Breastfeeding and work trip- what would you do??

[SuiGeneris]

Have just heard a one-week work trip to the other side of the world (12+hours flight) is in the offing. Quite possible I will be asked to go. Problem is, I am still breastfeeding my 16-month-old 3+ times a night. What do I do?

Boss is brilliant and could not have been more helpful in terms of work-life balance up to now, but I am not sure whether he knows I am still breastfeeding. I think I ought to tell him, but don't want to sound like I am being difficult... Further issue is that there are only a few of us who are qualified to go and help with this, and the other main candidate also has a toddler (whom she is not breastfeeding, but again not sure whether our boss knows- no reason why he should).

Were I not breastfeeding I would jump at the opportunity: interesting assignment, never been to that part of the world, likelihood of brownie points for going...

So, what would you do??

I'd go. Your dh/dp can get up in the night and offer a bottle, but you might find your dc decides to sleep through instead (mine night weaned when I was away for a week).

You can pump morning and evening to keep your supply when away - its very robust by that point

Do you want to go? Is it expected that you do go? If no to both then I wouldn't travel for a week at this point.

I'd go. From what you've said, you want to go for all reasons apart from breastfeeding and that's answered above.

Are you only breastfeeding your DC at night or do you breastfeed in the day as well?

If you only breastfeed at night, then I would consider giving up - I found at this sort of age, mine were waking up to breastfeed for comfort only - after I stopped, they stopped waking up.

If however you are breastfeeding in the day as well, it's more difficult and I'm not sure what I would do.

16 months old should be able to cope. I had to go away over night when daughter was 13 months old and she didn't have a problem with it at all.

I'd go

Give up bf immediately and go on the trip :-)

I tend to feed him at 8pm (feed to sleep), whenever he wakes up in the night (usually around 3/4am, but sometimes 11pm and 5am) and then around 7am.

Would not mind giving up the middle of the night feed (which, in any event, he had given up around 5 months and then only restarted after he was 1 year old) but do not want to stop breastfeeding yet. Am concerned that if I go away for a week he will feel abandoned (we've never been away from each other for more than a few hours) and will forget how to latch on...

Although ds was used to it (I went back to travelling for work when he was 6 months), he was never put off by me going away - in fact quite the opposite, and continued to bf till he was 23 months (which wasn't prompted by a trip), so I wouldn't worry about that so much

Go, take a pump to keep up your supply. It'll be fine.

I was in your situation - had to travel overseas for work but didn't want to stop bf. The solution? We all went! DH looked after dd during the day, and I continued to feed her at night. Simples! :).

I do realise that this was an expensive solution, and that it was dependent on my DH being willing and able to come. But it worked for us and might be worth considering!

I don't know about the abandonment issue - I'm struggling with that myself as I prepare to leave DS(25 months) for a week, but as for BF - your DS won't forget how to latch on. At your DSs age I would want to express though.