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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

When can I take a weekend away from my bf DS, 7mo.?

13 replies

RoRoMommy · 07/11/2007 15:08

I could really use some time to myself and would love a weekend away, but when can I realistically do this since DS is bf? I work m-f and he takes a bottle during the day, but won't he have withdrawls from the boob? As it is he eats little during the day, then tanks up at night when I am there to bf.

Any advice? I'd got LOADS of EBM in the freezer, so supply is not a problem. Thanks in advance!

OP posts:
SugaryBits · 07/11/2007 15:11

I went away for the weekend leaving my 17 month old. Although alot older, he has never had a bottle at all so I was worried he wouldn't cope. He was absolutely fine, drank lots of water and milk from a cup and didn't seem to miss me at all! The minute he saw me he wanted a feed though!

Original poster
RoRoMommy · 07/11/2007 15:16

Thanks, Sugary! Unfortunately I am not sure I can wait that long! Was that the first time you left him for a couple of days?

OP posts:
mcnoodle · 07/11/2007 15:22

I left DS for a weekend when he was about 8 months. It was my friends hen weekend and I couldn't miss it. I was pretty apprehensive because I hadn't left him at all until then, was bf and rubbish at expressing. I managed to stash away enough EBM for the weekend, left strict instructions with DH and spent a fantastic weekend in Poland having spa treatments galore. It was just what I needed. The only thing that got in the way of my hedonism was the need to rush to my room every few hours and express enough to stop my boobs exploding. Not easy to do when you're drunk and are crap at it anyway.

Go away - enjoy yourself, DS will cope, you will miss him and it will be gorgeous when you get back.

sagitta · 07/11/2007 15:24

Go for your weekend away! You have lots of milk in the freezer, he can take a bottle, and you sound like you need time off. Why don't you experiment by not BFing, but using expressed milk for a day or two and see how he copes?
I went away when DD was seven months - and I stopped breastfeeding then too. Never felt better Go and enjoy, is my advice!

Original poster
RoRoMommy · 07/11/2007 15:24

Thanks McN! So, DS was fine, came back to the breast without hesitation (i.e., no unintentional weaning issues) and you were able to pump without any engorgement or discomfort or lasting effects?

OP posts:
Original poster
RoRoMommy · 07/11/2007 15:25

Thanks Sagitta, just out of curiosity, did the weekend away have anything to do with your stopping bf? I really want to continue so don't want weekend away to hurt the bf relationship...

OP posts:
lemonaid · 07/11/2007 15:34

I went away for a week (with work, sadly, not nice relaxing weekend, although I did get to sleep) when DS was 13 months.

If you have oodles of expressed milk and he'll take a bottle and you express while you;re away to build up supply I think you could do it now. Probably better now, in fact, (assuming you want to keep bf) than in that 9-11 month period when you can often get the pseudo-self-weaning / pickiness about nursing phase.

mcnoodle · 07/11/2007 15:35

DS didn't bat an eyelid. He was happy to feed straight away and my supply sorted itself out really quickly. I did get a bit engorged whilst away, but just pumped enough to relieve the discomfort. I'm still feeding him (sporadically) and he's 2.4 years, so clearly one weekend off made no difference at all.

Who will look after DS if you go away? I felt totally happy leaving him with DH (and instruction booklet to rival an Ikea flatpack) but not sure I could have left him with anyone else - maybe GP's at a push.

Get packing woman

mcnoodle · 07/11/2007 15:38

By now you shouldn't need to express to maintain supply, just to relieve discomfort. Your supply is well established and will not dry up in 2-3 days. DS will get it sorted out when you get back. I posted almost the exact same message as you before I went away and received lots of reassurance about expressing/continuing to feed on return - and lots of jealous comments from people who wanted a spa weekend!

sagitta · 07/11/2007 15:44

No, it wasn't do to with stopping BFing... just a happy conincidence. Enjoy your weekend!

Original poster
RoRoMommy · 07/11/2007 17:03

[sounds of frantic packing]

Thanks so much! Erm, now where to go...

OP posts:
cmotdibbler · 07/11/2007 19:43

I first went away for the night when DS was just under 6 months, working up to a full week when he was 9 1/2 (it's always for work that I'm away). I express at each feed time as much as possible, and supply and going back to bf has never been a problem. DS is, if anything, more enthusiastic on my return. DH did manage to night wean him last week (DS is 17 months old), but the first thing DS did when he saw me was lift my tshirt to check that his num nums were still there.

chipmonkey · 07/11/2007 20:16

Powerscourt Springs, Co Wicklow, Ireland.

One MNer, Prettybird I think, went away skiing for a week when her ds was 6 months old. She froze all her expressed milk while away and brought it home in a big cooler bag.

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