Will my breastmilk dry up if I don't breastfeed for 2 days?

[shepster]

After battling through with mixed feeding for the first 6 months, I have been exclusively BF my son since he was about 7 months old. He has now turned 1, and I am still BF. I love it, and I'm/we're not ready to replace it with cow's milk yet, but I have a dilemma. I'm expected to go away next month for 2/3 days on holiday (ahem, a hen weekend) without my son, and I am concerned that this will spell the end of BF for us. I have never had much luck expressing and wonder if anyone can offer any information/advice. I feel like my supply is finally great. Now that BF is firmly established, will this keep my supply from dwindling rapidly? Any thoughts are most appreciated.

It's probably not what you want to hear but if you don't breastfeed or express for two days, i would think it would affect your supply. It may not dry up totally but may cause it to dwindle. You will also have very sore and engorged boobs which is the last thing you want if you are trying to enjoy yourself! Why don't you get on with expressing?

My worry with you would be that you had problems early on. Milk supply is usealy well established by this age and most mum's wouldn't have a problem missing a day or two (idealy with some expressing). But as you mixed fed early on it maybe a little more tricky for you.

Not expressing will effect your supply but this can often be brought back up when you return by feeding. Milk doesn't tend to dry up over night at such a late stage as when baby's self wean they will often go a few day's between feeds without a problem.

Have you tried hand expressing before? I have always been useless at expressing but it wasn't untill my seconed that I learn to hand express and I can actually get a good 4oz this way when my little boy has missted a feed. Sometimes it work's better then a pump.

Thanks for the replies. I don't think I actually did have a problem with supply, but the neonatal unit convinced me I had (long story, won't go into details) and so encouraged me to add a bottle. At any rate, I have not tried hand expressing and will look into this. Seems a lot easier than having to faff with a machine (handheld pump did not work for me either.) I'll just see how it goes. Missing a hen weekend, if need be, though would not be the end of the world.

Many thanks!

Hi- just want to add that I thought I couldn't express well either. Then I was separated from ds for about 4 hrs. I then had no trouble expressing that missed feed! I was so delighted about this - I got around 6 oz within 10 mins!! So although you may not be able to express ' extra' it's very probable that you will express any missed feeds. It helps to look at photos of your dc, close your eyes and visualize the milk flowing and dc suckling. Also deep breaths to relax you. A manual pump or hand expressing works for me- enjoy your weekend!!

No your milk won't dry up, but you may feel very uncomfortable. Depends on how much you feed.
I feed DD2 for years and she'd go several days without bothering to BF when she was older.

I just went on a hen weekend without my DD for 2/3 days. My DD is 7 months old and still feeds 5-6 times a day. I did express twice a day whilst I was away, however my breasts really weren't that uncomfortable and I might have got away with less than that - it was nothing like if I had stopped bfing in the early days when missing a feed meant hot and swollen boobs.

I didn't notice any drop in supply when I got back so you might get away with it too if you can find a way of relieving any pressure that does build up. I never tried hand expressing. I am no expert on breastfeeding, just thought you might like to hear my experience.

As an aside, I had an absolutely BRILLIANT time on the hen weekend, massively overdue me time and I came back feeling very refreshed. Hope you work it out.

I would recommend sitting in a warm shower while hand expressing the warm water gets it flowing out easyer. But if you do express make sure you empty them completely as theirs the risk of mastitis. Expressing will keep your milk supply up but if you honestly cant express maybe get some fenegreek and blessed thistle tablets or tea which increasing milk supply and take them from the day you get back and drink plenty of water your milk supply should pick up :)

Thanks so much everyone. That has really heartened me. I'm even beginning to think I might enjoy myself on the hen weekend. Of course, leaving my son for 2 days (a huge stretch for me!) will temper that. I'm being cheeky by asking a related question now, but do you think it would be a good idea to reintroduce my son to a bottle (with formula/milk) in the weeks before I leave, just to get him used to it again? Or just go cold turkey and have my partner provide the milk as and when DS needs it? I'm tempted to go cold turkey, or perhaps offer him a bottle a day or two before I go, just so he doesn't suddenly develop a preference for it!

I could nearly guarantee he won't develop a preference for the bottle. I kept a weekly bottle on the go from the early days so that when I returned to work I wouldn't have any issues.... Back at work and lo and behold... He monkeys around with the bottle for the cm and practically de-robes me when I come home.

Maybe a weekly or one every other day given by dh would be worth trying? I really don't think it would give dc a preference for the bottle and you could be reassured that dc will take it when you are away. If possible, could you mix bm with formula if you are unable to express enough- that way the taste won't be so unfamiliar ?