Combo Feeding (XP, BF Board)

phq2011

So I am getting nervous. I originally was getting 6 weeks maternity leave, but when I lost my job, I lost that benefit. My new job does not give a maternity leave, so I am only taking a week off, including delivery. I know this won't be enough time to establish a feeding schedule that will work well. Thankfully, I can go home on lunch to feed, but I know the baby will need to eat more than once in an 8 hour time frame. I also don't have a place to pump at work (small office, no separate room). So I guess my questions are:

1. How do I keep my supply up? Can I even?

2. Is it possible to FF and BF without causing nipple laziness/confusion?

3. Are there any good resources you ladies know that would give me more information?

MamaAllison

That sounds really tough! I could have probably gone back to work physically after a week but emotionally and mentally hel! No! As for establishing and maintaining your supply, can you go to your car and pump? If you are going back to work you need to pump every time your baby would be eating.... A friend of mine is combo feeding - nursing at night and before/after work and then feeding formula during the day- it seems to be working for her but this is her third and she was able to take 8 weeks off, so she might have EBF for a few weeks at least to establish supply. Check out kellymom.com for more help - it is a great bf resource!

shannm

I am so sorry that you don't get more time.  It is going to be REALLY HARD going back after one week.  Your milk will have barely come in, let alone regulated.  Your baby may want to be on the breast every hour, no joke.   I would really try hard to find a place to pump.  Even the bathroom or your car.  I don't know if it is going to work otherwise.  And even if you had the nicest room to pump in, it is going to be hard.  There is a chance that you will have nipple confusion but I wouldn't worry too much about that, lots of babies have no problem going back and forth, including my kids.  Try Kellymom.com as a resource. 

QueSrah

I had a very hard time BFing in the beginning (not helped by going back into the hospital when DD was a week old and she wasn't allowed to come visit).  She was exclusively bottle fed for about 4 days at that point and we still managed to get back to BFing once I was out.  Not all kids suffer from nipple confusion - you might get lucky and have a kid that just wants the milk and doesn't care where it comes from.

 Ditto for the kellymom.com rec - it's helpful for all things BFing.

KCD053109

I would also enlist the help of a good LC and contact your local LLL.

My hat is off to you in this endeavor.