Returning to work one day a week and pumping?

[is it puppies?]

This month I am unfortunately going to be going back to work. I am hoping it's temporary. DD is turning 1 in two weeks, and is mainly EBF. She eats a bit of our food a la babyled weaning. Usually if it does go into her mouth she will spit it out anyways! She doesn't take a bottle but drinks water from a cup or sippy sometimes.

So, I am starting work in just over a week- DH will watch her when I'm gone. It will only be one night a week this month, I will be away from her for about 8 hours total (maybe a bit less) from about 400 to 1130 if I am lucky. She usually nurses at least 3 times in this time, but I will have to pay better attention this week it may be more. She might eat a tsp of solids when we have supper in this time frame. I have left her for about 4 hours once over that time, she got really angry but it wasn't that bad. Maybe 5 hours is the longest I've ever left her.

I have pumped, but she's never taken any significant amt by sippy when DH has gotten desperate. Maybe 1 oz max. She has eaten BM ice cubes.

So my questions:

Do I need to try to pump on my break?
Will she just make up for the missed meals overnight (we cosleep)?

How much pumped milk should I try to leave for DH to give her?
Anything else I need to consider?

Thanks!!

[LindsayK]

Good luck with going back to work :)

I would definitely pump on your break. It sounds like between nursing during the day and co-sleeping, you don't have very big gaps in your nursing right now. You don't want to either decrease your supply, or get a plugged duct by going an 8 hour stretch. I'd nurse your LO right before leaving if possible, pump once during the time you are away, and then nurse as soon as you get home again. 

Hard to tell what your LO will do when you are gone. I found that both my babies tended to sleep more when dad was home with them for an extended period of time - they seemed to figure that if I was gone, so was the boob, and they might as well just sleep! Hopefully dad can get out with your daughter for walks and out and about in the world so that there is some distraction, and not so much focus on food and you being gone.

As far as the amount of milk, do you have any idea of how much she consumes at a feeding? I can't imagine it would be more than 5 oz or so? Since she doesn't like to eat that much, probably enough for 2 feedings is fine, especially if you can feed her right before leaving. If your husband is nervous about having enough, make sure you have PLENTY. Don't need your daughter to be picking up on stress from dad over maybe not having enough!

You might want to do a trial run before you go back to work, and get out of the house for a while. I think you will find that once you've done this a few times, it really isn't that hard or complicated, its just figuring out the routine that works for all of you. Plus, if you pump while you are out, you'll have a bit of "fresh stock" for when you actually go to work!

Make sure you pack ALL your pumping items in advance. Maybe even try sitting down to pump at home just to make sure you have everything. Nothing worse that going to pump only to realize you don't have a bottle... or a valve... or your wall plug... or a flange. Done all these before!!!

All the best-

[is it puppies?]

Thanks for your input! I was hoping I wouldn't have to pump while I'm gone... but you are probably right. I will have to sit in my car (assuming I get a break which I'll have to ask about!) luckily the weather is good lol!

I guess I should start pumping now and see how much I can save and get DH into trying to feed her...

thanks again!!