Do I switch to formula?

Question

My LO is almost 4 weeks and we have been breastfeeding pretty much exclusively. I am going back to work after 8 weeks maternity leave and it's stressing me out. 
I have been pumping a little bit but absolutely hate it and struggle finding time for it. Plus I'm getting anywhere from 1.5 oz to 3 oz pumped after nursing. Makes me think I won't have enough. Then there's the issue of whether or not he will take a bottle. I don't pump enough to give him a bottle a day to get him used to it, so will he have problems when he goes to daycare? 
What do I do?

Answer

I can’t tell you what to do. Fed is best so do what you have to do! 
I can give you some breastfeeding facts that might ease your mind.
Babe only needs 1-1.25oz per hour. So if babe eats every 3 hours, those bottles would be 3-3.75oz. No more than 4oz in a feed. So save milk as 1-3oz per bag. 
What you are currently pumping between latching is, in fact, an oversupply. Your supply hasn’t regulated yet, so if you keep pumping between latching you are going to regulate with an oversupply! You regulate around 6-8 weeks pp. 
When pumping between latching, you should expect to see .5oz total between both breast! Anything more than 1oz is an oversupply! 
When you go back to work, you will only need to pump 2-3 times. You pump in place of a feed so every 2-4hrs. 
When you do introduce a bottle, make sure you and whoever is feeding babe, pace feeds. Pace feeding a bottle is very important!
Around 4-6weeks of age is a good time to introduce a bottle. You can offer a bottle in place of a feed (since you already have a freezer stash). Prep a bottle with an amount according to the time since last feed. Pump after feeding babe or while someone else is feeding babe. 
Pumping is A LOT of work. I totally get your hesitation. I hope some of this information helps you out!

Answer

Remember babies only need 1-1.5oz of breastmilk per hour, you can always keep pumping, I’d suggest after every feeding or give some pumped milk and replace that session with a pump session. If you hate pumping just stop and baby can have formula when they go to daycare and breastfeed at home unless you want to pump at work for the next day, you don’t have to have a huge stash

Answer

Have you heard of the Haakaa? I started using it twice a day at 4 weeks pp and got around 3-4 oz over a 2 day period, then I would freeze that portion for one bottle, so every week you can get around 3 bottles worth. I would just attach it to the breast I wasn’t nursing on once in the morning and once in the afternoon and would get an average of 1 oz per feed (sometimes more sometimes less) try to do your first morning feed after a longer sleep period and then same sometime in the afternoon. It’s a little bit more work than just nursing but way less than pumping, and you’re not wasting any extra time. Then when you go back to work you are pumping to replace feedings so you should definitely get more output. It’s only like $12 if you get the most basic 4oz. Just look up on YouTube how to use.

Do I switch to formula?

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