EBF baby and night out, how to do?

[Sorrelia]

Hi, I thought I would come here to take some advice as to how to be able to have an evening out with an EBF baby.

My baby is EBF and there is a night out (birthday) that I said I would attend in September. Baby will be three months old.

Baby has never taken any bottle or formula.

I basically need to manage sorting out our baby, feed wise, for a few hours so I can get to the birthday and back. So I would say one feed as she feeds every two/three hours.

This is my second daughter but I have never done it with my first DD so I don't know how to.proceed.

How would you do so I don't mess up my supply and so I don't have a hungry baby at home? Express in a bottle? But if.so, how much do I express, how would I even know? Is formula easier?

I would be grateful for the advice from.more experienced mums, thanks a lot.

At 3 months they take roughly 1floz per hour so if you're out for 8 hours I'd leave a minimum of 8 Floz.

Personally I never had any success with bottles and formula but could leave them for a bit with some EBM and a cup.

I think your biggest problem might be getting her used to you not being there.

Who will be looking after her whilst you're out?

Well that's the thing @PolaroidPrincess , a trusted babysitter who would take care of our toddler and of our three months baby. It was supposed to be my DH but he has a last minute business trip.
It would be for a few hours and I trust this babysitter who is experienced and works in a nursery.
Still makes me anxious though, don't like the idea of.leaving my baby so young. And I don't know how to do it breastfeeding wise, it's been difficult to establish so I'm worried to end.up.engorged or have an unsettled baby at home because I don't.leave enough.
Then I might be overthinking the whole thing massively.

I'm worried to end.up.engorged

Look up how to express by hand and have a practice at home. If you get really uncomfortable you can always nip to the loo and express some out.

have an unsettled baby at home because I don't.leave enough.

Leave enough for the calculation I gave earlier then done ready made formula in cartons maybe as a back up? Also leave a T-shirt that you've worn or DH has worn. Babies are very sensitive to smell. The babysitter might find feeding her easier if she had your T-shirt over her shoulder.

Also practice leaving her with others.

If DH is around this weekend get him to take her out for an hour after a feed and nappy change and build it up so that you can leave her when a feed is due

I had to leave ds1 for a funeral when he was that age (it would have been impossible to bring him and impossible for me to miss it).

He was fine staying with my dad for a few hours and also happy to take a bottle of ebm but I'd had lots of problems with latch so he was used to bottles and I was used to expressing.

The biggest issue for me was engorgement so I would reconsider the amount of time you're away if you can. You'll need to take a pump with you and express in the toilets and use heavy duty breast pads. Also dress with an eye on what it would look like if you leak, so maybe a couple of layers and no fabrics that will show big dark circles.

It's definitely doable but get practicing now with expressing and bottles as you might find you can't get much out and need to store up a supply over a few sessions to get a couple of bottles for your time away.

I've just realised your original post didn't mention the amount of time and 8 hrs was just from another poster as an example.

I was away about 4 hours, fed immediately beforehand and then as soon as I got back and didn't have to express in between but I was feeling uncomfortable towards the end so I would say that would be the limit for me.

Thank you very much @ditalini and @PolaroidPrincess, I will train leaving her when a feed is due and I actually think I am going to go with leaving formula and skipping a feed, I don't think that would end up in mastitis as bf is established now and I will only be at the event for 3 hours max, so 4 hours in total. Except of you have done it and think the better option is breast milk in a bottle and backup formula.

If you're happy to give formula and she takes it then that's definitely easier, but you'll likely still find you're very, very full skipping an occasional feed because your body won't be used to it.

You don't need to express a full feed though, just enough for you to be comfortable.

I found that when ds slept longer and I got engorged I could be at risk of blockages/mastitis overnight because of pressure lying down so watch out for that if you don't feed her when you get home and then go to bed fuller than you would usually be. I was particularly prone to it though so had to really be careful.

Thank you @ditalini I'm happy to give formula on a one off so I guess my best plan is: feed immediately before I.leave the flat, give the babysitter a backup formula in a bottle, take a hand pump with me if and when I get uncomfortable during the party (express just what I need to relieve), stay for a max of 4 hours, feed.immediately.when I get home.

Do you agree based on your experience?

Gosh I never thought having a drink with friends would get so difficult at this stage in my life :D

That sounds a good plan! Have a great time :-)

Hi!
It is a bit of an ordeal having to plan so much just for a few hours but my advice would be just to do a small amount of pumping every day after every other feed, until you have enough milk, but not to pump on the days just prior to the wedding as this will increase your chances of engorgement at the wedding.
You'll need approx 30ml per hour.
Alternatively, I would suggest using a silicone hakkaa pump in the morning during a morning feed to catch your let down and this will get you approx 30ml for very little effort (can vary) and it reduces risk of engorgement from electric pumping. You can freeze the milk each morning in breast milk freezer bags and you'll have a handy stash of ebm that is easily defrosted.
The haakaa is great for gradually building a lil stash.
Does your baby take soothers? If baby takes soother then less chance of gagging on bottle but I would do a test run with a bottle so your child minder will have a heads up if cup feeding is needed instead.

It’s not really going to help you now, but I’ve always introduced one bottle a day since birth with all 3 of mine to ensure they can take a bottle ok if I needed them to in an emergency. As yours has never taken a bottle yet, there is the risk that they won’t feed from one. Personally I have always used formula for that one feed and I usually end up with a gap of about 7 hours in between breastfeeds. I’ve had no issues but obviously my supply has now adjusted for that. I would do what others have suggested and leave formula and just hand express a little whilst out if you get uncomfortable. You may want to see if your lo will actually take from a bottle before you leave them. I left my 3 month old this week for the first time to go out for dinner for a couple of hours. I fed before I left at half 7 and then was back home by 10 when she would normally have her bottle anyway. Hope it all goes well and you have a good night 😀

I’d want to be absolutely certain my baby would take a bottle first.

Both of mine were breastfed. We waited until 6 weeks with DS1 to try bottles and he was having none of it, either formula or EBM. We gave a bottle of formula a day to DS2 from 2 days old and he still rejected the bottle from about 3 months. If you haven’t already introduced a bottle I’d do it asap.

I’d want to be absolutely certain my baby would take a bottle first

Neither of mine would take a bottle but I still managed to leave them and later, return to work.

Cup feeding is absolutely fine as an alternative to BFing. Especially if it's just for an occasional feed. BF babies simply don't need to huge quantities of milk that a FF baby has to consume so will be fine drinking a couple of Floz of EBM from a cup.