Expressing when away from baby

8 replies

Roo83 · 03/10/2010 21:03

Hi all, I am currently exclusively bf my dd. I have a hen do to go to in a few months time (I am maid of honour so cant really miss it) dd will be 3 months old and I will be away from Fri-Sunday.

She will take a bottle of expressed milk so that is no problem, however, I am wondering if being away from her for so long and just expressing will effect my milk supply? Is it likely she could 'forget' how to bf once established? I am worrying about this already as she is doing great and dont want anything to ruin it....at the same time, cant really let my best friend down.

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 03/10/2010 21:06

personally, i could have left a 3 month old for that long, esp not while breastfeeding

you're going to get quite uncomfy and will need to express quite a bit....

is there no way you can cut it short at all? or take your husband and baby with you (obviously they wouldn't come out with you, but they could be at the hotel?)

poppydog10 · 03/10/2010 21:21

I think 3 nights away is a long time with a 3 month old. You would need to express loads in advance to leave enough milk and you would need to express very regulary including several times in the night. I went away for one night for my anniversary when dd was this age and became very engorged and uncomfortable even though I tried to express regularly. It was hard though as I didn't want to be expressing, I wanted be enjoying myself. Also, I missed her terribly and she missed me.

Original poster

Roo83 · 03/10/2010 21:39

Thanks for responses. My mum is having the children (I also have a ds who is 2.5) so would be difficult for them all to come with us. The hen do is in ireland so with flights I dont think I couldcut it short.

I dont mind expressing every few hrs while I'm there (I went away for one night to a wedding when ds was the same age) and hopefully she will be sleeping through by then so wont need to get up in night (though I will take my breast pump out with me). Do you think its possible to keep my supply up this way? And is she likely to take the breast when I get back?

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thisisyesterday · 03/10/2010 21:51

impossible to say tbh. some babies, like my ds1, like the bottle and will refuse breast, or at least be very, very fussy.
she might be fine though.

as poppydog says, you would need to express in the night too,
i certainly wouldn't expect a 3 month old to be sleeping through tbh, so it could be a lot of work for your mum.

ClimberChick · 04/10/2010 01:31

3 days I think is certainly getting into dodgy territory where the chances of a nursing strike on your return are significant. I was away for 14hours at 12 weeks and we had a 3 day strike on my return (this was with her being used to daily bottles with no problems). She won't 'forgot' how to latch, she just probably won't want to.

As for expressing, I think you should express for at least every missed meal to keep supply up. Maybe might take a few days of increased feeding when your back as well. If you have a single pump this will get tedious very quickly and tbh good intentions aside, it's very hard t drag yourself off to express when there's a lot of fun going on. It's amazing how quickly 3 hours comes around. You could try and boost your supply beforehand by introducing extra expressing sessions into your routine.

If you decide to do this you'll need to brief care givers in how to bottle feed a breast fed baby to help avoid strike action and overfeeding.

Can't you take just your DD and leave DS with your mum. One night is completely different to a long weekend.

MigGril · 04/10/2010 07:40

Even if your DD is sleeping throught the night by this age, you will need to pump in the night to help maintain your supply.

This being because babies are far more effecnet then a breast pump, and your hormone are higher at night for producing milk.

organiccarrotcake · 04/10/2010 17:18

NOOOOOO don't do it.

I don't get engorged easily
I don't leak
DS1 took a bottle and went back to the breast without a problem
My milk supplu stays stable pretty much no matter what I do
I don't suffer from mastitis
With DS1 I could express quickly and easily.

I write about it now but I did exactly this - Friday to Sunday at 3 months and despite all the above it was sheer hell.

Original poster

Roo83 · 04/10/2010 20:22

Oh dear...looks like I'm going to have to have a massive re-think! She's been such an angel baby so far, no problems feeding etc. I really dont want to do anything to upsett her. Maybe I can persuade my mum to take a holiday in Dublin with us, at least then it would only be the night of the hen do I'd be away from her.

Thanks for all the advice, def. taken on board

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