Getting married soon- would like a wedding night with no baby...

[Butterpie]

DD2 is 8mo and bf. She has never spent a night apart from me (DD1 was spending every saturday at my mums by this point, but we have moved away and ILs not willing to do the same, which is fair enough)

Me and DP are getting married at the end of August and have been bought our first ever night in a hotel as a present, which I am really excited about. My mum has agreed to watch DD2.

However, DD2 is really hard to feed a bottle to- she has a couple of sips then refuses it. She will be unsettled anyway because of all the wedding faffing.

Is there any way we can have our wedding night without a baby snuggled in with us in our honeymoon bed? How can I get a baby used to the bottle? She is a boob monster anyway who does an hour long feed before going to bed at around 8pm (doable, I could settle her at the reception and she can sleep in her pram) and then another long feed at 6am (not so doable, and I wouldn't like to make my poor mum have to heat up milk and faff with bottles, with a hangover, at that time, on the day after the wedding of her firstborn)

I know it's a bit taboo, but could I possibly encourage her to eat loads and loads so she sleeps longer and more soundly, just on that one night? How about (whispers) formula? I fully support the whole exclusive breastfeeding idea, and I know formula only makes them sleep because it is hard work for them to digest, and I feel like such an awful mother for thinking like this, but missing out that last feed would mean I could have a bit of a drink (I know I can have one or two, but I would like maybe three or four) and she might sleep better...

But then we are back at the bottle problem.

I love breastfeeding so much, it really is the best way for us, but can I have a day off? She will be 9.5mo by then.

I can express, no problem, btw. Just the baby won't actually drink it from the bottle.

Ok ... My dd is having a night away from me in a couple of weeks when she is 9 months old

She has a 10 pm feed and doesn't take a bottle

My feelings are for one night only she will be ok

Dh will offer her a big dinner with extta water etc as she doesn't take a bottle

If she has trouble settling, it is one night and she will be ok ... For one night it's not my problem!

At 9 months they aren't newborns and for a night they may be a bit cross/confused but they will be ok IMO

Sorry my dd will be 10 months

I have found if I am nit around then dd will not look for the breast so much

why not...give her EBM in a sucky cup?

it's different to a bottle (flow easier) and after a few goes i had no probs getting mine to accept it (slightly warmed)

formula may not taste particularly nice to BF baby (BM very sweet and fatty)

and also if you make her food up sloppy will she take more of it (thinking: food delivers liquid too?)

its only one night, though you'll probs have to stop to express at some point.

If she normally wakes at 6am she is going to do the same I would think even if you are not there.

So if you leave her with your mum surely she is going to wake up at 6am and be cross there is no breast???

Why not try out and see what happens if you breastfeed her later eg at 10pm instead of 8pm or (BTW some people say BFing after alchohol makes the baby sleep better) or if you give her more solids in the evening.

You might think I am being really mean, but I think you should just go for it.

Provided your mum is fully prepared to tolerate a rough night on your behalf, then one bad night won't have any long-term detrimental effect on your baby.

If your baby is weaning and eating 'wet' foods like yoghurt and/or sipping water, then the lack of mile won't cause medical issues. She will have a choice to drink from bottle or not...

If she cries and screams, then at some stage she will fall asleep (with exhaustion if nothing else). So long as your mum can calmly nurse her through to that point, they will both be fine.

Have a practice session if it makes you all feel better prepared, and enjoy your special night as newlyweds.

I'd go for it! When my DS3 was 6 months old I had an unplanned night way as DS1 was rushed to hospital. I left DS3 with my mum and although he was far from good (when we returned at 5am he was asleep on my mum's lap) he was fine drinking water. As he had been recently weaned I told my mum she could mash up some banana if he was really hungry, but he didn't take it in the night and was happy to drink water. Feeds ahd to eb a lot more scheduled over the next few days while DS1 was in hospital (happy to say he recovered well!) but the baby coped fine without me on expressed milk, extral solids and water.

Go for it. She won't starve herself and if something is on offer and no mum she will have no choice.

We use flasks that are like a bottle hybrid (spouted teat) which have a teat that works similar to breastfeeding in that they have to press down on it to get anything out. My baby (18 months but hates taking drinks) will drink from them well. At that age you have alot of options, spouted cups or doidy cup for example.

As far as alcohol is concerned, you'd have to maintain a lethal amount for 24 hours to give a newborn the same amount of alcohol as you'd get in one dose of gripe water!