Many mothers would like to continue breastfeeding once they return to work, but have either no time to pump or no place to pump while at work. If you would like to continue breastfeeding during the time you are at home with your baby, and formula feed ONLY while you are at work, the following tips can help you to succeed:

~ Nurse exclusively for the first THREE weeks. This will ensure your milk supply, and help to avoid nipple confusion.

~ At three to four weeks, offer a bottle of expressed breastmilk. Have Dad, Grandma, or someone other than Mom, offer the first few bottles. Once the baby is used to taking a bottle, you can introduce formula. Begin by offering the formula at a time when mom would be at work, say at 10 AM. Mom should hand express or pump if she becomes uncomfortably full. She should only eliminate that ONE particular feeding, and nurse as usual at all other times.

~ Continue eliminating that one particular feeding for two to three days. When mom notices she's not "full" during that time, she can then eliminate another feeding. She should continue in this way so that by the time she returns to work, she has trained her body to produce milk during the time when she would be with her baby, but not during the time she'll be working.

~ Always nurse when you are together with the baby, to maintain milk supply for the times you are together. Many mothers prefer to offer formula during the day while they are at work, but nurse exclusively through the evening hours and during the nights if the baby wakes.

~ Weekends mom can either continue the pattern she uses on weekdays, or she can nurse exclusively on weekends. It may take two or three weeks for the body to understand, but eventually it will "know" when to produce, and when not to.

~ If you ever experience a time when you feel your milk supply is low, please contact your breastfeeding support network, for information on how to increase your supply.