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For those of you that went back to work.did you stop breast feeding cold turkey or did you slowly stop? Suggestions :-)
I start work again in two weeks. I've been out of work for 12 weeks and I've been breast feeding...When I go back I'm hoping to still try and pump and give her breast milk but I don't know if I'll be able to do keep up with that. If I do decide to stop and go to formula, how do I get my breast milk to stop? Do you think stopping slowly is best? I already give her some formula to supplement. Thanks girls!!
I went back to work and I was able to keep my supply up by pumping only 1 time at work. I also pumped before bed, just so I have enough milk for the next day (she was getting 2 feeding while I was at work). It stinks to pump at work ...especially those hands onthe doorknob that couldnt read my "do not disturb sign" and wondering if the janitor would be letting ina student who forgot their lunch, but I managed. Good luck going back to work is tough but you will figure it out
I was on maternity leave for 16 weeks and then started back at work part-time about 7 weeks ago. I have continued to BF but I have to tell you - it is tough. The nighttime feedings are killing me! I am only gone 5h so my dh gives her some cereal and cupfeeds her when I am gone. If I have time, I pump once at work. I BF her right when I get home and continue to nurse on demand as usual. She seems to make up for the missed feeding when I am gone by nursing longer during the day and has even added an additional one at night ocassionally. It's tough but she is one of the babies who has rejected bottle feeding so I don't have too many options. My milk supply is fine whether or not I pump during those hours I am at work. I feel your body eventually adjusts to the amount of milk being taken by the baby. (But if you work FT you will probably have to pump at least once or twice...my situation is different since I am only gone a little while).
It seems many women here have had luck by slowly weaning their babies one feeding at a time. Many also said they kept the "before bedtime" and even overnight feedings for quite awhile and that worked well. Contrary to that, I have also heard many quit BFing cold turkey (best if your baby already takes a bottle well) and that it was hard for a day or two but worked well overall. Pumping a lot is hard but if you have a positive environment to do it in and a flexible job it should work well. Best of luck - and when things get hard just remember it is only temporary (baby will be big and eating at the table soon enough!!).
It seems many women here have had luck by slowly weaning their babies one feeding at a time. Many also said they kept the "before bedtime" and even overnight feedings for quite awhile and that worked well. Contrary to that, I have also heard many quit BFing cold turkey (best if your baby already takes a bottle well) and that it was hard for a day or two but worked well overall. Pumping a lot is hard but if you have a positive environment to do it in and a flexible job it should work well. Best of luck - and when things get hard just remember it is only temporary (baby will be big and eating at the table soon enough!!).
In the State of Maryland where I live, they have got to provide a place for a nursing mother to express her milk. It's the law here. I work in a hospital and they provide you with the pumps here, you just need to provide the tubing and something to store the milk in.
w/ my son i was out of work for 10 weeks. i went back to work and he went to daycare in our hospital. i went over to nurse him at lunch time and the other times he took a bottle. I pumped until he was 6mths old but then my milk just stopped one day....literally....i think it was becoming frustrating trying to pump at work all day long...this time around i am hoping to go a lil longer. good luck..
With my other 2 children, and I'm planning the same for this baby, I have a Medela Pump in Style double electric so I could pump and store breastmilk. We would nurse mornings before beginning our day, then evenings and before bedtime. I would pump on my lunch break. I'd bring the breastmilk to daycare to avoid my babies having formula. After the babies got a little older and started sleeping through the night, I would still get up and pump at night if I needed to add to the milk supply stored in the freezer. Seemed to work great for us. Best wishes!
when i had my son i gave formula and breastfed. my body would stop engorging during the day and "drop" a half hour before i got off work. i bf in the early am before work and in the evening and weekends. when i did stop bfing i cant remember at all how long it took. i know i need a mamogram and they told me when i do stop bfing to wait 6-8 weeks lol. does she already take a bottle? that part is the hardest, and some moms found that difficult to start. my baby at 7 months still wont have anything to do with a bottle.
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