Worrying about leaving BF 1 yr old for a day

[smallpotato]

I'm due to go to a festival for a day in a month's time, when DD2 will be just turned one. I'll be away all day, returning late at night after she has gone to bed. We booked it months ago and I never dreamed I would have a problem leaving her! I used to quite happily leave DD1 overnight at this age, but then she wasn't BF anymore by then.

She usually BFs about 4 times a day, but often has a little nip whenever she feels like it throughout the day. It's bedtime I'm most worried about - I don't necessarily feed her to sleep, but she does have a big long feed at bedtime which makes her very drowsy. She will take cows milk in a cup (not a bottle) but I doubt it will be as sleep-inducing.

Should I try preparing her now? DH has never put her down to sleep! Perhaps it might be better if I expressed?

I know she will be fine, she'll be with DH and she certainly won't be hungry, she eats like a horse! But I don't want her crying herself to sleep

Well I got DH to put DS to bed for the first time a few weeks ago (he's BF). I didn't expect DS to self settle (I only say that because of your comment about crying herself to sleep). In the end DH cuddled DS - he did call out for me for about 15 minutes then calmed down and fell asleep. So it wasn't too bad.

I also left DS during the day at a similar age. as long your DD is given plenty of food and fluids, she should be ok! Harder for you I expect!

Oh and we didn't do a trial run first!

As a one off, could you cheat by getting them to sleep in a car ride before bed?

I had to do this with my DD1.. as long as she is weaned enough not to "need" the bed time feed which I guess she is at 1, then maybe a car ride in PJ's then sneak her in to bed would be less worry all round?

PS. ^^obvioulsy not a long term strategy!! but might be worth a trial run before hand?

Watching with interest, because our situations are v similar and I feel the same about going to to a uni open day next month. Good luck, whatever you decide.

We have done this often with ds, now nearly 2, up to about 9 months he had expressed milk if I wasn't there but from then he just sat with dh reading stories/singing to sleep. If I'm not there he doesn't seem to miss the milk now. I find it a positive thing as I know he can go to sleep without milk if he needs to! Hth

DH rocks my DS to sleep if I'm out.

He used to offer EBM but DS wasn't fussed about it when I wasn't there.

You might want to express a bit for comfort when you're out - although when I went back to work at 11 months and DS missed 5 feeds, my pump broke and I managed without expressing (although I looked like Pamela Anderson when I got back!)

I had to stay away over night with work when daughter was 13 months old. I needed to express a bit to avoid boob explosion, but daughter coped absolutely fine and without tantrums (continued to bf for another 5 months after that)

Thanks everyone- susiesheep, it did cross my mind that he could take her out in the pushchair then leave her asleep in the hallway til I get home! But we have 3yo DD1 too and I think she might not be so agreeable to walking the streets in her PJs at 8pm .

We decided to start off slowly so tonight I BF her downstairs then DH took her up to bed sleepy but awake, and she went off without a peep! Maybe tomorrow we'll see if she'll drink some milk with him if I stay out of the way. It would be great to get to the point where I don't have to always be the one to put her to bed.

Thanks everyone- susiesheep, it did cross my mind that he could take her out in the pushchair then leave her asleep in the hallway til I get home! But we have 3yo DD1 too and I think she might not be so agreeable to walking the streets in her PJs at 8pm .

We decided to start off slowly so tonight I BF her downstairs then DH took her up to bed sleepy but awake, and she went off without a peep! Maybe tomorrow we'll see if she'll drink some milk with him if I stay out of the way. It would be great to get to the point where I don't have to always be the one to put her to bed.

I'd say just do it.