Can I leave my 12 week old breastfed baby for 3 days with expressed milk?!

[caznpk]

Hi,

I am due to give birth today (!) and am planning on exclusive brestfeeding when the baby is born. I am on maternity leave at the moment but at the end of June when baby will be approx 12 weeks I may need to go away with work on an event which I organised before maternity leave. I would be away for 3 days and 2 nights. Has anyone ever left their baby this young? Would I be able to express enough milk? Help does anyone think it is possible? Thanks

12 weeks is quite early and a lot depends on how good you are at pumping - some people find it very hard and that's nothing to do with their milk supply.

I think the main thing is not to worry about it now. You may well find that you don't want to go once the baby is here, you may find you do.

Just go with the flow for now and see what happens. Once the baby is born you can see how bf goes and once things are settled down maybe start storing a little in the freezer. Don't stress yourself about it though, it can be tough (hopefully not for you) establishing bf without worrying about expressing milk for something that will happen in the future.

I wouldn't have been able to express enough at that stage. Also, your baby might not like a bottle, some won't take one. Others will, mind....

And you'll have to express while you're away.

I'd get work to keep you as a maybe until way after the baby is born - lots of variables, as others have said, and you don't want to put too much pressure on yourself right now, or in the early weeks of having a new baby. It's not theoretically impossible, but is so utterly dependent on the individuals concerned that it's hard for anyone to really advise. (she says, helpfully).

Good luck, btw!

I still can't leave my 5 month old baby for 3 hours, let alone 3 days, so IME, not a chance!

I would think it would be a bit of a struggle to be honest, both physically in terms of how it might impact on your supply, and whether you can store enoough for the duration in the prior 12 weeks (you would need something in the order of 5 or 6 pints of milk I think) and emotionally in terms of whether you would want to leave such a young baby for that long. My DS is 19 weeks and I had to leave him overnight as I was recuperating after an operation and that was difficult emotionally. I had also expressed about 40 fl ozs (2 pints) and he nearly got through all of that over the course of 16 hours.

Would it be an option to take him (and a suitable babysitter) with you so that he is nearby and can be brought to you for feeds and you will have him with you overnight? If it's unavoidable that you have to be there, I think that would be the most practical solution.

Good Luck :0)

I think it will be hard on you both emotionally and physically. I think its quite hard to know how you will feel about it until you have had the baby - I am guessing this is your first ? As for the practicalities of expressing that much milk - its possible but I think it would be very stressful if you are feeding on demand trying to work out how much to leave and getting it together in the weeks before hand at the same time as you are trying to establish feeding. Also I think 12 weeks is a major growth spurt time so the baby might be feeding a lot.
I would try and stay flexible if you can and not commit to going - you also don't how youi will feel emotionally and physically after giving birth. Personally I couldn't string a sentance together for the first few months !!
Good luck

Hi, I'm afraid I would agree with what others have said - I think it would be very difficult. My DD is 17 wks and I don't think I could leave her for a couple of days now, let alone at 12 wks.

If you have to go I would go with Daisy's suggestion and have your partner/mother come with and bring the baby too.