to want to go to this?

[Moominsummermadness]

My lovely brother gets to go to film premieres in London because of his job. Today he has asked me to go to one very soon as his date. I would love to go, as having four DCs, I rarely get to do anything exciting. I also only get to see my brother about four times a year. The problem is, my youngest will be 11 weeks, and she is breastfed. I have only been away from her for two hours at the most, and I would be away from her for about eight hours. I can express, but am worried about her not taking the bottle. I live 100 miles away from London, and I would have to take a train, then a tube, then a train back into a different station, and get a taxi for the 20 minute ride home, and it would be very late.

Please tell me that I am being unreasonable in even contemplating this! I have to let him know by tomorrow morning, so that he can find someone else to take if I can't go.

I think you should say yes! At the risk of a flaming, she will probably take a bottle much better if you are not around and it is ONLY 8 hours. Go for it!

Wow what an opportunity! My baby wouldn't take a bottle at that age, although I managed say 2 or 3 hours away. I'd have had to say yes please .but not this one. Presumably there will be others?

I'm afraid that I'd say No . 8 hours is quite a long time for your DD and whoever is looking after her.

But make your brother promise that he'll take you on a top night out when your DD is older and able to be left for longer.

Any chance you could arrange sleepovers for the older DC and install your OH in a hotel room for the night with your DD to reduce the time away?

Can you try her with a bottle before you say yes.

See I have made the assumption that your dp will be at home with presumably his children and can therefore cope with looking after them for 8 hours.

This comes from someone with 4dc, the last 2 were bf. I would have left them happily with dh and probably did. Admittedly dc4 didn't take to the bottle very well but enough to survive 8 hours without any ill effects

I would have a good go with the bottle before you agree. 2 out of 3 of my dc would never take a bottle - I would want to be confident that they would be ok before leaving them. If your baby takes to the bottle then definitely go.

I'd go as it sounds lovely & also you don't get to see your brother often.

If you are going to do it. Have someone else try her with the bottle of expressed milk without you near by. If she can smell it from the tap she might refuse.
I would have jumped at the chance. My only other question, what will you do when you get engorged? Is there somewhere you can go to pump? Otherwise you will be in agony after going 8 hours and set yourself up for a breast infection. I managed this in 5 hours when I went back to work part time.

Thank you for your quick replies! Although there is a difference in opinion so I'm still having a dilemma . There would be nobody to have the other DCs, so DH waiting in a hotel wouldn't be an option. DD is very hit and miss taking a bottle from me, she was ok with it when SIL gave her one, but DH struggled last time. I think that eight hours probably is too long, and I hadn't considered the fact that I would probably get engorged, and there would be nowhere to pump. I think I'll tell my brother thanks, but I will have to give it a miss, but could he please consider me when DD is a bit older. I will see him at Christmas anyway.

You can get apartments in London for same price as a hotel for 1 night - could you take the whole family and have a couple of days as a family with you popping of to mingle with the stars?

Personally I wouldn't have been able to do that when DD was 11 weeks. I would have been stressing about whether she was taking a bottle or not rather than enjoying myself!
As it's part of your brother's job then it doesn't sound like the opportunity is a one-off - I'd go when your DD is a bit older and you can relax whilst away!