Return to work pumping schedule?

[txbikegrrl]

This is long, so thanks in advance for your patience and ANY input...

I'm going to return to work March 1st. I'll only be able to pump at lunch. DD will be dropped off at day care around 7:30am and I won't be able to get her until after 4pm maybe 5pm some days

It was similar with our first (DS) but I was able to drop him off a little later (8am) and pick him up around 4pm so at least he was "only" away from me for 8 hours. DD and I will be separated 9 or 10 hours. I can NOT change jobs and usually my schedule is an advantage -- except at this time (end of school) year.

Anyway, I can only pump at lunch which luckily worked fine with DS and I'm hoping/planning for the same good fortune this time. What I'm really confused about is what to do in the morning(s). DS woke up at least once usually twice at night. DD sleeps through the night.

So I'm wondering if I should wake her to eat around 4 or 5 am the shower and try to get her to eat again at 7am the pump?

Otherwise she'll probably get up at 6am on her own. Should I just feed her and pump then?

I'll pump again at noon then feed DD from the tap hopefully at roughly 5pm, 7:30 and 10pm. I'll tell the daycare not to feed her more than 10 ounces each day. What do you think?

[EmmaJane]

Dunno if you'll think this is good news -- but your DD may start waking up to feed at night more when you're back at work.

My DD1 slept through the night more or less from birth, but, once she started day care, eventually settled into a two-wakings-per-night schedule.

[txbikegrrl]

Yes, I guess this all assumes she continues to sleep through the night but it makes sense that she might reverse cycle. Oncewould be fine but twice I'm not sure I can live with for more than a few months. DH and I both have sleep disorders. If she goes to bed late and gets up early so I get a few blocks of sleep it will be fine in terms of rest and supply so I'll hope for the best...