Introduce a Schedule?

[@llli*podutti]

We survived my first 2 days back at work and I am now looking forward to a weekend at home with DS
I am looking for advice from other working mothers on whether or not I should try to put DS on a feeding schedule. Up to now I have always fed on demand. Currently I am working 2.5 hours in the morning, home for a 2 hour lunch break and then back to work for 3 hours. DS ate 2-3oz from a bottle during the times I was working. Ideally if I go to work for 10am I would like to nurse at around 9:15 so that DS is well fed before I leave. Unfortunately, convincing him to eat at the time is not so easy!
If he is napping at 9:15 should I wake him? If he wants to eat at 8:30 should I try to distract him and wait? The same at lunch time, I would like to feed him before I return to work so that he isn't screaming for his bottle as soon as I leave. At lunch times and evenings he wants to eat as soon as I get home, independent of how long ago he finished the bottle. But he only wants to nurse for a few minutes. His usual pattern is to nurse for 20-40 minutes. I suspect this is more to do with comfort than eating. But at lunch times it felt like he never really nursed properly which was disappointing to me. He nursed for a few minutes when I got home and then again a quick snack about an hour later. Is it better for him to have one long nursing session rather than a couple of snacks? Should I write up a plan on when he should nurse, take a bottle and nap during the working day?
What works for other working moms out there?

[@llli*phi]

I always fed my son on demand. He was a "snacker" hos entire infancy and thrived. It's no problem to wake your baby to nurse. I did, and my baby often just fell right back to sleep.

[@llli*5ofus]

I still fed on demand when I returned to work and experience much of the same things you are. Although I worked an 8 hour shift and was away from baby for at least 9 hrs due to the commute. Even if he had a bottle right before I showed up to get him, he wanted to nurse. And he was a big snacker as well. I worried at times that he wasn't getting enough, but honestly, he regualted himself. He got what he needed and was happy to be nursed on demand. I could imagine trying to restrict nursing would be very stressful, moreso than worrying if he is getting enough. It really sounds like you just need to find your groove...a routine of sorts with your work schedule. It will develop, just go with the flow and you will fall right into it.

[@llli*jenna562]

I always feed on demand when I am/was with both my boys.

[@llli*raejoy]

If DS is napping before I leave for work, I let him sleep (otherwise, cutting his session short just leaves him angry) and do a quick manual pumping (because on most days he does eat before I go). I work 2nd shift(ish) 6-11:30/12 6 days a week, so usually he's asleep when I get home. I do nurse on demand on the weekends I'm home in the evening, although I step away and let DH do their normal bedtime routine. And I know DH feeds on request in the evenings, no schedule of how much/when.

I concur with PPs, if he wants to eat at 8:15, feed him. Don't try to delay it, he doesn't understand what is going on and might just end up frustrated.

And really, there's nothing wrong with them snacking. I know sometimes I grab a sweet an hour after I've eaten a meal, don't you?

[@llli*yoginimama]

I always fed on demand when not at work - at night, weekends, days off. My daughter took her bottles at DCP on a schedule, but I always nursed on demand.

[@llli*mommyrivers1331]

I've been back @ wrk for two months! At first my goal was to nurse in the morning, at lunch and when I got home from work. Not too far into my first two weeks I noticed what pressure I was putting myself and baby under just by insisting that he nurse when I would see him during lunch. I contemplated a schedule, but thought what if he gets hungry sooner? I asked that he not be fed an hour prior to me getting there, but since my lunch changes every day there was no telling when to feed baby. Sometimes our lunch schedule isnt put out until 30 min before I have to take it. It came to be too stressful for me. I finally accepted that somedays I wont get to nurse him at lunch as I originally planned it. He is fed on demand, which can mean every hour, sometimes two or even 3 hours. He makes up his own schedule:-) Sometimes when i get to his daycare hes just finished eating, other times its been a couple of hours...im lucky my mom watches him, we usually go lay down in the guest room and I always offer! If he takes it awesome!! If he takes just a little yay!! (i just pump for a few minutes while i talk to him about my morning)If he refuses i just pump.
We do nurse in the morning, sometimes its earlier than other times. After wrk hes usually waiting for me outside w dh cause hes ready to get down to business! Dh usually offers him an ounce an hour before I come home. It just took us a few weeks to get into a routine! I just make sure to leave enough ebm for him for the day. There are timea when he finishes everything I left and other days he leaves an ounce here and there. Hes also wakes every 4 hours or so at night...lol miss those days of 6+ hrs of sleep!! :-)