On going back to work/school « Back to Group Discussions

[cakemama579]

Thanks for starting this awesome group!  I'm so stoked!!

So I was really hoping for some advice.  After much deliberation, I'm going back to school in January to finish nursing school.  Only 3 more semesters before I have my RN!!  Aside from being terrified to find a good sitter/nanny, I'm wondering what the best way to approach getting DD and I both ready for the transition to bottle when I'm at school.

DS had tremendous problems taking a bottle when I worked part time, but fortunately I was only gone for 3 or 4 hour stretches at a time.  With clinicals, if I get assigned 12 hour clinical shifts, DD is going to HAVE to eat.  Does anyone have advice on when is a good time to introduce the bottle?  A friend of mine said I should start introducing her to a bottle at around a month.

Is this crazy?  I'm so freaked about how this is going to work out that I'm borderline wanting to bag the whole thing.

[kylaskye]

I've had success with the breastflow bottles. It took Liam a bit to get, but he didn't have anyy trouble switching back and forth and the sucking/ltch are similar to breastfeeding.

I don't have any advice to add tho, good luck with school, I'm going back in 3 months or so.

[Baby_Cakes]

I would start sometime around the 6 week mark myself.  I've had success with the VentAire bottles, with the wide nipple.  But bottles are so personal, you really need to try a few and see which ones baby likes best.  

You can totally do this.

I'd start building a stash soon though, if you can/aren't already.  Pumping for a stash is its own animal.  I always get the most milk in the morning, so if you're up before your baby, you can pump and freeze.  Keep in mind this is putting more demand on your supply though, so you'll want to do this religiously.  Soon your supply will adjust to the "extra feeding".  

Anyway I digress.  You can start with just intro'ing one bottle a day.  She will soon become familiar with it.  Have someone else do it, though, so she associates feeding from bottles with others, and feeding from the tap with you.

[Peony]

If you have to have baby take a bottle then start as soon as breastfeeding is well established. I start between 2-3 weeks with my own kids as an IBCLC. I started at 3 weeks with this guy and at 6 weeks I am still trying to get him to take one. He has to take one so now that we've hit the 6 week mark, I'm working on it every day, multiple times a day, already did today and got a little bit into him. The longer you wait, if you have one of those bottle resistant babies, the harder it can be. There isn't one magic bottle, just what ever bottle YOUR baby thinks is magic! 

And now off to the park!

[karalynnskies]

I am also going back to school in January and Jude is going to have to take a bottle as well. I never knew that breastfed babies would refuse a bottle. I guess I need to start thinking about starting a stash. He will be a month tomorrow and I really hope I haven't waited too long.

All I have is a little hand pump. Will I need to invest in an electric pump to be efficient at starting my stash?

[kylaskye]

Originally Posted by karalynnskies 

I am also going back to school in January and Jude is going to have to take a bottle as well. I never knew that breastfed babies would refuse a bottle. I guess I need to start thinking about starting a stash. He will be a month tomorrow and I really hope I haven't waited too long.

All I have is a little hand pump. Will I need to invest in an electric pump to be efficient at starting my stash?

I started out pumping with a manual pump, but since it was the only thing getting my milk out my supply tapered off a bit until I was able to pick up nursing again. If you're going to be building up a stash slowly and continue nursing I don't think it will be an issue though. Id save yourself the money until you're sure you need an electric pump, if you do at all. The only thing better about the electric for occasional pumping would be its faster and you don't have to think about it.

[Peony]

I hand express, I never bother pumping. I don't have to build a stash though, just do a missed feeding here and there when I have a home visit or a meeting. 

[SynEpona]

Both my kiddos had their first bottle at about 3 weeks, and both for the same reason ... a long car ride where I knew DH would want to just keep driving, not stop for a BF'ng session.

I use the playtex ones with the disposable liners, which I pump right into and freeze with the storage kit lids -- no transferring from bottle to bag back to bottle, and none of my bottles (liner holders) in the freezer. I only have 4 bottles. It works and doesn't get expensive b/c at the most, Finn 'needed' 2 bottles 2x a week when I was in night classes.

I find those work well for a babe that is hesitant to accept a bottle, b/c you can squish  the liner to squirt a little milk in their mouth, and when they get the taste of it, they are willing to 'latch' to the bottle.

Or, maybe my children just aren't picky about bottles! They are about pacifiers though ... so who knows.

For pumping, I've only had a manual, b/c that was enough for my needs. I like the Medela Harmony. Also tried the Avent Isis? and didn't like it. I liked my Medela enough to buy the same one again this time, as I dropped my first one when Finn was 2.5yr and broke it. I also found if I was actually 'full', I could get 4oz by hand expression faster than with the pump. The pump was better if I wasn't as full, but needed to pump.

Learn to hand express ... it'll save you when you're stuck somewhere longer than you anticipated & need to take the edge off that full feeling! Keep an empty container/bottle of some sort in your hand bag, just a small one, so you don't have to drain that milk don't the sink!

[cakemama579]

Thanks for all of the advice and support mamas.  DD is 4 weeks today, and BFing is well established at this point.  I think next week will be the week to introduce bottles.  Thanks for the tips on brands too!  Started my official milk stash this morning too.  got 3 oz to start-- I was proud!

[FischK]

I used an electric pump w/ DS1. I first bought a used one, but got a new one after a month because the motor didn't really cut it anymore. I needed to build a stash for at least 8 month of daycare, 8 h/day, 3 x/week. So I pumped after every feeding for the first four months when I was off for the summer. I didn't get as much as planned - thanks to a longer vacation - but I had enough to keep the stash going until DS1 turned 1 because I continued to pump at work to make up for the missed feedings as well as in the mornings and at night. It was a lot of pumping every day, and I don't think a manual pump would have cut it.

[copper.kettle]

You can do this!!  I'm an RN, and it's such a terrific career to have with small children because the money is good and your schedule can be whatever you need it to be.  Nursing school is a pain in the neck, but worth it!

I started doing 1 bottle per day with Will when he was 2.5 weeks.  He takes it no problem and it hasn't messed with our BF relationship.  I actually found that a faster nipple works better. 

I pumped through 12 hour shifts for 13 months with DS1.  I pumped every 3-4 hours and it wasn't really that hard, just kind of a pain.  As far as a stash goes, you really only need enough to get through the first day or two because you'll be bringing home milk everyday, too. 

[katiemaeeee]

Originally Posted by copper.kettle 

I pumped through 12 hour shifts for 13 months with DS1.  I pumped every 3-4 hours and it wasn't really that hard, just kind of a pain.  As far as a stash goes, you really only need enough to get through the first day or two because you'll be bringing home milk everyday, too. 

CopperKettle - that is so good to know, thanks for the information! Building up a supply is a lot of work, and, duh! Of course I'll be bringing milk home with me, LOL, this totally slipped my mind!!!

[katiemaeeee]

So, I am going back to work part-time-ish this week and next and then going back full-time after that!

Last Wednesday I interviewed for practically my dream job which would be 8-5 Mon-Fri with good benefits! I was hoping I would get it and not have to go back to this job at all and enjoy a couple more weeks at home, but I still haven't heard anything yet! :(

Anyways, I did a meeting today and DP stayed with Caroline and it went really well. I think I was getting burnt out at home a little, and getting out and being productive and coming home felt SO GOOD. I also have some work to do from home which I have never done before. Any advice on getting it done with a little one?

[cakemama579]

Originally Posted by copper.kettle 

You can do this!!  I'm an RN, and it's such a terrific career to have with small children because the money is good and your schedule can be whatever you need it to be.  Nursing school is a pain in the neck, but worth it!

I started doing 1 bottle per day with Will when he was 2.5 weeks.  He takes it no problem and it hasn't messed with our BF relationship.  I actually found that a faster nipple works better. 

I pumped through 12 hour shifts for 13 months with DS1.  I pumped every 3-4 hours and it wasn't really that hard, just kind of a pain.  As far as a stash goes, you really only need enough to get through the first day or two because you'll be bringing home milk everyday, too. 

Thanks for the support Copper!  I'm hoping that none of my professors or clinical instructors have a problem with me sneaking in some pump time-- clinicals will likely be 12 hour shifts, and I don't think my boobs could handle that much time.  I breastfed my DS until he was 3, and would like to do the same with DD-- I know I def. don't want to stop bfing when she is only 6 mos old.  FXed it all works out.

Originally Posted by katiemaeeee 

So, I am going back to work part-time-ish this week and next and then going back full-time after that!

Last Wednesday I interviewed for practically my dream job which would be 8-5 Mon-Fri with good benefits! I was hoping I would get it and not have to go back to this job at all and enjoy a couple more weeks at home, but I still haven't heard anything yet! :(

Anyways, I did a meeting today and DP stayed with Caroline and it went really well. I think I was getting burnt out at home a little, and getting out and being productive and coming home felt SO GOOD. I also have some work to do from home which I have never done before. Any advice on getting it done with a little one?

Good luck katie on going back to work!  I can tell you that as a student I've had to sneak in hours upon hours of study time in with little ones.  I usually did most of my work early am and evening time after bed.. doesn't make for much adult time with DH, but it was always a temporary thing for me knowing that the semester was only so long, ykwim?  If working at home becomes too difficult for you, it may be wise to enlist some help for a set amount of time when you need it.  
 

[elove]

katimaee, good luck w the transitioning back to work. perhaps wearing the bbaby may help w doing work at home? i have a yogaball to use as my chair so i can wear her, and bounce if need be while at my desk...did not try this yet but may work.

hope all will go smoothly!

[katiemaeeee]

Thanks for the support guys! And I LOVE the yoga ball as a desk chair idea!! Definitely want to try that out! :D

And, good luck to everybody doing school! This is the first fall in years that I haven't been starting a new set of classes, and I am sorta missing it! But, the workload was absolutely INTENSE and you have my admiration for managing it with a little one!

[cat13]

So this weekend I made a commitment to start pumping twice a day to start to build a stash of milk, but where do you find the time?!!  DS nurses about every hour and a half to two hours right now, so I can't seem to find a way to fit it in to my day.  For example this morning, DS woke up at 5am to eat, we nursed till about 5:30, and then at 6 I decided to pump for 20 minutes. But then he woke up 10 minutes later and was crying so hard to be fed. I tried to get DH to distract him, but it just wasn't happening. Then, DS was super fussy at the breast because there wasn't much milk for him. It's like I'm stealing milk from him now so I can feed his future-self. 

Maybe I'm worrying for nothing, and he just has to adjust. He has lots of poop/pee diapers and is 12.5 lbs at 5 weeks, so it's not like he's withering away. Anyone have advice or commiserations?

[elove]

cat13, i m right there w you, it is lije she hears the pump go and wants to nurse! One thing that kinda has been working is, i wake up every two or three hours (just been happening that way) and if she is skipping the boob, i will pump one breast and offer her t h e other since at night time she does one at each feeding - not my choice but hers. so i get one boob worth each night, keep it in fridge than combine two nights worth chilled milk into one bag and freeze. so it is alittle bit of a dance around her schedule but i dont know how else to do it since i seem not the over abundance issues others have been mentioning. so hopefully you will figure out a way that works for you since the way i do it is sooo touch n go...if some one has advice on how to make this happen more realibly, i would 

loVE to hear it..pretty please...

[cat13]

DS only eats on one side at night too, that's a great idea! Do you pump while you nurse? I don't know if I'm that coordinated.   And do you get out of bed to pump and/or go to the fridge?

[Peony]

Fresh BM can be stored at room temp for several hours before needing to go to the fridge, just keep it beside the bed at night and put it in the fridge in the morning. The actual time depends on the temp but even at 80 degrees you are good for 4-6 hours. The lower the temp in the room means the longer it can sit out.