I could never express at work at normal feeding times, but it really wasn’t an issue, you just do what you can and get through the day. You won’t be away from your bub fulltime so there is lots of buffer during the rest of the week to express at other times to make up what you need for her for when you will be apart. The three hour shift will be fine, just offer her the breast when you get home and if she doesn’t want it, that will probably be a good time to express.

Yes you can mix different thawed expressed batches together and you can add more milk to frozen batches. Just be aware that when you defrost them there are guidelines about when it needs to be used (before it needs to be discarded ) The ABA has a huge amount of information on EBM storage and use, have a look around their website for a start.

Don’t worry too much about exactly when to express to build up your freezer store, just do what you can when you can.

And yes, working and breastfeeding certainly can be done. It does take a bit of planning and organisation but just because you’re a working mum doesn’t mean you’re not an awesome breastfeeding mum too! I returned to work when my DS was 3 months old (just part-time) and we was exclusively breastfed (with EBM) until about 9-10months (he was very slow to take to solids) and self-weaned at 14 months. I returned to work when my DD was 4 months old (again part-time, thank goodness) and she was exclusively breastfed (with EBM) till about 7 months and we weaned by mutual agreement (well, sort of ) at 22 months. Neither of them have ever had to have formula.