Leaving breastfed baby

[BabyBoyMummyx]

I have 9 month old who is exclusively breast fed no bottles, no formula. I’ll be leaving him tomorrow for the longest he’s been left, about 9 hours. But I’ll be gone over bedtime. I will try to express this evening but I’m not great at it. Does anyone have any tips for his bedtime
tomorrow with dad, I have always fed him to sleep.

He has tried formula once or twice but that was at about 10 weeks and he wouldn’t really take it.

He’s now on solids but is it possible for him to go to bed without any milk or is dad going to have an absolute nightmare tomorrow?

Thanks.

Do you absolutely have to?

Has dad always been involved at bedtime?

Will be have a cup of milk instead of a bottle?

It’s my hen do!

Dad always does bath and pyjamas and then I take over for the feed. Yes he’ll take a cup and he’s good with one he has with a straw too.

Cup or one with a straw will be fine.

Have a fab hen do. DS will be okay and dad will make it work I'm sure.🙂

I would maybe have had a few practise runs beforehand. Seems unfair on your DP if you normally feed to sleep

Left my 8 month old EBF DD over bed time 2 weeks ago. DH managed to get her to sleep quicker than I would!

Let dad find his groove. It'll all be fine, and you'll be back and it's not forever.

Enjoy your hen!

Honestly - if he’s always breastfed to sleep he likely will be quite distressed and hard to get to sleep without it. It’s not just the milk, breastfeeding is comfort and helps to relax them. But it’s not impossible, Dad can rock him and soothe him in other ways. DH could usually get DS to sleep that way in that stage, he just couldn’t put him down so he’d have to hold him until I got back. Hopefully your DH is ready to try all the things.

Thanks all, I just wanted to hear that someone else had missed a bedtime too and it wasn’t disastrous. I’ve just managed to pump 4oz so I’ll at least be leaving some night time milk.

Oh gosh what a dilemma.. my friend had her baby day after me ( 38 years ago) l used to feed her daughter ( wet nurse) if she really desperately needed to go out without her..and my sister once fed my daughter when l was poorly ( 3 months between our daughters)... think you've found the solution with expressing.. you can express more and freeze it.. fill a bowl with very hot water and balance your breasts over the steam while squeezing your breasts .. the steam helps the milk release easier.
Don't forget spare breast pads while put.. once your baby is ready to be fed you will start leaking. Have a great hen night.

Mine were exactly the same and had a cup of cows milk and went happily to sleep.

Cow's milk is fine as an occasional drink, just not their main milk.

And enjoy your hen do!

A bit more preparation for baby would probably have made it easier forDH... But they'll both survive.

I had one twin in hospital for 3 days, so the other was left at home with my parents (DH had his hands full with our eldest, who was very upset about her baby brother and woudlnt sleep without someone in her room....). I was very worried about sleep but my mum said it was ok - he took expressed milk from a bottle and although he took a long time to fall asleep with her rocking him, he didn't get terribly distressed. Don't think she did much sleep though as he woke A LOT that first night and had a top up and lots more rocking for reassurance.

Honestly it was me getting out of the house that made him take a bottle with his Dad. If I was there as a backup, it never worked. Have some expressed milk ready, and maybe Dad could make him some milky porridge before bed also.

Have a brilliant time on your hen!

I wouldn't. He's used to being fed back to sleep. Trust me, been there and done that. Had to go home to a hysterical baby that had refused a bottle, refused anything. It was the worse thing I've ever done.