Going away without my breastfed toddler for a night or two in a couple of months - am I asking for trouble?

[treacletart]

I mix fed with DS and he self weaned about 9 months.

DD is 18 months and breastfeeds a lot. I've been hoping to carry on until she self weans. We co-sleep so she gets quite a bit during the night and although a few months back it looked like we were getting down to just morning and evening feeds - Currently, if I'm around during the day, she feeds probably every couple of hours (although for only an average of 5-10mins). She's a good eater and drinks water, milk and juice quite happily from sippycups and grown up glasses. I work two days a week and when I'm not about she's happy without a boob.

I never imagined I'd be breasteeding DD this long and agreed a while ago to go away for 1 or maybe even 2 nights in July for work.

Now, I'm hoping for a best case scenario of dd being fine without me - sleeping happily in Dh's arms and getting back to breastfeeding on my return but perhaps wanting to cut down a bit again. But will being without me for a night be so traumatic as to totally wipe out any emotional benefits extended breastfeeding will have given her? Also, will I muller my supply so I have to stop completely on my return? I'm trying to distract her out of so many daytime feeds but it's not having much effect yet!

Any advice gratefully received!

I went away for 2 nights last summer and left 17m old DS3 without his Mummy milk for the whole weekend. I'd last fed him on the Friday morning, expressed on Friday eve (while I was away) as I got a bit engorged and didn't need to express again. When I got back on the Sunday eve, he didn't want a feed and I thought he might have given it up, but by Monday he was asking for it again and we carried on for another 3 months!

He was fine with DH cuddling him to sleep. I was really surprised but it was all fine

No advice but bumping as I am in same situation. Have agreed to go away on a (well overdue) night away with a friend, leaving our respective DC's home with DH's.
DD2 is 17 months and still BF's every day and maybe once a night (she is in a cot) She is also BF every night at bedtime and won't sleep until she decides she has had enough (is a stroppy bugger)
She has started feeding loads int eh day too so hoping is a growth spurt or something.

Have you considered moviong her to another bed or cot to try and ease ngiht feeds?

Oh Tommy thanks for replying - that's really encouraging!

THanks Tommy, I might leave the thread now having read that

Cheers Jack. To be honest the nights don't really bother me - I don't really lose any sleep at all and as the only other bed for her is the bottom bunk in DS's room I haven't been in a desperate hurry to get her out of our bed!

treacke, that's fair enough! I know it will be more psychological for me than her, DD1 was the same when I was away one evening when she was 10 months and I couldn't put her to bed. I was a wreck but as I wasn't there she just had a snuggel with DH and went to sleep.
I felt a bit rejected to be honest

Cheers girls! Anyone else been through anything similar?

I left bf toddler DS for several nights (4 or 5) at a time from about 13 months and he was fine (and picked up breastfeeding again when I returned, finally self-weaning at 3.2). If she manages fine without you when you're at work then I think she'll be OK overnight.

That's all really heartening! And none of you had problems producing enough on your return?

I suspect my supply had dipped, but we didn't have any trouble getting it back up again.

Thanks, this thread really reassuring. Haven't left my 22mo ds before overnight and planning to leave him with my parents for 24hours in a few days. I'm nervous but mum reckons he'll be fine. (and i'm only gonna be an hour's drive away and not planning to drink in case worse comes to worse and I have to drive home!)

I alwaysput him to bed and feed then as well as in middle of night but he is always fine when I'm at work. Guess I just got to try it!??

Hi, i breastfed dd til she was over 3. From around the time she was 20 months i stayed away overnight occasionally, for one night. Despite the fact we co-slept and she fed regularly she was fine with dh cuddling her to sleep. She would continue to feed normally when i returned.
The first time dh and i went away together we left her with MIL. We left a bottle for her just in case and although she didn't sleep that well it was only for one night and she and MIL survived.

My DS is 3.5 and I am separated from his dad. He regularly spends time away from me - in fact last week he was away for 3 nights and still there was no impact on breastfeeding. He has slept over at his grandparents since he was around 20 months I think.

It was the same with his older brother too. I haven't btothered expressing since he was around 6 months. If am not around they just do without.

I work nights so leave my 22month old 3-4 nights a week. She sleeps very well now in her own bed, which we have been putting her in since 18 months old. The good thing about working nights is she is used to OH comforting her at night so when I am home in bed she is happy for him to get her back to sleep rather then bfing back to sleep as she doesn't realise I'm there! She does feed excessively in the day though. I have been away from her working for a 24 hour period and she was fine but my boobs were fit to bust! They were really full, would advise taking a pump.

Thanks, fully expecting engorgement as this happens anyway as his feeding is fairly irregular - depending on how he feels! Will have to hand express as given away my pump(!) It's reassuring to hear that other folk do it and it's fine, mum insists they will be fine - and though I'm apprehensive, I'm looking forward to it to see how he gets on...

Hi I've got a 23mth old that I breastfed and I do her all the time I'm leaving her with my husband who's not really goo hands on flr 3nights 4 days and I'm so worried I haven't had no break however I have other children and my mum said she will pop in just worried she be really upset when I'm gone