To expect to be able to leave bf baby for one night

[Iknowisoundcrazy]

Me and my 8 month old baby are getting along great with breastfeeding. I bf her to sleep every night and bf her in the night when she wakes and we're OK with that. It's all working grand for us. But there is one-night planned which had been booked before I was even pregnant which would mean I won't be here at bedtime and would be away until about 10pm. I have an amazing DM who will look after her and she is a bit of a baby whisperer but my DD only knows me and being bf so I honestly don't know how she will sleep.
I obviously know I could start introducing a bottle. And DD will happily drink from a sippy cup. But in an ideal world I don't really want to change anything for just one night.
Has anyone else done this and do you have any advice? I think DD will drink milk from the cup when we're away and she eats solids well too.
DD will be about 10 months when we go.

Personally, I think by 10 months she will be eating pretty well so although breastfeedingnis still incredibly important, one evening away won't be the end of the world. She will probably get upset but you'll be back by 10 and can feed then and you deserve a night off. Just be prepared for her to be a bit clingy for a couple of days after.

One evening?
She will be fine!!
She is eight months she drinks fluids from cupwhat are you actually worried about?

Surely she eating by then. Can she drink from a cup. Honestly for one evening go ..be a person again.

She'll possibly want the comfort of suckling. Is it overnight? If you dream feed, she's going to want a bottle. My DD used to express and the baby (s) wouldn't need feeding through the night as much, but they'd still want a top up. She won't suddenly sleep with you gone and no teat.

Definitely go if you will be back by 10pm so if she wakes during the night she can have a comfort feed. Make sure DM tires her out and feeds her lots so she will fall asleep easily. Enjoy your day off!

I'm wincing thinking about the pain you might be in. Yes I know you can express but it doesn't seem to clear it like bfing does. I made myself ill - got mastitis very easily. Don't not do it - but be forewarned etc and prep.

I left my exclusively breast fed baby for the first time at 10 months for a weekend! I was so worried but she did really well.

I expressed bottles for the feeds I would miss, and some extra. You could do that and she might take the bottle from your DM for comfort sucking rather than hunger (she will probably be eating fairly well by then).

But honestly, go! They will be fine :)

Missing a bf at 10 months is not painful in the way it is at 10 weeks.

I personally won't leave my bf baby for more than 4 hrs until they are a year, as I don't use formula, my babies have never taken bottles, and I don't do cow's milk.

You’ll probably find baby is still up at 10pm waiting! That’s what mine would have done 😆

I would start trying to stop feeding to sleep at bedtime sooner rather than later. By all means continue feeding during the night but it's really helpful if they can get to sleep another way.

Go, but prepare in advance by giving a bottle or getting her used to self settling from e sleep so she gets used to it. If all she’s ever known is you bf her to sleep she’s unlikely to settle without it. At 10 months it’s be good for her to be self settling anyway so a good time to do it.

It will be absolutely fine! I left my bf baby for an evening when DH and I went to a wedding and my mum just found other ways to soothe him. I came back to them both snuggled in our bed and he was fast asleep

Go and enjoy yourself. Leave some expressed milk that your DM can give in a cup if needed if you’re able to but if she’s taking solids well then she’s not going to starve. You might find that she’s extra clingy and wants to feed more that night/ the next day.

Your Medal of Self Righteousness is in the post 👍🏻

She'll be fine.

Its actually a good idea for her to have to learn how to sleep without it.

Your DM can cuddle, rock, pat etc to give her some comfort.

Definitely go, it's one evening. Good for baby to learn to be away from you, surely you'll be back at work soon anyway.

I had bottle refusers. By 10m, I was back to work and they were taking solids and drinking water from cups at nursery. An evening is fine.

At 12m, having survived the first bottle refuser, I went away for 4 days and DS2 was fine on food and water. I had hoped that he'd have wound down the feeds as DS1 had when the booking was made a year in advance, but hey ho. On day 2 the engorgement was grim, even with a breast pump. The moment he saw me he latched on again, and we carried on our usual feeding pattern and kept BFing until 20m.

Do a couple of/few dry runs with your DM, so your DD gets used to the idea.

I left my breastfed 10 month old for 3 nights, and my breast fed 12 month old for 3 nights.
They had 3 a day, inc the evening one.
Absolutely fine! Had a beaker of warm cows milk with their dad and seemed to accept that fine. I squeezed a bit of milk out to stop engorgement when I was away and resumed breastfeeding (till age 3) on my return!

I had to leave my bf 9mo for six hours from 7pm-1am once as I was bleeding heavily in early pregnancy. I was a bit anxious as I had always bf her to sleep and whenever she stirred in the evenings, but she didn't even seem to notice I was gone. Me simply not being there was enough!

I'm sure your DC will be fine for a night:)

Take a pump if you have one, as if your DC is a frequent feeder (like my second DD) then engorgement is a real issue..!

If she drinks from a sippy cup then no problem don't put yourself through the stress of a bottle. I would just work out if she likes milk warmed or is fine cold. DS1 refused expressed milk if warm whereas DS2 was the opposite!

Make sure you have a pump or can hand express well though so you don't end up with issues whilst away.

If you're back at 10pm I'd expect it to be fine. I had a bottle refuser I fed to sleep, but my DH found his own methods to soothe DC and get them to sleep.

I didn't have much success pumping. I did find the engorgement painful and would be lying awake hoping DC would wake up in the night to relieve it!

My 9 month old son is breastfed and usually feeds to sleep. I can’t get him to sleep any other way. I’ve never had a night off, but if have to go out for something during the day my DH can get him to nap by walking around the house with him. I think it’s because when I’m not there he can’t smell the milk and knows it isn’t an option. I’m sure your little girl will be fine for one evening, especially if you’re going to be home at 10pm. It’s possible she will fight going to sleep until you come back but even that wouldn’t be the end of the world for just one night. Go and enjoy yourself.