Temporarily stopping (extended) BF - advice please?

[potoroo]

DD is 18 months and is BF first thing in the morning and last thing at night, and the odd one during the day/night if she is unwell.

I have to travel for work in a few weeks and will be away for 5 days.

I think DD will be okay - she's happy to drink cow's milk from beakers, and doesn't 'ask' for breastmilk if I am not there.

I might get some tetra-packs of formula for the early morning feeds (sometimes 5:30am) to save time for MIL/DH and so DD will hopefully go back to sleep.

But does this mean the end of BF for us? Or will I be able to re-start when I get back (assuming DD still wants to). Is it worth taking a pump with me to keep things going?

Also, if DH gives DD formula in the mornings is it better to use stage 1 because she's not had formula before?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Just wondering why you are considering formula for a child well over one. It is much more expensive than cows milk which is all it is really with a few twiddly bits added and I think the protein is modified (happy to be corrected by someone who knows more about FF ). Unless your DD is a really reluctant eater (and I take it she's not from the fact she doesn't bf so much) then she will be fine nutritionally without a breastmilk substitute.

I was away 36 hours - so less time than you. I definitely had to pump as I have a little milk monster who asks for milk a lot. I only left about 120mls in EBM which got drunk. If you don't pump, at least for comfort, you do run the risk of blocked ducts or mastitis. I think your supply will be so secure that you should be OK. PFB went on a two week nursing strike at a similar age and my supply survived absolutely fine and we went on to feed for another year (I did pump about 4 times a day).

Sorry should clarify I pumped four tiems a day while PFB was on a nursing strike and about the same (can't remember exactly) when away from PSB.

Thanks. I'll definitely take a pump with me for comfort and see how she does.

The formula is purely for convenience really. DD often wakes around 5-5:30am, but I feed her in bed and she goes back to sleep. So I thought a tetra-pak of formula and a bottle would allow DH to feed her in bed in relative darkness and she could go back to sleep - rather than going down to the kitchen and warming up milk...but I guess it shouldn't make much difference I don't really want to fund formula if I don't have too...

Definitely take a pump with you. Your body may be thinking this is it and you could be really really sore.

Paracetamol might be a good idea as a back up too.

UHT cows milk instead of UHT formula?

I guess you'd throw some of the pint away, but I would personally prefer something that hasn't been messed with!