Exclusively breastfeeding mums

[Hope54321]

Exclusively breastfeeding mums, when were you able to leave your LO with someone else. My LO is 5 months and I’ve only left him twice for about 10 minutes to go to the local shop.

Left DS1 for a couple of hours at about 4 months.

Left DS2 for 3 hours with DH at 2 weeks old. I was only intending to be a couple of hours but got delayed. It was absolutely fine, though!

3 hours at 4 months and I hated it!

1.5 hours or so at 6 months, I rushed back from the pub though!
I must have escaped for an hour or so fora hair cut about 5 months but can’t remember very clearly.
However I was back at work at 9 months, put the house for 9 hours 3 days / week and she wouldn’t take milk in a bottle or sippy cup, was absolutely fine with water in a sippy cup and lots of cheese, yogurt in the day. She wouldn’t take the cup until I wasn’t there though which was very stressful in the run up to going back.

I had to leave mine fir a whole day at 10 weeks to have an operation. He was fine, I hated it (and got mastitis)

My son hasn’t ever stayed out over night but I went out for my friends birthday when my son was around 6 months. I pumped just before and he took a bottle from my husband.
I went to the hairdresser for a few hours when he was around the same age and did the same.

Have left DD maybe 4 times for 3-4 hours since she turned 5/6mo. I’m going back to work when she’s 8mo and she will be in childcare for 8-9 hours. I will potentially be sending her with milk but maybe not.

I’ve popped out to the supermarket and to the hairdresser for an hour or two since my little one was around 4 months. I just made sure I fed before going out or settled him for a nap before going out (we’ve never used a bottle)

A started expressing quite early. I’d walk the dog for half an hour from very early.

Probably 4-5 months for any length of time though.

I didn’t leave dd until 9 months because she was extremely resistant to taking breastmilk from any other source. We tried dozens of options and finally found a sippy cup that she would accept. To celebrate, I left for an hour and went and ate a meal at a local cafe by myself. It was amazing.

I never managed to get either of my two to take a bottle or any type of sappy cup. They both were BF exclusively until they were weaned at 9mths.

Dc3 is 11 weeks and I regularly leave him with DH for half an hour so I can go for a run. I do pick the time carefully though and feed him before I go (and normally when I get back 🙄 and again when I get out the shower)

Dc1 was probably 4m before I left him for that long.

Both dc1 and 2 were bottle refusers and wouldn't take milk from a sippy cup/spoon either so it was probably 8-9m before I left them for any length of time.

Left dds for 90 mins or so with her dad for eg hair appointment, pampering gift etc but he would be quite nearby as neither would ever go more than 2 hours

IME it is fine to leave them without any milk for up to about 2-3 hours even when they are quite little. Any longer and then yes it's a good idea to leave them with some expressed breast milk. But you don't need to be tied to them just because their milk source is you - they don't necessarily need to feed constantly and it's very useful for other caregivers (especially dad) to come up with alternative soothing methods.

I haven't left my 6 month old for more than 2.5 hours but he's a milk snacker (feeds all night too) and that's about his limit. Frustrating but the reality of breastfeeding and worth it really

Only recently at nearly 10 months I left him for 4 hours to get my hair done. He was napping and had already dropped the feed after his nap so he didn't need any milk when he woke up. It felt very strange not having him there, he was totally fine with his Dad.

Every Friday I leave my 13 week old with grandparents so I can take my 2 year old to swimming lessons. I am usually away for approx 2 hours and leave them with expressed milk in a bottle for him. Never been a problem. I won't leave him over night until around a year old. My first didn't stay with grandparents overnight until he was 15 months.

Left dd2 for 30-45 mins to go the gym from around 6.5/7m. Left her overnight for the first time at 2.5 (covid didn't help though). Dd3 is 4m old so will be a long while yet

Left mine for half hour at a few weeks old to pop to the dentist! Left for half hour / up to an hour from when he was around 8 weeks and started running again!! Would time it with feeds so would feed before and immediately after, 90% of the time it was fine but we did have a few incidents where he woke up and was crying - wasn't gone too long though!!

I went back to work for a few hours on a Saturday when eldest was 8 weeks old. He took a bottle sometimes for that, but then stopped at 5months. Second I left for an hour or so fairly regularly from a week old, to do the shopping, get eldest from nursery etc. They were always with their dad and I was within a mile or 2, in the same town. They both started nursery at 8months and never had a bottle.

First time was about 2 months overnight. Left lots of bottles of expressed milk with my mum and i just pumped while we were out, was a family party for my dp's side

I went back to work when DD was 4 months ( maternity leave is only 12 weeks pp where I live). DD was exclusively breastfed and I expressed all her milk which she took at the childminders. She is now eating solids but still taking expressed milk and then breastfeeding at home at 9 months.

From 11 months, mine started nursery so was there 9-5 (had water and milk in a cup, bf at home). I went back to work doing 6am-7pm several days a week at 12 months. Overnight probably not until around 14-15 months. I probably did leave and do something like go to the shop before 11 months, but I don’t consciously remember. Mine never took a bottle though.

By the time mine were four or five months old I knew they just fed 8,12,4 and 8 so used to plan my day around that 👍

About 3 months for an hour with DH, though I was actually in the house (on a video call). About 4 months I left her with DH while I was physically out of the house for just over an hour. I did leave expressed milk but he never actually needed to give it to her.

EBF both kids. Both could go 2-3 hours between feeds as I do sports so they were left in a pram, on site, asleep.

First one went skiing with us so left with grandparents for 2-3-4 hours with a bit of milk in a bottle if needed but I was close by so then fed him again during skiing breaks.

Basically as soon as the baby goes a few hours between feeds and sleeps, I'd say it's OK to take some time off.