As the other posters said, expressed bm is always better than no breast milk. But I think Asanamama was asking if nursing is better, and yes, I think it is. The baby gets the exact nutrition they need at that exact time, in the exact amount they need, and with the added bonding of the breast. But, expressed milk is nutritious too, so much more so than formula, and that knowledge will drive you to pump if you need to, even if its a PITA.<br><br>
Get a good pump, it makes all the difference. Once I got the hang of it, it wasn't that big a deal. I just quit yesterday! I was getting 2 ounces or less for a week so my milk supply is definitly drying up.<br><br>
Also, introduce the bottle at about 4 to 6 weeks old, as long as the nursing relationship is well established. This is a period of growth spurt and the baby will be more likely to take the bottle than when they are a little older. Have someone else give the bottle, not mom. Then keep up with it, at least several times a week, so baby stays used to the bottle until the time that you need to go back to work.<br><br>
And I also suggest researching daycare before the birth if you can. It is so stressful to do so once baby is here. You can enjoy your maternity leave so much more without that stress. And there may be long waiting lists. We also did the SAHD thing for a few months. Its hard. You should check out the Working Mamas forum and read about some of the challenges. It was worth it, and dh bonded so much with dd, but it was a whole different dynamic than having a day care provider do things the way you want it done. Your dh/dp won't necesarily do it the way you want and it can be a power struggle! It helps if your not a control freak like me though.<br><br>
Is anyone else that is staying home going to introduce a bottle for occasional separations from baby? I was so wrapped up with introducing the bottle and pumping a freezer supply for dd cause I was going back to work. It would be so nice to not have to do that this time. But I am afraid baby won't take a bottle at all if I ever need to be away from him/her.