Does anyone here have experience/advice? My little man will be just over 6m when I go back to work and I really want to carry on breast feeding beyond this. He will probably be at nursery 2 days a week and with a childminder 2 days a week. I have been expressing the odd bottle for convenience up to now (he's 4 months 10 days) so I know he'll take a bottle.
I would like to hear how others have approached this and any advice on how to approach as the end of maternity leave looms on the horizon...
I started uni when my little boy was 3 months in October. I have been in uni one day a week and work placement 3 days since then. I have expressed him milk everyday and he has not had formula. He is now 7 months 
It can be wise to start building a little store of frozen milk, just in case you need it. I have basically tried to mirror his feed schedule on days away ftom him. To help ensure my supply stayed up, worked well. In terms of work they have a legal responsibility to provide you with somewhere private to express, somewhere to store the milk and the time to do it. Def speak to them in advance to figure it out. At uni they let me use lockable first aid room but was more difficult in placement. In one I ended up sat in my car and in the current i use a different room but it is not lockable!!
It really is poss to continue, good luck xx
Thank you for such positive news and well done! Sounds like a good idea to start expressing and freezing some now.
Good to know about the responsibility of employers - I will talk to my boss as a starting point and hopefully she will be helpful. I work for a large employer so I am hoping that they have something in place somewhere...
Were you able to sterilise the breast pump (if you used one) or is it sufficient just to rinse it out between uses during the day?
I'm dreading going back, but it is reassuring to hear from someone else who has done this successfully - must have been very hard for you to go back when your little one was just 3 months old x
I attended breast feeding clinics and was advised that you do not need to sterilise the pump after each use as well as you store it in the fridge, without rinsing. This is how I have done it, i also bought a
"Koo-di Fridge to Go Maxi Insulator". Just like cold bag but works a lot longer and keeps milk at right temp. Used it travelling to and from places. What pump do you have? I managed to fit the pump and 3 large or 4 small avent containers in storing the milk in the bag. x
Ah, that's very useful to know. I use a Tommee Tippee manual pump.
The bag sounds like a good investment.
I was lucky enough not to have to go back until my lo was 10 months old, so she was eating quite a lot of food and having less milk. Working full time as a teacher I didn't have the time or energy to keep expressing and I had resigned myself to giving up around then anyway. I kept feeding her in the evening for a while, but not for much longer. Definitely discuss it with your boss and get it set up sooner rather than later and if you're as determined as you sound you'll manage it, I know other mums that have.
As for sterilising, do they have a microwave at work? I'm sure you can get bags that you can sterilise the pump in or you can use Milton tablets/liquid. Either way, to have bf for 6 months is fab, you've given your lo a great start in life and if it doesn't work out don't beat yourself up about it, you've done the best you can and that's what counts. Happy mummy equals happy baby!
It's great that you managed to feed her for 10 months and I can understand that it would be really difficult to continue whilst teaching. I will contact the boss soon - the less to sort out on my return day, the better.
We do have microwaves in kitchenette areas which are shared by around 40 people.
Thanks for your kind words. I definitely intend to give it a go but as you said happy mum=happy baby
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