Breastfeeding and going on holiday

[cecinestpasunusername]

DH wants to take me on a short holiday for my birthday. We haven't spent time alone since the birth of our DC who is nearly two. She's currently on two feeds a day, one early in the morning and one in the afternoon. Can she survive without a feed for three days while we're away? I'm very reluctant to wean her off the breast and worry that this will damage my milk supply. I also really struggle with pumping and can never pump enough milk for a feed.

[fledermaus]

It won't do her any harm nutritionally if that's what you mean - she can have a cup of cow's milk or dairy in food. Emotionally it might be hard on her if you are away for the first time though.

[cecinestpasunusername]

Thanks fledermaus I did mean emotionally, I know she'll be fine otherwise. Do you have any experience of this?

Will she want to resume breastfeeding when we return? Would it be hard or traumatic? I've read that suddenly withdrawing the breast can be traumatic for children.

[fledermaus]

I've left mine but when younger, under 12 months, so I think the emotional impact is probably different. Sounds like she is not reliant on the breast for sleep though which will work in your favour? Who will you be leaving her with?

[cecinestpasunusername]

Did you leave expressed milk, expressed while away etc.?
I'm trying to figure out the mechanics of how it can be done.
If we do go, we're planning to leave her with my dm, which is another layer of complication as she lives in a different country and dd sees her about twice a year.

[cecinestpasunusername]

Sorry didn't answer about feeding to sleep, she does feed to sleep for her nap but not at night and can pull a relatively long stretch of sleep at night so not worried about sleep. She does get anxious though around bedtime if me or dh are not around, when with babysitter.

[PenguinsHatchedAnEgg]

I have done it for one night. It was fine. I think DD missed me rather than the nursing iyswim. She was a bit younger - about 1.5 I think.

You might want to take a pump for comfort, but I suspect your supply can bounce back after so long unless you already have issues. I wouldn't leave expressed milk, just let her find her own routines with her grandma.

[cecinestpasunusername]

Thanks Penguin.
I don't really have supply issues but we've reached a stage where dropping a feed immediately decreases my supply as she only really feeds for comfort so doesn't consume a huge amount of milk iykwim. I'm worried that over three days I'd dry up. I could take a pump, I'm just not sure I could successfully pump enough milk to keep it going.

[PenguinsHatchedAnEgg]

Does it decrease your supply, or is it so established that it adjusts to demand very quickly? If it's the latter, it'll come back up in a day or two of being home.

The pump was mostly for being engorged and uncomfortable .

FWIW, although I never have, I have friends whose babies have not asked for a feed for longer than three days during self weaning and had no problems when they did. Also babies who have happily 'dry nursed' during pregnancy induced supply drops.

[cecinestpasunusername]

It is the latter I'd say.
Thank you! That's very reassuring :)

[PenguinsHatchedAnEgg]

No problem. As I said, the longest I have personal experience of is a night (and oh my goodness, I offered DD a feed immediately I saw her! I thought I wouldn't have an issue, but one night and one morning missed and I was sore). But two years is a whole different ball game to leave a baby.

I have never actually weaned a baby from bfing. I have two who have self weaned during my next pregnancy. God knows what I'll do this time. I can't have babies indefinitely!

[PenguinsHatchedAnEgg]

Sorry, that should have said that two years is whole different ball game to leaving a baby in terms of flexibility.

[cecinestpasunusername]

I know, it's so hard isn't it! I can't even conceive of when dd will be weaned, she loves to bf so much sometimes I think she'll never give it up!!!

[weebairn]

Your supply should be bomb proof at 2 years, though you might get a bit uncomfortable. At 18 months I did 48 hours away from baby no problem (i didn't have to express or anything, and I could never express anything after 9 months or so though supply was absolutely fine). But she was maybe more used to me being away at times as I work shifts including nights, so our routine was always a bit all over the place after I went back to work.

You could trial one night away from her first, at a friend's or something?

I wouldn't bother leaving expressed milk - at that age her motivation for breastfeeding will be cuddling with you and the act itself, not the milk itself if you see what I mean.

[RockCrushesLizard]

I would just say, take a pump!
I was away overnight from my 22mo DD recently, and didn't bother, because she only feeds twice a day.

Oh the engorgement! It was really uncomfortable. I had to try to hand express in the middle of the night, and again in the morning, because I'm rubbish at it!

So you might be surprised how much milk is still going - I was! If it had been three days I'd have been in agony