maintaining breast feeding and taking the bottle for a week!!!

[teena111]

Hi,

All new to this but wanted to ask advice!!

I have a 6 week old daughter and have a weeks work in June when she'll be 4 and half months old. I cant turn it down as its good money but only catch is its abroad -- in Paris. She is currently exclusively breastfed and is gaining weight very well. I have not expressed yet and havent tried the bottle yet. I was only going to start this at the beginning of May (6 weeks before work) and get husband to give her bottle and start with one a day small amounts to see how it goes and introduce slowly!! I have done lots of reading on here about this but as I will be away completely for a week (not home in evening for feed or there in morning for morning feed)its slightly different.

I am a little anxious and worried that if she takes bottle OK, will she go back to breast after a week? What if she refuses bottle?? I know she wont starve herself but will it effect her me not being there too?? Will she cope without mum for a week!!! Are some 4 and half month olds on solids by then?? I wanted to try to breast feed only till 6 months..Also anxious to how I will cope emotionally!!

I can pump at work to maintain supply.

anyone been away from there little one and breast feeding has continued OK??

Any advice reassurance v.much appreciated...

Is it not possible to take your baby with you, obviously with a carer as well?

I don't have any advice as posted something similar (although much less difficult) yesterday. So you need to:

• introduce a bottle
• introduce formula or start expressing a freezer full of milk now!
• pump whilst you're away
• reintroduce BF on return

I get the need to do your work so not questioning that but my main concern would be the shock of you not being there on your LO, especially as a BF baby (I mean that she's not used to bottles even if she'll take one occassionally ifswim) so you might have to give them quite a bit before.

People reintroduce BF from v low supply and other issues so sure you could figure that out if pumping. I guess you don't know how much you can express.

Current guidelines are to wean around 6 mo so I'd say couple/few weeks either side fine but 4.5 mo a bit early unless there is a medical need (IMO).

Honestly, it sounds like a lot of variables so you need to start planning now; pumping, giving bottles, leaving with dad/others etc. so it's not a total shock for you both.

GL :)

yes..there is the possibility she could come with me with husband...

BUT she;d have to have formula during day and i could see her in the evening for feeds. I couldnt do mornings as we start at 6am and are staying in hotel which they cant stay in due to work paying and room sharing and the cost of them staying there and me paying out weighs the need to work!!!
theres no way of transporting weeks worth of breast milk! plus that means i'd have to introduce formula earlier too and i dont want that!!

i can not do it.. it'll be a shame but you have kinda confirmed what i was thinking!!!

decisions!!

thanks

in July she'll be a bit older, so might not need to feed so often while you're not there.
she shouldn't need formula if you express.
as it's work, they have to let you have somewhere to express during the day (and somewhere to rest) (if it's a UK company)
IE: express that day what you need for the following day (or as much as you can)
If you need top-ups then so be it, but it won't be as much as if you didn't have any expressed milk going. The fact that you'd be expressing will keep your supply tip-top

Plus, your DH could bring her to you at lunchtime for a feed.

"are staying in hotel which they cant stay in due to work paying and room sharing and the cost of them staying there and me paying out weighs the need to work!!! "
why don't you ask your company about paying for your DH to stay in the same hotel as you?
It probably wouldn't even be extra, if the room is charged per room and not per person...

if starting at 6am, it might be worth co-sleeping for the week, too, so she can eat while you sleep

Will email boss now and check about hotel and staying there and tell her my concerns I think..
He couldnt come at lunchtime for feeds as its tight security as its an event and only people with passes can enter and no I cant get one for him!!
Also its an american company!!!
very complicated and maybe more complicated than its worth!! But in these economic times its hard as could do with funds!!

in that case, it's the same rule - they also have the additional rule that it can't be a bathroom that you are given to express in.
and some states have even mroe stringent rules than that.