expressing and storage without a fridge

[Elfi35601]

Hi everyone, I'm 6 months pregnant with my first and really want some help with my question to stop me worrying! I live in New Zealand but have to travel to the UK for a conference on 17/18 March. I'm due on 15 Feb, so am likely to be travelling with a baby a few weeks old. I'll be on my own, but the company is paying for premium economy so I hope that will help. Also, I have my parents in the UK who will stay at the same hotel as me to look after baby during the conference.

My question is this - how best to feed baby? I plan to breastfeed, but I don't think the room has a fridge. I read that you can store breastmilk for 6-8 hours at room temp. Will I be able to express enough do you think, whilst feeding as well, in the morning before the conference (9am start) to last through to 6-8 hours later? I'm hoping I can feed or express over lunchtime as well (45 minute break, think I could eat a sandwich at the same time as feeding?!), and then again afterwards (maybe by about 5.30pm).

Is the above even possible? I have no idea and am finding the uncertainty quite stressful. I understand of course that there plenty of variables involved, but just after a sense of whether this could work, or if I should give up on this idea and have formula made up for those two days?

Thanks!

You say the conference is your one chance to change things for the better - what happens if you can't go? Do you lose that opportunity? Or will someone be able to step into your place at the last minute?

It sounds like not only do you have to attend the conference but be on top form to put forward your case?

For the first few weeks after giving birth I was brain-meltingly exhausted like I have never experienced - I honestly thought I'd never be able to think straight again. I distinctly remember trying to read the instructions for assembling a breast pump (which really couldn't have been any simpler, a five year old could have done it) and just staring and staring at them completely unable to process the information.

I was also a hormonal wreck unable to think about anything else other than my baby. I remember letting DH take the baby out for a little bit (round the block in the pram) in the early weeks to give me a rest, and then pacing by the window until they were back.

I have a job working for a cause I'm really passionate about, so I get where you are coming from but honestly in the first couple of months after having a baby I couldn't have cared less about it (which surprised me greatly!).

So what I meant to say was if you are that committed to the cause I'd think hard about whether you are actually going to be in a position to do it justice by attending the conference?

Please listen to what everyone is saying. Giving birth is not a walk in the park, even if you have an easy birth, baby is on time and breastfeeding is well established, to take a two week old baby on such a long flight will be utter hell for you both. You really should cancel, I understand how much you want to go but even with a private jet and a 24 hour nanny I still wouldn't ( and indeed couldn't) have done it.

Gosh. I have to say I also think it's a bad idea. At 2 weeks post birth I genuinely didn't know up from down. I was also crying constantly - and I am NOT a crier usually!

I have also done the UK to NZ trip with babies of varying ages. It's a hard enough trip without a baby. Please reconsider OP!

Hi,

I would echo what others have said and ask if the trip is essential? When you are looking at your little baby, you have these hormones which kick in that mean you really do not want to be away from this little person.

I had an easy pregnancy and labour (although she was 4 weeks early). I didn't plan for her arriving early, although I did have a bag packed. My lady is consistently little miss chilled.

I would consider expressing from birth and using a combination of boob and bottle from birth (although the books recommend 2 weeks). There is a real possibility if you don't that she may refuse the bottle for the time you are at the conference and go without.

I had to use expressed breast milk for the first 7 days to keep her weight up. All babies lose weight after birth (regardless if prem or not) if this can't be maintained you may not be discharged from hospital or may be re-admitted. After discharge it took us until 3 weeks to establish breastfeeding. I think all mums will agree that it takes 2-4 weeks to establish breastfeeding. Most don't go home from hospital with a regime.

Consider do you want to breastfeed? Would giving your baby expressed breast milk alone be enough? (to avoid nipple confusion) My baby uses Mimijumi bottles and I feel they are the best for avoiding nipple confusion. I have used them from the start.

You should try expressing 4-6 times per day for 20-30 minutes to overstimulate your milk. Feed with some and freeze the overstimulation allows to express more than is needed, so someone else can feed your baby. Anything extra can be frozen. As your baby grows it will even out and they will feed more from you, using the extra milk you have made your body produce.

I used the extra milk to allow me to have a guilt free glass of wine!

Although, I am advising the above based on what I did and I had a really small (5lb 8oz) and very easy, easy baby. My friend had a baby who fed hourly and wouldn't have been able to express. She was unable to continue feeding past 8 weeks. My little lady fed every two and a half to 3 hours. She now, at 11 weeks, sleeps up to 6 hours per night. I know I am very lucky with her - I realise how lucky when I listen to other mums.

Overall though I would say don't do the trip for the conference and ask your parents to come to you.

It will make sense when your baby is here.

Since you have lots of advice on how difficult the trip will be, I'll just answer your original question.
It's extremely unlikely that you will be able to express enough each morning to feed for up to 8 hours. Having baby brought to you for feeding is the best bet.
Alternatively, as you say you're arriving a few days before, you could pump and freeze some and take it with you. Can you call the hotel to see if they can help with storage?
I would definitely have formula ready just in case, there's nothing worse than a hungry baby!

Here is my experience with flying with a newborn. Dd was 5 weeks old when we flew from Canada to Germany to visit in laws..
With registering birth and applying for a passport it took us 4 weeks but only because we paid for rush..
At that time I also a had 1 year and 1 month old DS who just started walking..
The birth was quick and good. But I still had a second degree tear because she came so fast.
Anyways at 2 weeks we where still struggling to get a feeding pattern. I was feeding DD every 2 hours. And if I didn't feed her for about 4 hours ( had an appt with DS and DH was watching DD so he made a bottle for her while I was gone) my breast started to hurt and leak. And if you don't express quick enough you can get an infection which will lead to fever (talking from experience)

Before my DS was born I thought breastfeeding is easy you put baby on breast and they will starting sucking. Not true, you have to teach your child

Sorry posted to soon...
You have to teach your child. Some children don't latch good. After a week of DS being a bad latcher I bought a nipple shield as my breast where hurting. I couldn't even touch them...

Well anyways at two weeks I would say it would be very stressful (and don't forget your baby will notice it and will be very unsettled as well) you will still be in pain from the brith regardless if you had a text book birth or not..

At 5 weeks I was stronger but still weak and was still bleeding. The airline was very helpful got a bassinet but my dd hated it. Our flight was 8 for the first flight then waiting time of 3 hours and then a 2 hour flight... And I took my kids two weeks to get used to the time change.. My kids where great during the flight that even someone asked if we our kids joints to smoke because they where so well behaved..

If I would be you I would not fly at two weeks post-birth but if you are getting the flight for free then it is your choice... I will just give you one tip. If you do end up flying just make sure when going up or down that your baby is either sucking on your breast or as a soother in his/her mouth. This way they will not get pressure in their ears...

Good luck.. Hope you will make the right decision.. Two weeks is to early and 5 weeks was ok but still hard..

Are you sure you'll be in a position to perform this important work at the conference given you may be just a few weeks into your first experience of motherhood, will be sleep deprived, potentially still recovering from birth and still establishing breastfeeding? I know some amazing women can do these things but almost everyone I know couldn't have. The shock of new motherhood can be astonishing even when you're prepared and mentally and emotionally it's exhausting. I found new motherhood fairly straightforward and feeding went well but there's no way I could have done what you propose, I just wasn't functioning at my usual level in other areas. Would it not be better to arrange a deputy to go to the conference to ensure they can focus on the work and aren't in the middle of also making the absolutely life altering transition to new parenthood? It sounds like if you cancel at the last minute you'll let people down more than if you plan for someone else to step in now. I know that really sucks, but I think your plan sounds like a terrible idea for your student organisation, let alone you and your baby. I personally couldn't have done it (I gave birth on the UK but travelled to Australia when ds was 4 months, by which point I'd got to grips with feeding and his sleep had got a bit more manageable). Also, at just a few weeks old breastfeeding is not established and if you have your baby bottlefeeding for most feeds a day they may well develop a preference for that over breastfeeding, which isn't the end of the world but is something to bear in mind. I'd arrange for your parents to visit you at Christmas rather than pursue this plan.

I also meant to ask, are you sure this is how you want to spend your baby's first weeks? You have your first newborn baby just once in your life and it's a crazy but special time. You won't get to have that time again in the future. You will manage the feeding, it's possible, but I'd really think carefully about what you give up by going to the conference at this moment in your life.

It is hard. You may just pull it through, but inevitably you feel guilty. Enormous guilt for your baby, for needing to leave him for a full day. Guilt for your organisation, that their views were not represented in best possible way. This, combined with hormonal changes after birth, and you risk postnatal depression, which won't serve anyone.
Really, the posters here are not deliberately negative - they all are mothers who know how overwhelming is to have a newborn! There is a reason why postnatal check ups are at 6 weeks - even after a textbook delivery it is how much it takes to recover after labour.
As for breastfeeding question - that's not going to work the way you suggest. First weeks babies feed almost continuosly, with a lot of cluster feeding. They are building up your supply - so if you don't feed, you need to express with double pump, preferably hospital grade, at least every 3 hours, otherwise your supply will be affected.
It is hard, but why don't you discuss this with the head of your organisation. There is still time to find a person who could do the job and time for a proper handover. I'm sure they will understand and thank you.
Also, please talk to new mothers in real life. Don't read books that tell you that you can put baby onto routine from day 3.
Possibly, instead of spending money on your family staying in a hotel, bottles, sterilisers, formula, etc, these money could be put towards your flight to the UK later in the year, when you are recovered afyer birth, feeding is established and you can come just to stay with your family?

but just after a sense of whether this could work,

No op, sorry but I just cannot see how this would work. I have 2 dcs, ds who is almost two and dd who is 5 months. When ds was born bf was terrible because he was tongue tied, he was still losing weight at 10 days and had to have it snipped at 18 days by which time my nipples were cracked and bleeding. I wasn't going anywhere at 2 weeks. The feelings of being a new mother are completely overwhelming. I promise you won't want to do this and you won't give a shit about work.

With dd I had a great birth- 5 hour labour and no tears. dd bf like a pro and, having done it before, bf went very well. There is still no way I was ready to travel and work. At two weeks dd fed every 90 minutes ish so a gap from 9 to 5.30 with only one pump would have left me bursting and in pain. There's no way I could have expressed alongside feeding either-she fed too often. Even if she didn't feeding and expressing would have increased production and made engorgement even worse. If I'd have had to leave my baby for an hour I would have been very distressed- she would have been inconsolable. Baby's at this age will often not tolerate being put down at all.

I'm sorry at how negative we've all been op, but as we've had new borns we can just see how truly crazy this plan is. If you tell your employer now surely there will be enough time to find a replacement.

The only thing I'd add to the above is that I think it's a pity if your whole pregnancy run in is overshadowed by the anxiety of whether you can fly or not, whether baby will come on time etc. These next few months are important for you, and in a way making a decision not to travel now puts you and your future back where it needs to be - centre stage for you.

I'm really sympathetic to your position, I had a big family event that lined up exactly with the arrival of my baby and considered doing a lot of silly things to try to attend, but in the end I didn't, and once I made peace with that I found I could focus on enjoying being pregnant and meeting my new baby. They are real newborns for such a short time...

I really respect your desire to do the right thing, but on this occasion suggest the right thing is to look after you and yours. I know that would be really hard after doing all the research and planning so much about the trip you might make. Once you get past this decision you can plan round the rest, and your family and colleagues will support you I'm sure in prioritising the needs of you and your new baby.

Good luck xxx