Going back to work part-time...Do I *need* to make an effort to wean during the day?

[Bena]

I'm going back to work part time at the end of August, when DD will be 10 months old. I'll be leaving her for 4-4.5 hours a day, alternating between mornings and afternoon (am one day, pm the next)

She has never taken a bottle or formula, but is eating solids 3 times a day (although not much, to be honest!) and still nursing pretty often in between.

It just occured to me that the end of August is coming up very quickly, and I'm beginning to wonder if I should make some effort to try to get her to nurse less during the day. But I have noooo idea how to do this!

When I made my back to work plan in the spring, I really though she'd have slowed down the BF during the day, and honestly never imagined she'd still be nursing so often during the daytime.

She does go about 4 hours without nursing one evening a week when I go to work at the pottery studio. This makes me wonder if I should just let things go as they are, and hope that she'll be ok when I leave her to go to work. But then maybe that's not fair to her and her caretaker???

[Romana]

I wouldn't put any effort into weaning. If she wants to nurse while you're gone and doesn't consider solids or bottle as a substitute, she'll just wait for you. Otherwise she'll have whatever sort of snack or solids she normally has. I think it's actually harder for her if you try to stop her from nursing while you're present. It's much easier for her, IMO, if the rule is that she can nurse when you're there but (obviously) can't when you're gone, versus "Now I'm going to stop letting you nurse arbitrarily for a 4- or 5-hour stretch alterating mornings and afternoons."

I've worked full-time while pumping for my babies and I just always let them nurse whenever they want when I'm around. They only ever had bottles when I was away. Even a 2- or 3- month old adjusts to the absence of the mother/breasts pretty quickly. I had one baby who took right to the bottle, and another who would wait 6 or more hours for me to get home in order to nurse. Both strategies work!

Good luck. I think it will be easier than you're anticipating from a nursing standpoint. And your daughter and her caregiver will work out solutions that work for them, without breasts. I think it's better to leave your nursing relationship alone and just let it be what it will be when you're home.

[nachipmunks]

Hi,
I wouldn't wean her at all since you are going to be away for such a short time. I nursed my first for 23 months and worked full time. You can pump milk to give her caretaker. You can give her the milk in a sippy cup or a bottle. You ca also send a some food too and see which the baby prefers. Whatever you choose, milk or food, don't let the baby wait. You never know when you will be late or something prevents you from being home early and the caretaker has nothing to give her.

Babies are also great a waiting for mommies to come and feed them so she might just eat the food and wait for you to come and nurse her. As Romana said, nurse when you are home and offer milk and food when away. It isn't hard at all and the baby will adjust too.
I found that nursing my baby after being away from her was the best way to reconnect and just be together so you might want to hang on to a little longer. Good luck.

[SAPMama]

I agree that there is no need to wean her.
I work part time, and my son switches effortlessly from bottle to breast. The only thing I did before going back to work was make sure he would take a bottle. Most of his intake is from breastfeeding, but sometimes logistics require that he take a bottle from Dad or the babysitter. When i am with him, he breastfeeds. When I'm not, he has a bottle of pumped milk. Simple!

I would introduce a bottle, so that if she needs to eat when you are at work, she can do so.

[Sharon, RN]

When my older ds was 4 months old, I went back to work part-time, 4-5 hours a day. He just reverse cycled nursed- that is, he would sleep while I was gone (good for daddy! lol) and then he nursed when I was home. He had a hard time the first day (and I came home from work early), but after that he did just fine.

We had bm that we gave him in a cup, and he would take it sometimes, and sometimes he didn't. :-)

Good luck!

[terra-pip]

I agree with everyone here...a 10 month old will be fine that short of time away...just nurse him before you leave and keep plenty of the solids he likes for the caregiver and maybe some Bmilk in a sippy cup if he can take it. If he's having cereal by now then the caregiver can give that to him and he should be fine...and then nurse when you get home!! I wouldn't try to wean a 10 month old in any way.