Need to wean day feeds

Hiya, so I'm a teacher going back to work at the end of January. I've been BFing 10 mo DD all the way so far, except for the occasional formula when she needs babysat, etc. Going back to work will mean at least 2 feeds need to be formula as I will not have the opportunity to express in my job. That doesn't bother me so much because I can still BF 1st thing and just before bedtime. The problem is that DD refuses a bottle.She has taken up to 50ml when baby sat but I was home sooner than I will be at work. I want to get my boobs used to not being emptied all day. Any tips?

Subbing for ideas as I'll be in a similar situation very shortly

I don't think this necessarily answers your question but before I went back to work, I started transitioning DD to childcare slowly. 1hr Building it up to whole day. During that time she (who also doesn't take a bottle) had EBM that I had stocked up but would take 10ml initially (now she'll take abt 50ml & prefers just food). She actually 'self weaned'. I thought I would need to express at work but I didn't because she just didn't want it even when I did because i guess it's not the 'real thing'. So during the transition period, my boob also got used to it. Initially it was uncomfortable, and I had to just manually express a bit for comfort relief. But it does get used to it fairly quickly. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Ah, this sort of thing can cause a lot of stress for mum! It does generally have a way of working itself out - babies will sometimes just go without, or suddenly surprise you with their adaptiveness. Does she take a sippy cup of water? How much food is she eating? At her age - or fairy soon at least - she may be able to go the day without milk feeds anyway.
Your breasts will get used to it, but having a plan b might be a good idea just in case. Even just one short break time during the day to ease the pressure could help you avoid blockages.
Anyway, good luck! Hope it all goes smoothly

ETA - oh, and your breasts can probably manage with day feeds on weekends, too, but not during the week, if that works for you guys. (breasts are clever like that)

My personal experience is that my boobs adjusted quite well when I returned to work. I went back three days and basically the baby would feed normally on my days at home and just not feed during the day on my work days. Baby and breast seemed fine with that!

If you are worried, you could try stretching her feeds out a bit now, in preparation? As MadB says the important thing is to prevent any blockages occurring.

Good luck - it can be a bit of adjusting initially!

I went back to work when DS1 was 8 months. It was over 5 years ago now so my memory isn't great but i do remember i began sending some formula for those few feeds he'd be missing from me (in a bottle). He'd barely had a bottle before that but as they do, they tend to take it from others if they're hungry enough when mum's not around. I think my hours were 8:15-4:15 so we'd feed first thing in the morning, i'd pack enough for 2 bottles while i was at work, i'd collect him by 4:30 and feed him the moment we walked in the door. He was fine with this and my boobs were quite ok with it too. Probably felt it in the first few days but nothing too uncomfortable from memory. I only worked 2 days so all the other days were 'normal' and we kept this going until he was 13 months old when we weaned.

DS2 was 10mths when i returned to work again same hours 2 days a week and he really wans't a bottle fan. I think if anything i tried formula in a cup but at that age wasn't too fussed and tried to ensure that he had other dairy options for those days until i fed him when we got home. He weaned day feeds at 14 months. Thinking that your DD and my DS2 are similarish i'd offer a cup and not a bottle and send the dairy alternatives if you can, if she's hungry she'll eat, she'll adjust.

I suppose all you can do is see how it goes with your milk and hope that you don't get too uncomfortable, if you do you'll have to figure out a manageable way to get your supply to adjust.

Be assured that your child and your body will adjust and hopefully both will be happy to continue on your new schedule to breastfeed for as long as you both choose.

At 10 mnths there is no need for her to have a bottle. She will be just fine with a packed lunch and water while you are away. She doesn’t need formula. Just food and the milk you give her when you are with her. When my first child was born I was working as a teacher and went back to work full time when he was 6 weeks old. By the time he was 10mnths old I was “over” expressing, and then my health nurse told me to just stop and give him food and drinks - I hadn’t thought of it before. He went on to breastfeed just fine. You may have to express for comfort at first. It’s easy to get a private spot in a school and staff and admin will be supportive. Your breasts will soon adjust and you won’t need to express for long

Will she take a sippy cup?

I guess my job is the problem - I'm not just in one school all day. I'm an itinerant teacher of Deaf kids, so I move from school to school all day. It's all very rushed and I'm lucky if I have the chance to sit in a staff room at recess and lunch. I wouldn't have a clue where I'd express, if I even had time! I think DD will cope. She'll either take the bottle/sippy cup out of necessity or she'll get faster at solids (she is BLW and very slow!) It's more blockages I worry about. I'd like to do some sort of transition thing but not sure how.

I returned to work at 7 months with DS1 and DS2 started daycare at 10 months and neither child would ever drink from a bottle (ebm or formula) so both just had food and water on my work days (Monday, Tuesday, Friday) I found my boobs just adjusted and I didn't ever express. I would be full by the afternoon (especially with DS1) but my DS's would just have a big afternoon feed. They had/have their normal feeds on the other days.

Oh! That sounds extra tricky. You're right, she'll most likely be fine. Do you drive from location to location? Could you attach portable electric pump kit in the car and pump a little while driving? Just as a stop-gap if you really needed to, I mean.
Otherwise maybe try stretching the feeds out during the day a bit and see if that works? I found once my breasts were accustomed to going 6+ hours between feeds they down-regulated very easily. Good luck!

Have you given the ABA a call? Counsellors may have some more ideas - I'm sure there are lots of other mums around who've been in similar situations.

Will you be working 5 days?

Are you able to start your LO in care a week or so early to get both of you used to it?

I was able to go all day without expressing, just feed before work and a big feed after. But it did take a little while to be comfortable doing this, and i had my pump and did pump a couple of times, just to comfort. It doesn't really take that long if you are only doing it to be comfortable. Keep it as an option for the first few weeks.

good luck

I went back 3 days a week when my DD was 10 months, and I was lucky enough to be able to drop in mid morning and mid afternoon for feeds. Didn't last long as she was too distracted, so I tried just a lunch one, no luck there either. She dropped feeds during the day whilst in CC really quickly (within about a month - and most of those were hit and miss anyways) but the other 4 days of the week at home she fed throughout the day. I was constantly marveling at how my breasts just adjusted (I didn't express - simply too lazy!) to whether she was with me one day or not the next. I did make sure I allowed enough time at drop off for a big feed just before leaving, and always allowed for time when collecting her to have a feed before hitting the car. She did increase her solids too, and I'm lucky her water intake was always good. I sent her sippy cup for water at first so she had a familiar cup as I was worried she wouldn't use theirs but she didn't seem worried at all.

Good luck!

I too am a teacher and went back to work at 6 months. To help myself not feel too full, about a month or so prior to going back I started replacing the feeds I wouldn't be around for with an alternative. Because I was at home I could express for comfort if need be, but I found my body coped well with the gradual cutting down of a feed at a time and I didn't need to express (I think I dropped one a week).