Thanks Jodi, it's good to know breastfeeding can be continued, the only women I knew of who went back to work early on were not breastfeeding. I had thought I would get the same pump as last time (avent Isis manual) but am starting to think it might be worth investing in the electric pump.
Thanks Emma1979, that made my day I am definitely no superwoman! and my kids are older, you have a TODDLER - but isn't it funny how everyone else seems to be doing better than we are, or what we think we can? Maybe we just don't give ourselves enough credit....anyway thanks for the cheers!
Mine is an Avent - it was good but not amazing....but it did the job iykwim.
If you are going down that route maybe hire one to make sure you are able to express well and baby takes to it (my ds didnt love the EBM thats for sure - i had ot pump it fresh, and put in fridge he would not have defrosted, fussy little b*gger) - then when it is all going well you could buy one?
Can't help with the breast feeding side of it cos I had stopped well before I went back to work full time when my son was 7 months old. Expressing at work can be an issue I know because not all worksites have comfortable places for you to do it in. Then their can be issues in health & safety issues in storing the milk in shared fridges (hard to believe but I know someone who had an issue with this one & had to use the boardroom fridge which no-one used). Hopefully that will all be fine in your workplace though.
Organisation is the key. You need to have bubs bag packed ready to go the night before. I do mine as soon as I can when I get home or else it's easily forgotten. As you would be aware a new bub brings extra washing & at first I found it very challenging to keep up with it when I went back to work so got in to the habit of doing a bit each day regardless of the weather.
I never felt true exhaustion until after I was back at work & bub stopped sleeping through the night. Getting up to go to work after being up in the night is truly a different thing to getting up and tending to bub during the day after such a night. At home you can flop about in whatever clothes & it doesn't matter what you look like, you don't have to use too much brain power... but being at work you have to look half decent (not always easy if your washing has got behind and you can't find any clean work clothes lol), and you actually have to use your brain. You also can't have a nap when you are at work (bit of a shame really). I'm suffering from it at the moment & I'm in a very busy job so it's not at all easy. That of course leads into problems with housework cos when you get home after a hard day, tend to bub, do your washing, have dinner & do all the other stuff you'll have to do with your other kids you are not terribly inclined to do any housework and then things start to get behind. Just try to do a bit each day & if anyone offers you any help at all take them up on their offer.
I returned to work when DS1 was 7 months, and then when DS2 was 8 months, and I continued to bf both times. It certainly can be done, and once you get into the swing of it, it is actually easier than you expect.
I recommend a medela symphony or something like that. Make sure you have a large handbag, or a backpack or something so that carrying it to and from work is easy. You will also need a coolie bag to carry the EBM around and keep it cool. I recommend that you keep stocks of EBM at home and also at day care or the carer's home.
I am not very organised and I managed, so I am sure that you will be fine (although with 3 other kids it might be a little challenging!).
I am definitely no superwoman! and my kids are older, you have a TODDLER
- but isn't it funny how everyone else seems to be doing better than we are, or what we think we can? Maybe we just don't give ourselves enough credit....anyway thanks for the cheers!
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they sure make their opinions felt from an early age don't they?!
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