do I need to express to keep supply up for 16wk old?

[TomThumbMum]

I am going to a wedding in two wks, ds will be 16wks. I can't breastfeed in the dress I have bought so will have to replace two feeds with bottles of expressed bm at approx 2pm and 5pm. It will be about 8 hours between actual breastfeeds. Will I have to express at 2pm and 5pm to keep up my supply or could I just express once to stop breasts feeling so full? My main concern is that my supply will reduce if I do not express at these feed times.
Ds has 5-6 feeds a day approx so I am planning on offering a 6oz bottle at each feed I replace - is this enough - should I bring more? Ds is a hungry baby and I think would happily feed all day if I hadn't tried to establish some kind of feeding schedule! He manages approx 3 hours between feeds.
Any advice gratefully received. Having written this I am now thinking of buying a white suit and top I can actually breastfeed from instead to avoid the complications!

Can't you find a private room nearby to go and feed in?

I would think at 16 weeks apart from anything else if you miss two feeds you will be very uncomfortable! and leaking. Seriously think about wearing something you can feed in, even if you have to go and do it in private,

I have talked about this with the bride but ds feeds for at least 45 mins and I would then be missing an hour and a half of the main part of the day, speeches and meal. She's my best friend and i've already turned down being her bridesmaid - I would love to spend as much time as possible enjoying the day, after a 7 hour drive to get there and probably having to retire to my room at 7pm so ds can sleep. We can't check into our bedroom until 3pm either....the suit is looking like a better option if I can find anytime to get to the shops this wk!

I sympathise, we went to a wedding when DS was 10 weeks and like you I had to turn down bridesmaid. I wore something I could feed him and he fed just before, then in the church. Then just after the speeches I think. I had to take him up to bed before pudding though!

Very selfish of people to get married when you have a small baby.

Can you buy something online?

If you can't get a different outfit then how about you take one bottle and then go to your room for the second feed? By then you might both enjoy a bit of quiet time.
Where are you planning for him to sleep?

Thanks muddleduck that sounds like a much better option, then I could have the bottle on standby and use if necessary and I won't be frantically expressing for the next two wks in preparation.
Also thanks tinierclanger, I could probably offer smaller breastfeeds at convenient times durung the day ie after ceremony, before speeches, after dinner rather than aiming for our 'normal' feed times. I'll also take the one bottle just in case. I'll get searching online for a different outfit to see if I could make this a whole lot easier.
We have been allocated a downstairs room which I can easily nip off to after 3pm and ds sleeps in his amby natures nest so hopefully he will settle as well as he normally does at 7pm. We'll also bring the pram for daytime naps.
I'm just grateful they're letting me bring my baby. I am going to a wedding in October that has a no baby policy!! That will require a new thread for advice!

have you worked out how you will store the expressed milk?

I was going to freeze milk then transport in a cool bag with ice packs then transfer it to fridge upon arrival at hotel the evening before - we have to check out of this hotel at 10am to transfer to wedding venue. Milk would therefore be going from frozen to fridge to room temp before use, I don't even know if this would be ok. If it is just one feed then I might give formula. However I have decided to leave ds with dh on saturday and go try on some appropriate two piece outfits. What a pullaver!

Sounds like you have it covered.

I took ds2 (now 2.5) to a wedding at about this age and TBH I can't even remember what I did. Presumably I must have fed him at some point! I'm sure I had a faff about it at the time though