One of my biggest worries about returning to work was how I was going to continue breastfeeding, I wanted to be able to offer that recognised and much loved comfort to my baby boy, in a time of massive change and uncertainty. I was determined to continue breastfeeding and so I began my research… which left me even more confused! SO. MANY. QUESTIONS. How much should I express? He won’t take a bottle, so how is he going to drink it? Will I have the time to express at work? Not to mention the privacy? What if I can’t express enough to keep up with his demand? Does this mean he’s going to be up all night feeding? Here’s my experience, I hope it helps…
So, how much do I need to express? This was my biggest “HELP!” moment. There’s no measuring system with breastfeeding, just a mutual bond of trust between you and your baby that they will take what they need and let you know when they need more. Which is lovely, but not helpful in this instance! Expressing for nursery was a lot of trial and error, to start with I provided 1oz for every hour I was going to be away from him, for us this meant giving 9oz a day! Any mum that has pumped knows that this is a lot of breastmilk and a big ask to provide on a daily basis. Luckily, I had been building a freezer stash, so for those first few weeks, I could take a mix of frozen and fresh milk. 2 weeks in, we noticed that my boy was very particular with his milk, drinking a max. of 3-4oz a day, sometimes not taking any! So I reduced my daily milk delivery to 5oz, this is how much I have been providing for the past 3 months and it is working beautifully for us (at the moment). As with everything baby related, it could all change tomorrow!
My baby won’t take a bottle, will he drink his milk? Babies are clever little devils, my boy has never accepted a bottle in his life,we tried numerous brands and techniques but he wasn’t having any of it, until he started nursery… Within 3 weeks he was accepting a bottle without fuss twice a day, usually 2oz in the morning and 1-2oz in the afternoon. I thought, that’s amazing! He might take one at home too, if I have evening plans maybe someone else could put him to bed etc, the possibilities were racing through my mind. Nope. The bubble very quickly burst, apparently bottles are only acceptable at nursery. But on reflection, I’m okay with that. I really enjoy our time before bed, the cuddles, the closeness, the stillness amongst the chaos of our busy schedules.
The support of the nursery staff has been paramount in continuing breastfeeding, they knew it was important for me to continue and have been amazing in monitoring his milk intake and offering advice on how much to bring in. I could not have done it without them.
Will I have the time and privacy to express at work? Legally, in the UK, you have the right to continue breastfeeding and return to work, it is advised that you notify your employer in plenty of time for them to conduct a risk assessment and make necessary arrangements. I feel very lucky and thankful that my employers have been nothing but supportive, I’ve got into a routine now that I tend to just express on my lunch break once a day, however due to other commitments I have expressed mid-morning/later afternoon when needed. There has been no pressure to express ‘quickly’ and I have been offered ultimate privacy of using a lockable meeting room. Some employers may not have experienced a breastfeeding mother at work before, so they may need a little help with understanding your needs. It might be useful to educate your employer on the benefits of breastfeeding, the NHS website has a great section highlighting the benefits to your employer. Links below!
Benefits for Employer: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/breastfeeding-back-to-work/
The Law: https://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/faqs.htm
Does this mean my baby will be up all night feeding? Maybe. But only until they settle into their new ‘normal’ – for us it took 4/5 weeks. During this time he was very needy at home in the evenings, feeding as soon as we got home and then not really wanting to let go until we got him to bed. He was then up a few times in the night, wanting only me, not daddy. I’ll be honest, it was tough being back at work and also being exhausted from frequent night wakings, but we got through it. I responded to every wake up call, I had no hesitation in feeding him back to sleep each time, we had lots of co-sleeping cuddles and he gradually slept for longer stretches. I personally don’t believe that you can create ‘bad habits’ this young, I believe you know what your baby needs and I believe in survival. Doing whatever you need to do, to ensure that you all get the sleep required to function! I now find that my baby boy sleeps much better on the days he is at nursery, something I didn’t expect but was a very welcome surprise.
In summary, this is another massive learning curve and it’s very true what they say, that breastfeeding is a journey. This is just another step along the way – but with the right support and knowledge you can continue, if that is what you want to do. I would also say on the flip side, if it doesn’t work for you or you find it too hard, too stressful or just don’t want to do it anymore that is also 100% okay. If you’re looking for support on breastfeeding I follow a great account @nomilklikemamas – her posts are genuine, insightful and just what you need to see in the middle of those lonely night feeds.
The Working Mum Project 