you could express in the car ... with an adaptor if necessary

[The Nappy Lady]

With no. 1 I returned to work at 9 months full time 5 days a week and she was fine with water from a beaker in the day, and a breast feed first thing then freely from 6pm til bedtime and at weekends. She would never take a bottle.

I was pretty 'full' by the end of the day and glad to feed her but never needed to express, would be surprised if you need to given the hours you will be doing. Great too that he is mixed feeding, should make it very easy.

Molly

x

[Ruth_Baldock]

Fuscia, I COULD try to express on the way in...except I work in Holborn and I'm sure it would cause some raised eyebrows on the 171. Or maybe no-one would notice?

Lovely boss has offered me the first aid room whenever I need it, says I'll have a key and everything *feels very important*

Thanks for your input everyone!

[Yorkie]

Hi Ruth,

I've just done my first week back at work and my daughter is exactly 9 months. I've been doing morning and evening b/f's and she takes a bottle of formula in the afternoon. Like you I wondered about the logistics (I posted here a few months ago) and as per the advice above your body does really regulate itself. I was surprised by how quickly my daughter dropped her day feeds once we'd started solids (down to only 2 then quite soon after just the afternoon one). I switched from breast to bottle about 10 days before I went back and it's been fine. I haven't leaked or needed to express at work. They would have accommodated me (in HR manager's office at lunchtime) but I decided to mix feed. Will be interesting to see if I do the bottle now we're at the weekend. Am just having a snuggly evening feed with my girl now and it's such a lovely thing after being away from her all day.

I'm so grateful that I've had my baby when stat mat pay is 9 months not 6, it's made going back to work much more manageable (from a b/feeding perspetive if nothing else!

I think

[The Nappy Lady]

Yorkie, Im so pleased for you, I know it was all playing on your mind.

Boobs really are AMAZING things don't you think!!!

Molly

[Yorkie]

I think...

a. I should write shorter posts so they don't disappear on my iPhone's edit screen

b. That with your hours and baby S's age you may well be able to follow your normal feeding patterns without the need to switch or express.

[Yorkie]

thanks Molly, and yes I remain in complete awe of mother nature!

[Bumpkin]

I exclusively breast fed baby B during the day for the first year except for bottle of formla at 10pm ish until around 6 months. After a while I did move roughly on to Gina Fords timings (very roughly) which worked really well with us and I remember distinctly that she said from 9 months you could drop the afternoon feed and just breast feed first thing in the morning and at bedtime. By 9 months with a very large baby, I was starting to feel uncomfortable feeding him out and didn't want to be confined to the house in the afternoon for feeds any more, so I stopped the afternoon one on day 1 of 9 months with no fuss at all from Baby B, no substitution for formula and carried on for quite a while with just morning and before bedtime which was easy to do with working. Everytime I dropped a feed, it took about 3 days for my body to adjust. Congrats on the job!

[hpsaucey]

I went back at 9 months with my first. FOund the same - down to around three feeds so easy to feed them morning and evening so you're only worrying about expressing once at work. Also hired a machine from the Co-op chemist for a few months and boy was it worth it! Made expressing quick and easy.

Good luck - I'm sure it will be fine.

Helen

[Fuschia]

Ruth_Baldock Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Fuscia, I COULD try to express on the way

> in...except I work in Holborn and I'm sure it

> would cause some raised eyebrows on the 171. Or

> maybe no-one would notice?

I didn;t mean while on the way in!! I meant if you had a car with yu, you could nip out and sit in it :-))

Double electric pump and hands free bra the best, btw, and axifeed bottles to store the milk, don;t bother with flimsy bags

[reneet]

Hi Ruth,

Just to add my voice to the many, I had to go back to work, to finish my contract, when my daughter was just 2 months. I was lucky I lived fairly close to work and was able to come home 3 times a day (including lunch time), to breatfeed. My boss also allowed me to block book the meeting room at certain times each day to express milk. Found this very useful. Used the office fridge and everyone was understanding about it I was allowed a whole shelf to myself, although I also had a cooler bag with me just in case.

I successfully managed to give my daughter breast milk exclusively for 4 months. So it all work out. I thought I could not do it but I did, you find a routine that works best for you and you polish and perfect it.