Training day at 5.5months! Possible?

[japhrimel]

I really need to go on a training course for my work when my ebf DD will be 5.5 months. I think she'll be okay as she'll take EBM in a bottle, I usually have a stash in the freezer and I should be able to get DH to work from home that day. But, I'm really worried about needing to pump when away! As it's a training course, there'll be little time for pumping and possibly no facilities/private space other than the ladies loo. And as it's all day in London, I'll be gone a long while.

How often, roughly, do 5.5 month olds feed?

If I pump as little as I can for comfort, is it likely to affect supply or cause mastitis at that stage?

I've always used electric pumps. Are manual pumps silent and easy to use? I'm thinking that if I do have to pump in the loo, I really won't want to be sitting in a cubicle with my noisy electric pump making everyone wonder WTF I'm doing. I don't have an issue pumping & dumping as it's just one day so the hygiene aspect of expressing in the loo doesn't bother me. Probably won't help me relax to express loads though!

tbh you'ld probablly et away with not pumpin and just carryin breast pads

manual pumps are not quiet

My DS is 23 weeks and I'd say he feeds roughly 8 times in 24 hours if that's any help? But they are all so different tbh I'd worry about it closer to the time if its a while off. Depending on how long you'll be apart I'd say you probably will need to pump for comfort - I think I could probably last about 6 hours before feeling uncomfortably full... again, different for everyone.

I wouldn't think supply would be an issue at this stage not for one day, you may need to up the feeds for a couple of days after perhaps? Mastitis should only be an issue if you don't pump and end up with blocked ducts as a result.

Please note I have no experience of any of this as have a bottle refusnik and so haven't been away from him for longer than about 2 1/2 hours!

Oh, meant to say, where is the course? Could you ring the venue and ask about facilities? If its a hotel I have heard (on here I think) of them allowing the use of an empty room for expressing. There may be an unused meeting room or even a room especially for this purpose .

I went back to work at 5.5 months and continued to ebf. I was pumping about x3 a day in work. I had a course at 7 months and got the organiser to arrange pumping facilities. I'd ask as your employer has to facilitate bf. You'll be fine. Hth.

Hi. I was recently in this position when DD was 5 months. I rang the hotel in advance and the let me use a room in their spa they were great about it. It's definitely worth ask the venue.

Most babies that age eat about every four hours though I know my DD eats more often than that. When I was away she ate less often and dh didn't use much milk at all - so don't defrost too much!

If you are going to try a different pump practise with it at home first. I can't get anything out with my hand pump at all. It's quiet but useless.

Thanks all. Sounds okay for the training day...I've now been offered a week's work (I do a mix of self-employed & charity work) but I think that's a ll other thread.