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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be hoping to go away on my own next weekend when I am still breastfeeding 10 month old several times a day ...?

16 replies

PiperG · 08/10/2008 20:52

I am absolutely desperate for a bit of time without any children! With both a two and a half year old and a 10 month old it's pretty full on. It's my mum's 60th and my sisters arranged for us all to go away for a couple of nights to stay in a lovely B and B down by the sea, but I am trying to work out if I can go without my 10 month old breastfed DS. He is not at all keen on formula but will take some every now and then at a push, so I am thinking that he (and my DP) would manage for a couple of days without me. He's eating 3 big meals a day so really doesn't have huge amounts of milk any more anyway, though he does have a fairly big early morning feed, and 3 other small ones during the day. He doesn't have any at night any more, and pretty much sleeps through.

Am I being completely bonkers to try to leave him for a weekend and hope he will drink some formula (and express while I am away to keep up my supply and so my boobs don't explode)? I can't quite work out if it is too ambitious and will be too hard on both DS and DP, or whether I should just bite the bullet and give it a go - he won't starve, as my sisters keep pointing out! Any thoughts most most welcome ...

OP posts:

belgo · 08/10/2008 20:58

As long as your dp is happy with the arrangements, I don't see why not. If your ds is reliably eating three meals a day and takes formula every now and again, he should be fine for the weekend.

Mammina · 08/10/2008 20:59

Can you not express like mad between now and then so that your DP has enough stored for DS, rather than trying formula which you say he won't drink?

WillTheRealFabioPleaseStandUp · 08/10/2008 21:01

He wont starve!
Go!

BloodAndMutts · 08/10/2008 21:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TinkerBellesMum · 08/10/2008 21:04

At that age he will make do without you, might be worth trying to express before so it's not all formula but even if he doesn't accept formula if he's eating as well as you say he will cope.

goodasgold · 08/10/2008 21:06

Just back from a weekend away with my dh. My 5mth bf baby was fine with his in laws as was his 2.5 sister.

And they have been fine with me on my return. I had to express milk while I was away, but still had a fab time and came back refreshed and relaxed.

Pannacotta · 08/10/2008 21:06

I couldn't have managed it at that stage - again sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear.
I think at 10 months you might be surprised at just how much milk he is having at each feed.
Of course you could express plenty of milk before then which would make it less stressful for him and your DP while you're gone.
Or how about going for a shorter time? YOu will need to express while you are away or your boobs will feel like they are going to explode!

beansontoast · 08/10/2008 21:07

i did this when dd was 12 months (breast fed on demand during the day)...though for just longer than 24hrs.

she was perfectly fine...had some expressed milk,some formula and ws offered cows milk too.

dp says she didnt take much of anything,but ate her meals and was contented.

i only wish i had taken a pump to express the excess....ooooouch.

have a lovely time (i think two nights will be better than one cos you might not sleep well th efirst night)

Guadalupe · 08/10/2008 21:07

I had to leave my 16 month old for three days for an op and he wasn't happy AT ALL. He didn't take any other milk though which didn't help.

Anna8888 · 08/10/2008 21:10

Does he drink formula from a little cup?

When I left my DD for the day at this age she drank formula from a cup and it wasn't a problem (except for me - my breasts felt so full).

I didn't leave her overnight until 16 months when I left her for 11 days - she resumed breastfeeding with no difficulty.

Ronaldinhio · 08/10/2008 21:13

bloody hell go and enjoy yourself

Original poster

PiperG · 08/10/2008 21:23

Thanks all ... it's good to get some opinions as I have got myself into such a muddle about whether to go or not. Now I'm wondering though whether it will be hard work expressing as much as I need to while I'm away - I'm meant to go on Friday afternoon and come back on Sunday afternoon, so that is an awful lot of expressing I'll need to do while I"m away so my boobs don't feel horribly uncomfortable. Goodasgold, did you express a lot while you were away, presumably? Was that hard work ...?!

I think I will express before I go too, that is a good idea - then at least DP has the option of offering both formula and breast milk (Anna888 I have tried to give him formula from both a bottle and a cup and he doesn't really like either)

OP posts:

babymt · 08/10/2008 22:19

I went away for just over a day when my dd was exculsively breastfed and she was 11 months old.

I expressed at the times when she would've fed. Boobs still hurt a bit by the time I got back but it was fine. Luckily I had enough expressed milk in the freezer and apparently she was fine being looked after by grandma (I went away with dh for his birthday).

The thing I found hardest was throwing all the milk away down the sink!!! I'd been freezing single oz's whenever I had any extra, hoarding all the little extra bits I could so throwing huge amounts away was gut wrenching. I didn't have any choice as no easy way to sterlise breastpump or get milk back kept cold. Sounds silly I know!

He'll have the formula if theres no other option. He's most unlikely to take formula from you giving him a bottle coz he knows your withholding the good stuff. Wheres as daddy/whoever doesn't have the boobs/milk.

If you really want to go then go! It'll be better for the kids in the long run if mummys less stressed and happier after a break.

I hope you've got a good breastpump!

findtheriver · 08/10/2008 22:32

Go - he will be fine. I left my ds at around this age - they will just pick up the bf again once you're back.

Enjoy your break and let your dp enjoy his special time with his son.

findtheriver · 08/10/2008 22:32

Go - he will be fine. I left my ds at around this age - they will just pick up the bf again once you're back.

Enjoy your break and let your dp enjoy his special time with his son.

cory · 08/10/2008 23:07

I went for a 4 day conference abroad when dd was 6 mo- just left a freezer full of expressed milk. She was fine.

Scarier still- dh took ds on a 2 day trip away when he was only a few weeks old (special milk from the pharmacy to keep on the 5 hr train journey). But that was to visit a dying (as we thought) grandfather. Everybody was fine though. Including granddad.

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