Breastfeeding

EBF and going back to work

Hi All, 

Forgive me if this has been discussed recently - but I am going back to work in early September (just before DD turns 1). She currently is EBF, doesn't take a bottle or sippy cup.

I would like to continue breastfeeding her once she starts daycare

My question is - any tips for transitioning her towards that? How do you working EBF mamas make it work? Nurse at night and in the morning? And pump for the rest of the time? How much milk should I expect a 1 year old to consume during the day? Should I start trying to establish a freezer stash now? 

I am feeling anxious and overwhelmed about this even though it is still 4 months away. 

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Re: EBF and going back to work

  • Sorry I don't have much advice for you as my baby is only 4 weeks old, but if your baby has NEVER had a bottle, you might want to start trying to give one occasionally to make sure that baby will take a bottle by the time you send her to daycare. However, from what I have heard, many babies don't need that much breast milk by the time they're one.... maybe you can just nurse in the morning and at night and LO can eat food during the day? Or you could send maybe just one bottle to daycare and LO could mainly eat food during the day. I would go ahead and start pumping now to get a freezer stash, because pumping is a PITA and will just be much harder once you're working... if you pump enough and LO is only taking one bottle a day in daycare, you might not have to pump at work at all.
    Amanda

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  • How did you get lo to figure out the straw? Just keep offering until they get it?
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  • I second skipping the bottle and going right to a cup (sippy or straw - your choice).  We also used a straw cup, because we introduced it to my son at a young age (around 6 months) and he took to it like a fish to water.  (DH and I drink out of the plastic cups with straws, and he wanted to drink out of our cups).  You may be surprised at how quickly your child adapts!

    I went back to work much earlier - at 5 months, so I breastfed while at home, and pumped at work to send to daycare with him.  However, I hated pumping, so at 1 year, I weaned from the pump and breastfed at home and sent in WCM to daycare.  BM is obviously better for your child than WCM, so please don't let me discourage you, but that is an option if you don't want to pump. 

    If you do want to pump, I would start introducing a pumping session a day now.  That will give you time to practice introducing the milk in a cup, and allow you to build up a little supply for when you go back.  (Don't forget to pump when you offer the cup instead of breastfeed!)  You don't need a huge supply built up, because when you pump to replace a feeding (at work) you will get much more than pumping in addition to a feeding (at home).

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  • Thank you for the tips/advice. Appreciated.
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