When did you first leave your breast-fed baby and miss a few feeds?

[Jane7]

Obviously leaving expressed milk for someone else to give. My LO is three months and I've got a wedding when he's four and a half months. He's taken EBM from my cleaning lady a couple of times. He drinks it, that's not the problem, but he makes a bit of a fuss and it doesn't comfort and settle him like a boob does. I want to go to this wedding and miss a couple of afternoon feeds. How did you manage this for the first time? Do you just take the plunge, leave the house and hope that whoever is left with baby and EBM gets on ok?

Can't you take your baby with you?

I had DD babysat by that age. It's easiest on both of you if you build up gradually, but I didn't have any problems. You can go upstairs for a nap, for example and leave the baby with someone downstairs, then go to the coffee shop around the corner, you get the idea. I'd recommend taking plenty of breast pads to the wedding though, just in case.

thanks tittlemouse, good tips, hadn't thought about the inevitable watermelon boobs.
horton - the reception is in a bar and it's just basically a baby-unfriendly event. but regardless of specifics of this occasion, i'm keen to know about people's success story leaving baby and EBM in general as it's something I'm going to have to do more of as I start work again soon.

No problem.
I have to admit that by that age I enjoyed the odd afternoon/evening away from DD.

I'm sure your baby will be fine if he is already happy about taking a bottle, was just wondering if taking him was an option as sometimes I found that was less stressful for everyone!

My daughter wouldn't take a bottle but did drink from a cup, and I left her for five hours three times a week when she was nearly six months as I had to go back to work (part-time). I did several trial runs before the big day, leaving her for progressively longer periods of time and she was and is absolutely fine.

I left my bf baby at 5 weeks to go to work. I'd be out the house for about 6 or 7 hours at a time.

I'd leave 2 or 3, 4oz bottles of expressed milk, or formula if I couldn't express enough. By 16 weeks we were back to exclusive breastfeeding and as soon as she was well established on solids (by about 19 weeks - 9 years ago we were advised to start weaning at 16 weeks) and was eating well I would just leave her with water while I was out.

We carried on bf for 18 months.

I first left DS when he was 4 months old and settling into nursery for me to go back to work.

As you say, a bottle wasn't the same comfort as boob, but he was fine about it if I wasn't there. I bf exclusively for 6 months, expressed for daytime feeds till 14 months, and bf till 23 months - working ft.

You'll be fine at the wedding - feed right before you leave or express, and hand express down the loo to relieve pressure (disabled loo best for less sound) whilst there