Away from baby for a day or two

[vez123]

Hi, I hope someone can help me... I have a 3 months old baby and I am breastfeeding. DS has had the odd formula feed from DH when I had to go out by myself but other than that is exclusively breast fed. I would like to attend a friend's wedding in a few weeks time but it's too complicated and expensive to take the entire family so I was thinking of just going by myself. This would probably mean being away from my baby for nearly 2 days. How often would I have to express milk to keep my supply up? Is it a mad idea to be away from my young baby for this long?
Thanks for your thoughts.

My baby was feeding every 2 hours at 3 months, and a 2 day would have really hurt me physically, plus I imagine I would not have wanted to be parted.

I realise this may not be what you want to hear.

Someone more qualified will no doubt come on.

As I am only talking about my baby, and he is always feeding, and used to have massive cluster feeds.

Is there anyway you could work around it?

You could take your baby, carry him in a sling where he can sleep/eat etc while you enjoy the wedding!

Excellent idea Rainbowweaver...brilliant!

I don't think it's a mad idea - it's less than 2 days and I'm sure your DH will cope just fine.

How often are you feeding? You'll need to express roughly the same number of times; will there be somewhere at the venue where you can do this? If the reception is in a hotel, will you be able to get a room there, so you can nip up to your room with minimal fuss? I think you'll have to plan on discarding the milk as I doubt you'll have a handy freezer: the plus side is that if you're discarding, you won't need to sterilize.

Enjoy having a break!

Thanks for your replies. I usually feed every 2 and a half to 3 hours and my baby normally sleeps through the night, touch wood :). I should find out more about the logistics of expressing at the venue, all I know is that the rooms cost a fortune.. On the other hand, I am not sure if I could be parted from him for so long...Hmmm..

vez - again probably not what you want to hear but young babies need their mothers and while he will recover from being parted from you for 2 days, and be well-cared for I imagine when you're not there, it's just not realistic to imagine he won't notice it.

This is not much to do with breastfeeding, because of course with juggling and expressing and putting up with discomfort you'll maintain a supply, but everything to do with your baby's needs not just for calories to stay alive and growing (obviously that will be sorted either by ebm or formula or a mix), but for familiarity, consistency and closeness with you. If you think you will miss him - with your understanding that your break is short - why would he not miss you, but without any understanding that he will see you again in 2 days?

Sure, he'll get over it. And you'll get over it. And things will be fine in the end. But I honestly think you need to accept that it may not be that wonderful a break for you, for all sorts of reasons, including the awareness that you are leaving a little person who loves you and whose life is bewildering because you are not there.

Is taking him along with you not the most comfortable solution in every way?

I am really sorry to sound bossy about this.

But you did ask for input :)

My ds would have been absolutely inconsolable if I'd left him for 2 days at 3 months old. Take him with you :) (your ds, not mine but you can if you want! )

As someone who is already panicking about leaving an (will be) 11 month old for 8 hours in 2 months time and how he is going to cope without me/bfing , I know that I personally couldn't have done it, either from an emotional or bfing/supply point of view.