Extended feeding - am I being unrealistic?

[LenniEd]

DS is now 14.5wks and I intend to breastfeed until at least 6 months, and continue until he is established on solids. I do give him EBM occasionally if I have to work (I work for DH, no such thing as mat leave) or on the odd occasion when it isn't easy to feed in public. If it weren't for circumstances I would like to continue to feed him until he is at least 12mo and potentially for longer.

But DH trades at events in the summer and as part of my job I need to be at them. There is unfortunately no way around this, I have missed 2 already and we are running out of friends/family who can replace me and since they don't tend to work anywhere near as hard (why would they, it's not their business) we make less money. We can't afford to neglect the business right now.

We're usually away 3 days and 2 nights and GPs have our DCs. I'll leave EBM for them. There is an event monthly until October. I'm not going to leave DS until he is 6mo and am willing to do whatever needed to make sure I can carry on bf when I get back but I want to know from the outset if I'm being unrealistic. Anyone got any thoughts?

How long is each away time? Your being realistic, i think and you need to just carry on expressing at times he normally has his feed, to keep your supply up. Other than that I cant see the issue tbh

As lisad123 says, as long as you express there shouldn't be a problem.

why can't you take him with you?
how many do you do, on average?

sorry, just realised you said it was monthly.

if it were me I would do anyhting possible to take him with me, and then just sling him the whole time or something.
but if you really, really, absolutely can't do that then you should be ok but you would need to express

I think if you are happy and competent (sorry, can't think of a better word) at expressing, there shouldn't be any reason why your supply won't keep up for the times you are away, especially if you do a night-time express.
But, might it not be possible to take your lo with you? As he's little, he'd probably be quite happy in a sling, or sleeping in his pram most of the time you were on your trade stand?

I tried taking him with me in March - while he was angelic throughout it wasn't really a great idea. For starters we work 10am - 1am at these things, and my back was dying after having him in my moby for long stretches of that (there is no room for the pram). There is absolutely nowhere to feed either other than on the stand itself as the aisles are chocked with people and although I have no probs with feeding in public, feeding in front of customers is a whole new level! Also I couldn't bend to pick anything up - which meant DH had to build and break down the stand by himself. The ideal solution would be to bring him but get someone else to come too and look after him while I was working so I could just nip and feed him, but that would cost ££s in extra accomodation and TBH I don't know who I'd ask.

Thanks for all the positives on being able to do it though. I'd be gutted if I had to give up.

do you not have a doting grandma/aunty who would like to come along? my mother would jump at the chance lol

Have someone come along?

I know his may receive some frowns but we mix fed cos of going back to work and found it succesful.

DD had some formular but also had mostly breast milk till 7 months [4 formular feeds a week at nursery/with Daddy] and fed till 18 months. Perhaps not the ideal but better than no breast milk at all? [am diabled and expressing prooved very painful on joints]

If you weren;t breast feeding would you be leaving hime with someone? Presume you must have thought of this?

Express as much as possible and store in freezer [lots of info on this around].

Good luck!!!

Mumblecrumble - do you have arthritis? Just with you mentioning joints - I have psoriatic arthritis and didn't think I'd be able to bf at all because of meds (couldn't feed DD) but have managed to stay off them to feed DS. I've already got about 80oz in the freezer - built up a store in case I had joint problems. Fab that you fed until 18 months, I hope I manage that long.

GPs couldn't come as looking after DD and aunty has a DS 24hours younger than mine so might be struggling for either of them to come.. will think about that though, would be a good option. Not sure what they'd do all day though, a bit boring hanging around a conference centre waiting for a baby to need feeding.