Will baby self-wean? Going away for 3 nights.

[FrozenNorthPole]

Okay, I'm taking the plunge and attending a conference for 3 nights in Sept. DD2 is 18 months, and I've never spent a night away from her. She feeds frequently in the evening / night but spends all day at nursery without feeding so we know she 'can' do 12 hours without the breast ...

I'm so torn. I really can't take her with me to the conference - it is hours away, and no childcare. But I can't bear the idea that this will be the end of our feeding relationship ...

Do you think she'll forget how to suckle with this kind of gap? Any experiences one way or another appreciated.

NB - to keep my supply going I'll express milk whilst I'm away and even if she weans I'll feed her expressed milk .. but I really, really hope that we can keep the feeding relationship alive.

Bump - anyone?

At that age DH regularly took DS away for 2/3/4 nights - he kept feeding when we were both at home until he self weaned at about 2.2yo

I never expressed when he was away, he just carried on like normal when he was back

Thank you moaningminnie - that's encouraging! One reason I'd keep expressing is that I normally express during the working day so that DD1 (nearly 3) can have some (as she points out, it wouldn't be sharing otherwise )

I bfed ds3 and ds4 till they were two and about three times a year would leave them for 3 nights or so. Both kept right on feeding when I came back! In fact ds4 was only five months old on one occasion and he still fed immediately when I came back.
I always expressed while away. If they were under one, I brought a double pump, if over one, I made do with a single pump.

DD1 was away for 2 nights while I was in labour, she was 28 months so a bit older but she was right back to BF within an hour of getting home.

It will probably be fine, I did 2 x 4 night business trips at around 18m and DS, although a little unsettled, was fine with DH and was clambering all over me the minute I walked in the door for a feed.

HTH

Agree with others, both dd and ds went back to feeding after work trips of between 2-5 days; right from 3months old til 2.6
Sure you will be fine.

I went away for a weekend when DS3 was about this age - I expressed the first day or so (or may have exploded!) but didn't bother on the last day. Got home and DS3 just started feeding again, no problem and we carried on for the next 6 months or so

Oh and about expressing, I definitely needed to, I was v full and quite sore/engorged, so make sure you pack pain killers and breast pads....these are fab and v v discrete....
lilypadz

I was away for 2 nights when DD was 20 months. It made no difference to her feeding.

Thank you all! Really reassured now, and beginning to look forward to a few child-free days of going to the toilet on my own etc. Thanks also for the advice on the painkillers and pads - a let-down in the middle of my conference talk would be highly humiliating.

Oh definitely enjoy the freedom I had so much fun on my trips, Both with uninterrupted nights sleep and some