I will be taking off the first two months but have to go back to work At least part time if not full after but i still really want my baby to drink breast milk and I still want to be able to breast feed when I am home.
Will this be possible?? I have heard before of babies getting confused with the sucking motion when going back and forth between bottles, but at target they seem to have bottles specifically for this, so do they work??
It shouldn't be a problem for me to go and pump milk at work so i don't think I will have a problem with my milk supply right? How do you know when you are supposed to pump? Just when they get big and hard? will this mess things up?
Please help I really really really want to breast feed and don't know what to do.
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12 responses so far ↓
1 ♥Sweet Cheeks♥ // Jul 25, 2008
Of course it works!
2 Chael // Jul 25, 2008
I have heard of people doing it successfully. I think that it all depends on the baby though. My son didn't want to have anything to do with me after realizing that bottles existed. We had to start him on the bottle really early though. Considering you are going to have 2 months, I am guessing that you will probably have a bit more luck.
3 MamaOfTwinGirls // Jul 25, 2008
I think that as long as you avoid bottles for 6 weeks you should be fine.
Just make sure you do introduce a bottle after 6 weeks that way your baby will be Ok with a bottle.
My niece didn't get a bottle at all for 3 months and at that point she simply would. not. take. a. bottle. You don't want that to happen unless you can have the daycare really close to your work and you can take breaks every few hours to feed your baby.
Good luck! It is possible. My sis-in-law was able to pump and breastfeed her son when she worked. She went to work when he was 3 months old and worked a month before she quit again. My mother took care of him and she bottle fed him breastmilk and 1 bottle of formula per day and also brought him to her to breastfeed at lunch.
4 Julie // Jul 25, 2008
i am planning on doing the same thing as you. i have purchased the lansinoh double elctric pump and i will try the platex premium drop in system for milk storage and bottles. they have nipples for the bottles that are supposed to be more like the real thing so baby is not as confused. my older sister did this without problems. the tips she has givin me are …get a double pump. you will have to pump at work and the single or manual will take more time than you will be given. also do not give your baby the bottle let someone else. so the baby know they get milk from moms breast and milk from dads bottle. also do not warm breast milk in microwave. aslo after baby has gotten the hang of breast feeding try to introduce the bottle b4 you have to go back to work. so baby can get used to it. like i said these are tips that i have gottten but have not learned 1st hand yet
good luck to you!
oh yeah start building up a supply of milk in the freezer b4 you go back to work too
5 Michelle C // Jul 25, 2008
i was breast feeding but got reali sore so tried powder milk my midwife said i cant keep changing it round as the baby will get reali sick. one helpful way is usin a pump and to keep the milk fresh u can make ice cubes out of it, i never tried that but thats wot the midwife said. be warned though i was using the pump for night feeds so my partner could help and if u over do it ur breast produce too much milk and u will become very swollen and u will leak loads of milk. which would be a problem for going back to work.
6 mystic_eye_cda // Jul 25, 2008
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/index.html
Pumping & Bottle Feeding
Feeding Baby - How
* How much expressed milk will my baby need?
* How to bottle-feed the breastfed baby
* Alternative Feeding Methods
(Bottle feeding and bottle alternatives)
* Q&A: Parents disagree about introduction of bottles
Pumping and milk supply
* I'm not pumping enough milk. What can I do?
* Do all breastfeeding mothers need a pump?
* Establishing and maintaining milk supply
when baby is not nursing
* Hands-free pumping
* Milk expression tips & pump information (Links)
* Working & pumping (Links)
* Exclusive pumping (Links)
* Transitioning baby from formula feeding to breastfeeding
* Relactation
* Nipple shields & weaning from a shield
* Weaning from the pump
* Partial Weaning & Combination Feeding
Milk Handling & Storage
* Reusing expressed breastmilk
* Breastmilk Storage & Handling
* Human Milk Storage - Guidelines for premature infants
* My expressed breastmilk doesn't smell fresh. What can I do?
Feeding Baby - What
* Milk (human, formula, cow, goat, soy, rice…)
* What to Feed the Baby when the Mother
is Working outside the Home
* Partial weaning as an option for working mothers
* Human milk banking and other donor milk
Separation Issues
* Tips for separation anxiety
* Working mom & childcare resources
7 prayingin08 // Jul 25, 2008
Yes, I have a friend at my job that pumps her breast milk prior to leaving work and sometimes during work in a private room. They were really understanding to the fact that she just had a baby and even gave her a private area to pump. See, esp when your returing to work, the body still needs to get rid of that milk, it hurts. So I suggest giving it a try. The baby should be fine as far as nipple vs bottle is concerned. Good luck!
8 Mrs. B // Jul 25, 2008
I went back to work at 8 weeks and my daughter went to daycare full time. I pumped and took breastmilk to daycare for her every day. As soon as I got home I nursed her and did so throughout the evening. She had no problem switching back and forth from bottle to breast.
I took a pump to work with me and pumped. I worked close to my daycare and I went to nurse her on my lunchbreak. I also pumped at 10 am and again at 2 pm. You will be able to tell when your breasts get full. You need to be sure to pump so your breasts will keep producing.
I had a problem with my milk supply and could never pump more than 2 oz. I tried everything. I ended up supplementing formula at daycare and still nursed at home. My baby did just fine.
Is there a breastfeeding class you can take? I know my hospital has a lactation consultant with tons of info and books. If you tell them you are breastfeeding they will meet with you shortly after you give birth. Hospitals also rent out nice breast pumps.
9 Pippin // Jul 25, 2008
Absolutely. Millions of women do this. (It's far better than weaning to a bottle/formula.)
While it's possible that baby will get confused (or come to prefer the bottle) if you wait 4-6 weeks (if possible) before introducing the bottle, the risk of nipple confusion is pretty low.
Pumping while working full time isn't easy, it does take some committment and time — but you get the reward of knowing that you are giving baby the best possible food. (And even with the cost of a good pump [get the BEST you can afford, a double, hands-free electric if possible] you will save a ton of money over formula. )
Start pumping a couple of weeks before you return to work, both to accustom baby to the bottle, and to start a freezer stash of breastmilk. Then, at work, pump on a regular basis. If possible, pump every 3 hours or so (on both breaks and at lunch). If you can't pump that often, at least pump over lunch. 3 pumping sessions should provide enough breastmilk for baby's daytime bottles. If you can't pump that often, (or let down poorly for the pump) you may need to supplement with formula to make up the shortfall, but that one pumping session will keep your supply from dropping.
10 mac // Jul 25, 2008
I did this - a lot of mothers do this.
Pump at least 2-3 times a day at work.
Get your baby used to a bottle before going back to work.
Give your sitter the breastmilk and nurse your baby whenever you are together.
11 melody h // Jul 25, 2008
Even though I plan to be a stay-at-home mom, I'm planning on expressing milk so my husband will be able to feed our baby also. I know of a lot of people who have switched back and forth succesfully, and I don't see how it wouldn't work for you.
One thing I can suggest, though, is that before you go back to work, start practicing on your baby. You could give him/her a bottle every now and then, but try not to have a specific time for bottle-feeding, so your baby doesn't get used to having a bottle at only that time.
Hope this helps!
12 Brenda S // Jul 25, 2008
Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 2 months will set up baby's latch ok. Then you need to practice pumping. It's not as good as suckling to release milk so you may need to massage your breasts while you are pumping to help the flow.
As long as you are nursiing morning evenings and at night you should have no problem keeping up your milk supply. Just remember to keep it regular. Your breasts will produce the same amount at regular intervals. And drink plenty of water.
The night feed will be most helpful to keep your supply up.
If baby is asleep, get your husband to help.