Going abroad with 6 month old and feeding

[milkmummy1]

Am going to france next month with 6 month old. he will be 6 months a couple of days before we go and if he is ok til then will wean him then. am just thinking about sterilising all the bits and bobs and bottles etc out there. am staying with Mother inlaw who lives in france. would i get some of those tablet things or should i boil up the stuff on a stove?
am gonna have a lot of stuff to take as it is. then again i guess if only just weaned i wont need much feeding equipment by then?

No AF is a def. bonus for carrying on bfing - it itself that has health benefits for you! Mine came back at around 9 months when DS stopped waking in the night to feed very often...but tbh anything is classed as normal as every mum & her baby are unique!

"Life" is a relative term when you have a child imo & they are little for such a short time. There is so much more than feeding involved in looking after a baby so there is plenty others can do to help...nappies, preparing meals, baths etc...heck even just doing some housework to give you a rest ...you can always express occasionally for nights out etc.

I NEVER thought I would still be bfing at 3 years old ...distinctly remember thinking how wierd the toddlers who were feeding at the LLL meeting I went to looked ....but here I am now letting DS self wean (which he shows NO sign of doing at the moment!) & really happy about it. Knowing what I know now about all the stuff that toddlers go through I am really glad I've kept it up as it's been a huge help to still be bfing him...not to mention the comfort it gives me from the health aspects it has for both him & me....If you aren't sure then I would just go with the flow & carry on...it may be that you come to a point where you are definitely sure that you want to stop.....but if there is a nagging doubt then listen to it....like mawbroon said - much easier to stop later than start again.

If you are interested in reading further then highly recommend the extended bfing section in kellymom - 'tis a real eye opener & well worth reading if you are thinking about mother-led rather than baby-led weaning - IMO a decision made with full knowledge of all the issues involved will be one you will be happier in the long term

We travelled with DD at 6 months and used sterilising tablets. Easy to carry and pretty easy to use (although never felt totally sure that the chemically smell meant that everything was sterile ie good, rather than bad).

Used the tablets because no microwave there, but on other occasions before that used microwave sterilising bags (Lindam I think). V. convenient, easy and small for carrying around.

We did wean before we went - hungry baby. Just bought jars and fruit out there - not ideal, but fine for a short time and she reverted to proper food no problem.

My DD is now 8 months old.
I see no sign of my periods returning yet.
Apart from her solid meals she is still exclusively BF, but she usually sleeps through the night without an extra feed.
Some of my friends didn't get them back until they stopped BFing, even if they continued for a year or more. Maybe I'll be like that.
Or maybe they'll never come back!!!

Haven't read all posts but would just add I would not switch to formula before an excursion, bf is so easy. For weaning you could probably just use your MIL's stuff, all you need is a bowl and spoon, pan and IME the best thing was a small seive for pushing well steamed carrots (eg) through. Or would you consider jars? Even better if possible do not wean before hols, I wouldn't. Do you have a microwave streiliser? They are not huga and if you pack it in your case take it apart and pack clothes around it. Or if your MIL has a dishwasher use the top rack without tablets? HTH?

milkmummy1 - for an easy life i would definitely say that it would be easier to continue BF for your holiday and start weaning when you get home. Since you have fantastically managed to BF till 6 months it would be a shame to stop completely now. Once solids are stablished you can start reducing breastfeeds and introducing drinks of water / juice. That in itself will give you more freedom. It is amazing how their needs change as they get older. Well done for feeding for this long already.

Definitely keep bf'ing, it's so much easier. There won't be an problem at all "delaying" weaning by a week ! HArdly even worth calling a delay.

With regards to sterilising your expressing kit, I was told in SCBU/NICU that isn't necessary to sterilise it. It is sufficient to just wash in hot soapy water and allow to air dry. (Might consider washing in hot bottled water if water supply isn't ok to drink from tap).

Have a wonderful holiday.

P.S: France is not in the dark ages, you can buy all your baby gear out there. The only things I couldn't find were nappy sacks, but you can even get the disposable changing mats and disposable bibs