Breastfeeding Math Gets Complicated When You Return to Work

“Im ebf and my baby is currently 2 months! Yay! I am the first in my family to breastfeed so I'm very new to everything. As of right now im trying to go by her hunger cues and once it reaches 3 hours I will just go ahead and feed her. This includes night feedings, which has been very exhausting. My question is how long does this last? She has regained her birth weight by 4 lbs and at night there are times where I'm washing get up just to eat she is not waking up herself. submitted b”

“I want to mainly formula feed. But I also am not opposed to pumping initially so baby can get some benefits of breast milk, but I do not want to latch feed. Questions: 1) how do I navigate this in hospital? Do I tell them I am formula feeding and pump when I return home and give baby what I have? 2) can I start with formula in hospital then give breast milk from pumping as it comes? 3) can I bring pre pumped milk to hospital/pump at hospital? Will they make me do nipple feeding? Sorry if these a”

“My EBF baby is 12 weeks old and eats from one breast at a time. After her morning feed I pump since the other breast is usually engorged and this gives me an opportunity to put some milk away for when I go back to work. After feeding I usually get 1 oz in the boob she ate from and 5 oz from the boob she didn’t eat from. This morning I put on the pump and only got 1 oz from both boobs (after a ten min pump with the spectra) and I was confused but didn’t have time to really think about it since I”

“To preface it all: My baby is 10 days shy from being 11 months. She was born very full-term (41w3d) and weighed 3.03kg. Fast forward to today, she weighs about 6.2kg. She only doubled her weight at 10 months. She’s in the 1% and had months where she barely gained weight. She’s being closely monitored and is slowly following her growth curve. We started introducing solids around 6 months but really started with trying to give her at least 2 meals at 9ish months. She isn’t one to show or maybe eve”

“Since about 11 weeks I've really been struggling to get my baby to eat enough during the day. It used to just be if we were some where exciting but each week it's gotten harder and harder. Now even in our own bedroom with the lights down and no sound he'll only nurse for a minute or two. Sometimes He just gets distracted , sometimes he becomes quite upset so I worry about my supply. He will feed quite well after a nap, while he's still drowsy but his naps are generally short now,”

“My 11mo is exclusively breastfed (and solids) and I’m returning to work in a month. He feeds on demand pretty much still, and probably has 6-10 feeds during the day. I’ve never been away from him for more than maybe 4 hours so I normally just feed him before I go and as soon as I get back. He used to take a bottle of ebm but that was when he was tiny and now he won’t take it in a bottle or a cup. This makes me worried about leaving him for 8-9 hours at a time! I will probably keep breastfeeding”

“I'm going back to work next week and I need to drop my 12 month old at daycare. So far I've been nursing him in the morning and then feeding breakfast before daycare. Now that I have to work, I'm not sure I'll have time for both. Do I cut the morning nursing session or do I cut out breakfast before daycare? He gets breakfast at daycare at 8:30, but we have to be out the door by 6:45. I use nursing to help him settle down when he wakes up. submitted by /u/trudes04 [lin”

“This is going to sound so stupid, especially as my daughter is now 12 months old !! But I have always wondered this and always forget to ask the question… So she loves feeding - when she was 0-4 months I’d say she was just on the boob most of the time day and night. This did improve a bit with a tongue tie release so poss she wasn’t getting enough before. But she basically never ‘stops’. Like I thought babies were supposed to feed until they’re done and then break the latch and … all done? But m”

“I have a 1 year old and am nursing and planning to continue for a while, as long as baby wants to and I don’t lose my milk supply. He nurses after each wake (morning and 2 naps) and before bed and unlimited buffet at night (usually 2-3 wakes). On workdays, i pump 1-2 sessions depending on if i am able to nurse him before I leave for work or not. I remember being ravenous in the early stages but even now i still find myself so hungry all the time (though not as intense as before) and craving calo”

“For those of you in the United States who breastfed after age 1, can you help explain the logistics a little bit to me? The logistics particularly in reference to being a full-time working mom that uses a daycare. Did you continue to pump at work? Did you still send milk with your kiddo? How did daycare handle that? If you didn't pump at work, were you still able to nurse at night and in the mornings? If you had milk in your freezer, did you just give that to your kiddo during the day too? &”

“I’m exclusively breastfeeding my 3-month-old and have been able to build up a small freezer stash while I’m on baby leave. I’d really like to start increasing my stash a little more, but I’m not sure what the best way to go about it is. Right now, I pump both breasts in the morning after his first feed and again at night after his last feed before bed. Is there anything else I could be doing or a certain pumping schedule that would help me produce a little more without affecting his regular feed”

“I am 7 months pp breastfeeding and had a rocky road to get here but I love it. My original plan was to get to 6 months, then I moved the goalpost to 12 months, but now I’m getting closer I think I want to carry on past that. My question is: how does supply work if your baby only breastfeeds maybe once a day? I return to work in feb and will be away from her from 6am til nearly 9pm, 3 days a week. How does supply work in that situation, or will my feeding journey come to an end due to how infrequ”

“I am at a loss. My daughter is just over a year old, EBF her whole life. She eats solids every day, but she’s not always that interested. I work 4.5 hours 5 days a week and my partner looks after her during that time, he doesn’t always try to feed her. During the day, she will nurse to sleep for a nap and then sleep for the night. Occasionally she’ll have another drink if she’s sad or hungry, but if she’s hungry I try to feed her solids (sometimes she’ll eat, often she won’t. The last few nights”

“My wife is in an unfortunate situation, and I'm hoping I can ask for help here. Our child is just under 1 and 1/2 weeks old, and he actually doesn't seem to have many issues with latching or taking the bottle. The problem is he seems to have a tongue tie (we're currently waiting for the appointment to confirm and hopefully correct), and because of that, it's very painful for my wife to breastfeed. Additionally, my wife had issues with her epidural that led to a spinal headache, w”

“Baby at 9 month check up a week ago and everything was great, but she mentioned starting 3 meals a day plus snacks and just breastfeed whenever kind of as needed, but definitely made it seem like she wanted me to start weaning already??? I asked a mom group with a bunch of babies the same age and it was very mixed on what their pediatricians have told them, but a lot of them seemed to say the same thing! I’m getting better about feeding him solids, because he LOVES food. 2-3 meals a day, but sna”

“How do you ensure you’re getting enough nutrition to sustain your breastfed baby/toddler, your growing unborn babe, AND yourself? While my husband and I are NOT trying for a second baby just yet, I do wonder how breastfeeding pregnant moms cope with the caloric and nutrition demands. Do you take more supplements in addition to the prenatal vitamins? How do you make it work? submitted by /u/MrsBrightside88 [link] [comments]”

“Baby is 10 weeks on 9/18. She has been EBF since birth. I couldn’t have asked for a better breastfeeding experience. We started introducing a bottle at 4-5 weeks. We were quite lazy. My husband was only able to stay home with me the first week and I did not have the capacity to pump, wash parts, bottles, etc. He is home in the evenings and tries to give a bottle then, but that is when she is fussiest. (Improving on the witching hour.) She will take it well enough during the day on the weekends (”

“FTM and I have been able to happily EBF my baby since he was born. Prior to pregnancy and its challenges I used to workout every day. I had somewhat of a muscle mass and weighed around 135lb. Pregnancy was a bit complicated for me I won't bore you with the details but long story short I wasn't really able to move much after the 24th week of pregnancy. So I ballooned in weight and lost all my muscle basically. I gave birth at 180lb. Around 4 months pp I came down to 155lb and have been st”

“Almost 8 months postpartum FTM (SAHM) and really beginning to struggle with my child beginning solid foods/becoming disinterested in nursing during the day. We are about 4 months into introducing solids and until the last couple of weeks, our breast feeding routine has stayed consistent. Recently, my baby hasn’t been as interested in nursing and really only desires it when it’s ready to nap/sleep for the night. I’m finding myself really mourning the closeness of feeding her and I miss feeling ne”

“Our son was born in early March 2024 and my wife got 12 weeks of maternity leave. Her goal was to make it to March 2025 without having to use formula. My data goes back to around June or July when I took stock of what we had on hand to make sure we weren't letting things go to waste or lose anything shuffling between home and other caregivers. She works a physical job and very quickly made it back to and below her pre-pregnancy weight. At 5'6" she was down to 115 lbs and nursing/pum”

“I’m 32 weeks pregnant with my first baby, and throughout my pregnancy I’ve planned on breastfeeding. Ideally, I’d like to do a combination of nursing and pumping so my partner can give bottles too. But as I get closer to actually having my baby, I’ve realized I have a lot of anxiety about nursing specifically, and I’m wondering if anyone else felt this way before giving birth. This is a little embarrassing to admit, but one of my biggest worries is simply what breastfeeding is going to feel like”

“My daughter is almost 16 months and we’re still feeding but she’s eating some solids too. She just never fully committed to them. She starts daycare next week and I’m still feeling a bit nervous about whether she’ll be okay without the boob. She’s never really accepted a bottle or anything so I’m just under the delusion that she’s going to finally settle into solids and it’ll be kind of a forced weaning because she’ll be in school 9-3:30. Has anyone else done it this way? Looking for reassurance”

“I currently have a 1 week old and 2 school-she’s kids. I nurse and pump. I’ve been lucky enough to never have a schedule to work around while breastfeeding before, besides the occasional appointment. I don’t know how to manage the big kids’ schedules and feed my newborn on demand. My husband goes back to work next week and I have to do pick-up. I leave at 2:20 to wait in line to pick my boys up at 3:05. Then we’re back home around 3:40. That’s a long stretch of not being able to feed on demand.”

“My baby doesn’t love the bottle so I have to plan around my breast feeding schedule. Husband and I are planning our first outing ever this weekend - we’ll go out for lunch and be gone 2 hours. It’s not very long but I want to play it safe in case baby gets hungry. When do we get longer stretches? When we introduce food at 6 months, how long will the stretches be then? I’m just truly really excited to have our first date night where we can just enjoy each other, not rush home, and be gone a few h”

“I have an opportunity for a gig a few weeks from now, my baby will be 10 months old and I'll be gone for no more than 7-8 hours. How bad would it be to have him drink milk from my freezer stash (anticipating 2 feeds) and not pump to replace these feeds? I would be hard pressed to find time/space to do so during the day. I haven't pumped since he was 4 months but when I did, I played fast and loose with replacing feeds on a few occasions, either pumping several hours later or not at all,”

“My daughter is currently 11 mo, so I’m trying to prepare for next month. My goal was to breastfeed her for a year and am so proud that we will make that goal! I work out of the house during the week so I’m away from her more than I’m with her…that being said I talked to a lactation consultant about weaning from pumping. I definitely want to be done with pumping, but has anyone had experience still nursing while you are with baby? After the initial hurdles, I’ve loved the connection of nursing my”

“Hello, My baby just turned ONE and I am continuing breastfeeding (no formula or cow’s milk) and I plan to continue atleast until she turns 2 years. Currently, breastfeeding 4-5 times in the day and we co-sleep so it’s open bar😂 (anywhere from 3-6 times) at night. Night feeds are the hardest as she doesn’t sleep through the night yet. I love to continue but I want to understand how it looked like for those who breastfed until 2 years minimum? We want to start daycare but I am concerned it might”

“So I’m a FTM and have really only been introduced to all this information since our son was born so please forgive me if im lacking knowledge here. We’re just trying to survive and have a fed baby over here 😅 So when my son was born, I really wanted to exclusively breastfeed. He lost more than 10% of his weight when we went to his first pediatric appointment so we started to supplement w formula and I would pump. Over the last few weeks he’s gotten pretty good at latching and feeding about 60%”

“I am 10 months postpartum and still breastfeeding every five hours or so. My son eats and drinks regularly, so I do think it’s more for comfort than nutritional need. I’m a teacher and just found out I got hired back for the first day of school. I’ll be gone every day from 7-3. We still co-sleep, so he feeds throughout the night (again, I think just for comfort). Can I still breastfeed when working without pumping at work (just when home and at night)? If I stop abruptly, will it be painful or p”

“My baby will be 10 months old next week and I breastfeed most of the time, but I pump when I’m at work part time 3 days per week (he gets 2 bottles of pumped breastmilk on those days so I pump twice while at work). As we approach his first birthday, I’m wondering how to transition as solids start becoming his main source of nutrition but I’m still hoping to breastfeed when I’m home. Was thinking I’d breastfeed him 3 times in a day— when he wakes up and when he goes to bed, and then maybe somewhe”

“FTM, breastfeeding with bottles occasionally. 8wk baby is a snacker, usually only feeds from one boob each feeding... feedings vary between 1 to 3 hours between during the day and usually feeds 3 to 5 hours overnight (~10PM-8AM). We have been dealing with frequent spit ups, they got better around 6 weeks, but now back in full force. LO will fart, gag while feeding then spit up feedings, or will get hiccups shortly after feeding and that causes it. We've held them up for 15-30 minutes after f”

“I’m currently an exclusive pumper because my 6 month old sleeps 12 hours straight at night and I like knowing exactly how much he’s getting during the day to make sure he gets enough calories. We’re going to Hawaii soon and I’m considering exclusively nursing for the entire trip because the thought of coming back to the hotel exhausted after a full day and having to wash a bunch of pump parts AND bottles does not sound like a vacation to me 😭 and all the logistics of packing bottle warmer, ice”

“FTM to a 5 month old here. I stopped breastfeeding at 4 months as I was struggling with serious mental health issues postpartum. I’m doing great now but I’m sooo hungry all the time. I’m craving sweets and eating healthy is not filling my stomach. What’s happening? I’m gaining 1kg every week and I am so worried. Is this normal? When does this stop? submitted by /u/ImaginationOk9963 [link] [comments]”

“Hi. My baby is 7.5 months old and EBF since birth. This made sense as I tried pumping around end of newborn stage and it didn't go well. So we have been ebf this whole time. Now, for unforeseen reasons, I have had to go back to work earlier than planned. I was attempting to transition her to be BF when I'm home but use formula when I'm not and she's cared for by others. I tried to begin this process around 6.5 months (1.5 months advance of me being at work so we had time to adjus”

“Hi, I'm sure this question has been asked before - but if I exclusively breastfeed and will be attending an event and be away from my 2 month old for the first time, how do I know how much / how often / how many mls to pump to keep my supply up and reduce mastitis risk and how do I know how many mls of milk to give to her carer to feed her whilst I am gone? Thanks!! submitted by /u/shazc- [link] [comments]”

“my baby is 3 months old and she always taken breast as food only…never comfort nursing..she is growing healthy.. but just wonder how will she take nursing down the road.. those babies who took breast just as food, how long was your breastfeeding journey? will she ever make it as comfort? if she wants to sleep and i offer her breast, she would scream..lol and after nap she ask for feed and feeds like 4-5 mins and done..but smiles while feeding and wants to chat after feeds.. submitted by &#”

“I have a 14 month old who breastfeeds twice a day - upon wake up and during bedtime routine. Occasionally, she’ll wake MOTN and snack nurse. She’s great with her solids and does not take a bottle and basically will sip cows milk, but haven’t been able to get her to take in much. My problem is, I have a girls trip in a few months that I want to go on, but I am stalling weaning my LO because I don’t feel ready. The amount that I’m BF now is totally manageable, LO is my last, and this is the longes”

“Looking for encouragement. I really want to breastfeed as long as possible. I am due in December but I just moved from out of state, started my job in June, and therefore don’t qualify for FMLA/CFRA. So tbd on how short my leave will be. I think it depends on how long my doctor gives me for PDL (I’m in CA now). Worst case I go back to work after 6 weeks. I work 12 hour shifts on an inpatient hospital unit. Id obviously have to pump at work. Any other moms pump during long shifts? Was your supply”

“My lo turns 11 mo on Wednesday and I’d like to be weaned from nursing by Sept 1(I go back to work and won’t be pumping during the day). I still am good with keeping the night feed until he’s one or after but I’m struggling on knowing what to do, as I see so many things saying I shouldn’t give him bottles instead of nursing and go straight to a sippy cup. He’ll do both bottles and sippy cups but takes milk better from a bottle. He’s never loved nursing/bottles so I’m hoping that’ll help. Here is”

“Hello Dads, I'm about to be a dad, it's our first. I'm taking 4 weeks of from work before going back, she's taking a year. For the ones who had a mom who could breastfeed, how did you manage it? How did you manage the breastfeeding, did you woke up at night when she woke up to feed the baby? Did you slept and only woke up when she needed help? And took the day shift so she could sleep? Thank you submitted by /u/Palgem1 [link] [comments]”

“My baby is 9 weeks old and I am exclusively breastfeeding. I mostly nurse him on the breast but I sometimes also pump instead so my husband gets to feed the baby, and it gives me some flexibility to sleep more or do my own things. Baby has been sleeping overnight the past couple days (11pm to 7am) but I’ve been naturally getting up in the middle of the night because my breasts feel full and I pump once as well. My question is, do I always have to pump at the same time the baby is fed on the bott”

“I have been combo feeding for all 12 months. I never produced enough supply. But gave my baby what I had. Its not drying up and I am sad this journey is ending. He does great on formula and we are getting whole milk into rotation. I am sad is coming to an end. submitted by /u/imApoeTAYtoe [link] [comments]”

“Basically the title! I am SO overwhelmed with feeding my daughter true meals. We have been EBF until now (about 10 and a half months) and she just dropped another nursing session. At her recent pediatrician visit she told us that meals should mostly replace milk around 11-12 months. Were giving her more and more food, shes finally starting to actually eat her meals (mostly) instead of just throw them on the ground. But now, we’re having to pay attentiom to nutrients and Im actually so stressed.”

“Currently breast feeding and pumping (for a couple bottles at night and to keep up supply) for my 8 week old twins. I am constantly STARVING but have pretty much zero free time. I have a meal service so I am getting a good balanced dinner every night but I need things I can grab throughout the day and in the middle of the night when I only have a couple minutes. What are some quick things you grab to fuel yourself? I have been basically living off of protein bars, yoghurt, and fruit and I need s”

“Pretty much what the title says. I’m so confused on how to make this work! When I nannied, the kids were formula fed and on a very strict schedule so I had no issues figuring out feeds and ounces. I return to work next month and my baby will be 3 months old. Right now he’s EBF & we feed on demand which is sort of all over the place but honestly usually every 1.5-2 hours 🥴 Thankfully he’ll be staying with my mother in law so we can figure some things out together. How do we manage feeding on”

“My baby is combo-feeding. 6 weeks old now. She is never satisfied with the amount she eats on my breast and I always have to supplement with formula. She gets 4oz of formula every time after the breast. Take note that she may get fussy while eating from my breast and would latch and unlatch multiple times which to me is signaling frustration (or overheating not sure). Is it still worth continuing breastfeeding at this point or a little bit is better than nothing? I tried increasing my supply but”

“Baby will be 12 months in a week and is currently in daycare taking three 5 oz bottles there and nurses all night every 1.5 hr starting from 7p-6a. I’d like to transition him to cows milk while at daycare so that I can stop pumping at work (currently pump every 3 hrs 3x at work from 9a-3p). I’m a just enougher- I get 12oz at work and I pump another 2oz when I get home. I would like to continue nursing morning and throughout the night and on weekends (eventually will night wean) but as a just eno”

“Baby is currently 10M and breastfeeding has gone great for us!! She is also a champ at eating solids. I would like to keep breastfeeding until baby is 2, but my baby never accepted a bottle (she won’t even drink my milk from a sippy cup 🙄) so I have never been away from her longer than 3 hours. I do not know anyone who has done extended breastfeeding so I’m not sure what breastfeeding past 1 even looks like. I would like to get some time back where I can leave without feeling like I have to rus”

“Hi everyone! Are there any mums here living in Austria or Germany? I have a question. Our pediatrician told us that if my breast milk supply decreases, we can start introducing solid foods when my baby turns 5 months old. She gave us a leaflet that says to start with purées like carrot and sweet potato, but it's not very detailed or personalized. I'm feeling a bit lost about what to start with and how to introduce everything. Is there anyone who could guide me or share what worked for yo”

“Is it possible to go from combo feeding breastmilk and formula to exclusive breastfeeding or exclusive pumping and giving only breast milk in future maybe once he starts being more effective at bf? My LO has a hard time staying awake for bf’s and then is starving still after. And im pumping but im barely making 2-3 oz so not enough for him. So we are going to start supplementing with formula bc it’s breaking my heart seeing him so sad and starving. Obvi I’d continue to pump if we give formula to”

“EBF - I've been doing ~10 minute pump at 3am as sometimes my baby has wanted to eat during the night around that time. Now consistently he doesn't eat during the night anymore. His last breastfeed starts about 8:30pm lately, and he next wants to eat around 6 to 7am. How did you go about stopping your middle of the night pump & how long can you go at night without expressing milk and not get clogged ducts/mastitis? submitted by /u/fireflyandsun [link] [comments]”

“For moms who pump at work but don’t pump enough and supplement with formula to fill in the gap: how much formula did you end up using on a typical day? And do you still make enough to nurse directly without supplementing on your days off? I’m a STM going back to work with a 6 month old who has only had breastmilk (and a little solids) so far. I stressed about pumping enough with my first child, and I’m planning to stress less and supplement with formula as needed this time. I feel good about thi”

“How many ounces does your 3-4 month old eat and how often? I exclusively breastfeed but need to get baby on a bottle as I return to work soon-ish. I have bottles recommended by lactation specialists to mimic the breast but she definitely doesn’t love them. But she’s just now getting exposure so I know it will get better. I plan to nurse before bed, during night and in mornings still. But I think will do bottles during day time to keep it consistent so she does ok when I’m working. Today I nursed”

“I know this has been asked in various forms before, but I’m not finding any previous posts that have both parts of the question: how often do you pump at work and how much does your baby drink while you’re at work? Would also be helpful to know baby’s age, whether you pump at home (or breastfeed or formula feed) too, how long you’re at work/baby is at daycare, etc. My almost 5 month old baby is only doing 10-12 oz at daycare right now, and I pump 2 or 3 times (usually 3) for about 25 minutes eac”

“my daughter is almost 10 months old & she really loves eating solids so i kinda hit the jackpot there. as of right now, she’s really only breastfeeding to sleep. sometimes it’s only for 5 mins sometimes it’s for 30+ mins. it’s soo easy to get her to go back to sleep if she wakes up during the night. i have to get on biologics for psoriatic arthritis & planned on stopping at 1 years old to start medication. i guess my question is how do you wean the baby off 😅 will she just naturally sto”

“It’s been 14 months since I gave birth. I hardly ate during my pregnancy because it was so bad all the way up to the point of being strapped down for the c section, I was still puking. I relied on mostly nutritional drinks to keep me alive. Lost a ton of weight. Now? I still don’t really have an appetite for food. I can not eat all day and be fine, no hunger. I rarely crave food. Most days, I just eat dinner because we eat that as a family so I’m not gonna be weird and not eat but it’s not appet”

“I’m officially 12 weeks into my breastfeeding journey and go back to work starting Monday. My husband is taking the remainder of his paternity leave during my first month back so we will be bottle feeding/pumping during the day and likely breastfeeding once I’m off work. I’m curious if anyone has any tips on how to make the transition. We have been playing around with pumping throughout my maternity leave and have a tiny freezer stash built up because of it. We have a 99th percentile little boy”

“I’m on my second breastfeeding journey and weaned between the two. I was wondering for moms who choice to not wean before having the next baby how did that work? Did you think it was easier? Did you produce colostrum or have to wait for the white milk to come in again pp? If your milk stayed in did your baby not lose as much weight after birth? Did you have as much pain and cracked nipples the second time? Did you think it took you the same amount or a shorter amount of time to regulate supply p”

“FTM. I don't really know what is the normal or appropriate amount my baby should feed in a day. He is a few days away from turning 6 months old. He really only wants to breastfeed before his naps and before bedtime and other than that he feeds when he wakes and once overnight at his request. This totals generally 5-6 times in a 24hr period or roughly every 3-4 hours in the daytime if I am lucky. He naps 3 times a day and those are his big day feeds. If I happen to ask before while he is awak”