Returning to work/combi feeding/ weaning question

[Skittleblue]

Can anyone help me with scheduling here? I'll be returning to work in a few weeks. My lo will be 6 1/2 months, but our pediatrician advised us to start solids a couple of weeks ago. She gets them, but not regularly. One day she might take about an ounce, then none for a few days, and the next a couple ounces. It varies widely and is always shortly after nursing.

When I go back to work, I'll be starting a new job, and I'm only guaranteed a chance to pump during my lunch, so at that point I'll have to start supplementing, which I'm ok with. It's not what I want, but since pumping more than once will be impossible (we're not protected by law) there's no way around it. When I pumped at lunch a few months ago, I could get about 6 oz if that was the first time I had pumped that day. I know your supply adjusts so I expect a dip, but I still want to nurse to at least a year. How can I combine combi feeding and solids but not jeopardize that? What might be a reasonable feeding schedule?

I'm thinking I can nurse just before and after work and let her have one bottle of BM and one of formula during the day plus solids maybe twice. I would be away from her about 8 hours and could pump a second time if I had to stay longer for some reason. Obviously that would mean she would take a second bottle of formula those days. Do you think that would work or are there problems?

 

[Steph82]

I have to pump at least 3 times a day, in order to get the 12oz I need for when I'm gone. I feed LO before work and then pump an hour later at work (before my actual shift starts). Then I pump again during lunch and work through the rest of lunch, so I can take another 15min break to pump again before I go home. LO then nurses right when I get home (only about an hour after my last pump). We are able to maintain EBF this way.

 

[Tjkitty]

You can pump before baby wakes and after baby sleeps if you wanted to make your milk up. I combined with formula and it worked well. I would adviseyou to get a good double pump

 

[ARuppe716]

I combine my milk with formula as well. I was having to pump 4x in my 8 hour shift to get almost enough and I was so stressed out. I now pump twice and get about 7 ounces. I split that between how many bottles I need and top each with formula. He gets the quantity he needs while also getting some mommy milk in every bottle.