breastfeeding advice needed

[bearsarah]

Hi,
My little girl is 3 weeks old and I'm planning to breastfeed for 6 months. In October I will need to go to a meeting and stay overnight, my partner will come with us and take care of her during the day, the meeting will be about 7 hours. Just wondering about the logistics of feeding whilst I'm at the meeting. I presume I won't be able to give her expressed breast milk as we won't be able to keep it cool? Is formula an option just for that day? She will be about 3 months old.

Also, the meeting is for me to take on a short bit of extra work whilst on mat leave, 1-2hours a day for 5 weeks. Am I crazy to try and manage that with a 3 month old? I have no idea what to expect at that stage!
Thanks!

Bring is different for everyone, so only you will know if you can deal with taking on extra work.

I'm not trained, and don't have any experience of this type, so I've asked mnhq to move this thread to infant feeding where, hopefully, you'll get someone who has

Congratulation on your new lo too

Because EBM is sterile it's actually fine to be out the fridge for 24 hours at normal room temperature and still use. Found this out from my health visitor after moaning about forgetting to put my EBM in the freezer the night before and just poured it down the sink in the morning. She said no need and explained the 24hr rule. So just take your steriliser- have you got a cold water one? That would be easiest in case hotel room doesn't have a microwave.

Or you could take one use, sterile bottles.

That's fine. Your dh can give her formula carton or expressed in a bottle. I would get a bottle shortly though so dh can give the odd one from now so he and baby are used to it. Can express just 2oz or give 2oz from a carton once a week or so,so both used to it. ( carton 8oz so just tip away the rest if not used in 2hrs out fridge)

Recommend nuk glass bottle with latex teat. Small one fine as can just top up if needed but most breastfed babies don't down 8oz at a time so 4oz bottle more often is better.

In 7hrs presumably you can feed baby just before you leave anyway, so presuming baby feeds by then every 2-3 hrs then that's only 2-3 feeds

I'm not sure about 24 hrs out of the fridge - the rule I was told and followed was 6 hours out of the fridge (and 6 days in it, 6 months in freezer). Either way you should be good.

At 3 months I probably could have done a couple of hours work a day, but I don't think I would have wanted to because then I wouldn't have had any 'me time'.

Just to double check, you aren't being pressured into this at all? By work?

I think there are lots of ways it could work, as others have suggested. Just worth checking you are feeling supported by work and this is all mutually agreed?

You might want to take a breast pump with you, so that you can express during breaks from the meeting if your breasts start getting uncomfortably full of milk. (Unless baby will be at hand during breaks to feed)

Whether taking on extra work is practical depends entirely on your baby and you. I'd have been able to manage that with DS2 at 3 months, but I'd have really struggled doing extra work with DS1 at 3 months.

Either expressed milk (you could express in the morning before you go to the meeting - your supply will be best first thing in the morning anyway) or formula would be fine. The single use cartons are great for use on the go. I've occasionally mix-fed my DD from around about that age to give me some freedom to go out without her, and she's been absolutely fine.
If you haven't already introduced a bottle I'd suggest starting fairly soon, as long as baby is breastfeeding well and comfortably We used the Medela Calma bottle and teat which DD took to wonderfully at about 3 weeks old. It allegedly mimics the breast/nipple so it's easier for baby to switch between the two. We've had absolutely no issues with nipple confusion.
When you go to the meeting remember to bring a pump! You'll have to express (and probably pump and dump as keeping it sterile can be a bit of a pain) every few hours while you're there, both to keep supply up and to keep you more comfortable. I generally use my electric Medela Swing in the bathroom, as it's quick (although I can't imagine what people think I'm doing in the stall with all that whirring noise...)

Thanks for the advice everyone, that makes me feel better. Its a separate thing to my usual job so no pressure from work, just something I would like to do to keep my brain ticking over!

Hi OP, as a previous poster says, there will be lots more people over on Infant Feeding who will be able to give you even more detailed advice on this. Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far. We'll move it over in just a moment.

So she will be about 3 months at the time?

I would start introducing the odd bottle of expressed milk from around 6 weeks so she's used to it. To save hassle later on, give it to her fridge temperature as then she'll be used to it unheatef (there is really no need to warm EBM). Do not leave it too late to introduce the bottle as did may not take to it.

You should be able to express enough milk beforehand for DH to have plenty to feed her throughout the meeting even if you don't manage to bf her during lunchtime. You can freeze EBM (preferably frozen flat in 2oz bags) and then DH can take it with him on the day. As long as he has it in a cool bag it will be fine. If he really needs to defrost one fast, plunging it in a mug of hot water will defrost it within a minute or two.

As chi said, you will need to pump (and probably dump) on the day if you aren't going to be able to feed did in breaks as otherwise you'll be leaking everywhere. I found my handpump was good in similar situations if you don't want to heft around an electric.

Don't worry

I was told the 6 hour/6 days/6 month rule too.

I would recommend Mam bottles and teats; my DS who is 9 weeks (2 weeks corrected) is quite happy taking expressed milk when I have an early night.