Can I resume breast feeding my 5 month old DD after a 10 2 week break?

[SweetLikeChocolate]

My DD is coming up for 6 months and breast feeding her is a joy. She does happily take a bottle as I work part time so on average she will have a formula feed once a day in my absence but the rest is boob. I really enjoy it and so does she and I would like to continue to breast feed perhaps til she is weaned. However I need to travel for 2 weeks in the beginning of July (she will have just turned 7 months) and I won't be taking her with me. I was wondering how viable it would be for me to pump just am and pm whilst away (time zone changes and my schedule will make pumping at regular feed times impossible) and then resume feeding on my return? Will I have milk on my return? Will she reject my boobs? Will I be too engorged to focus on my work? If I wind my feeding down a little for a week before I go would that help? Or would that make it harder for me to build up supply again when I get back? Help!

If you want to try and resume breastfeeding on your return, you'll need to express regularly while away to keep your milk supply going.

I couldn't get breastfeeding established with DS, so he was fed on mostly expressed breastmilk, until we started weaning. I found that the only way to make sure we'd have enough expressed breastmilk for him was to express after almost every bottle feed DS had.

When I only expressed once a day for a few days due to illness, my milk supply fell right off and took a few days, with extra expressing sessions, to recover.

I'd guess the same sort of principle would apply for you maintaining your breastmilk supply.

But no idea on the boob rejection.

I'm no expert, just another BFing mum and I'm a complete novice pumper but I would've thought that at 7 months your supply is very established, whether pumping twice a day would keep blocked ducts at bay is a consideration I suppose but hopefully an expert will be along who can answer properly.

Thanks guys. My feeding is very established and I am lucky in that i have had no problems with supply or mastitis thus far. Occasionally I can get low on one side if she is having a growth spurt but it will rectify within a feed or too. But 2 weeks is a long time to stop for and I know that I shall only be able to pump twice a day and as I will be in Asia, those times will not be usual feed times. ....

I've just re-read your first post, if you do decide to wind down feeding doing it just the week before will be too fast and I think would put you at risk of engorgement and blocked ducts etc. I'm hazy on the law but I think under the equality act your employers are obliged to allow you breaks and a room to pump in when you need to; to not do so is putting your health at risk so perhaps worth talking to them and see if they can sort something out for while you're away. 2 months is loads of notice and the last thing you and them will want is you getting mastitis whilst you're away. I think there's more I thought of but DD needs feeding so will be back later providing I don't forget

Thank you for the advice. I am the boss so in theory I can pump but in practice I will be running from meeting to meeting and keeping teams of people waiting should I keep popping to the loo to pump. Also the law is one thing but practise is another and as I am not an employee I don't get the upsides! Bit worried about it really! I don't want to stop breast feeding and will be so sad if I get back and have no milk left.

I think you are great! Obviously you must go, and imo if you want to keep up supply, I wouldn't wind down feeding before you go. (Unless you are happy to just feed am and pm when you return.) I would feed as usual and express when you can when away. I do think you will leak, and let down lots (my own exp from returning to work full time), so bring plenty of pads. Be really vigilant about any pain, and try to relieve any engorgement - hand express, quick trip to loo is all it would take. Have muslin cloths handy to express into if you are not near a loo! But I would try to do proper express when you have time. It's a difficult one for you, and I can understand you don't want to stop feeding altogether!
Alternatively reduce feeding gradually now to twice daily, and express twice daily when away, then continue on twice daily when you come back. Really not sure about the refusal though- that's anyone's guess really!

Thank you. Perhaps that's a good solution.... I guess that is quite realistic as at least am and pm feeds will go on for a year or so and I will be working more and more as time goes on and I get back into my groove. It is a hard balance!

Would it be viable, the day you get back to spend it completely alone with baby? If you spend the whole day, just the two of you, minimal solid feeds and lots of skin to skin (play in the bath togeter, cuddle in bed no top on etc) offer the boob as often as possible. This should bring your supply back up quickly, similar to when they have a growth spurt. Pump as often as possible while away and freeze it if you can to bring home (no point wasting and can replace some formula feeds?) Good luck with it all