leaving baby for work trip

[jugglingwiththree]

Hi - has anyone been away for a few days on a work trip without their young baby? I'd love to know how you found it. My little girl will be nearly 4 months and I have to go to the U.S. without her for 3 days. (Taking her is not an option..) I'm breastfeeding and my big concern is keeping up the milk supply while I'm away. Am also absolutely dreading the thought of leaving her!

Not quite that young, but I started travelling for work again when he was 6 months, and kept bfing till he was 23 months.

My advice is to take a really good pump (and if you have an Ameda pump, I have a US adaptor if you want it), make sure you express really well at least 3 times a day (I did morning, as soon as I got out of meetings, then bedtime) and hand express as much as you can - if you can do a bit every hour during the day, its amazing what you can get out. If possible, I pumped at lunchtime too, but that can be harder to arrange unless you can conjure a 'conference call'.
I expressed on planes, in airports, Starbucks toilets, all sorts in my bfing time ! But it worked for us

I should have an adaptor somewhere for mine so should be okay.. thank you though! I was planning to wake up and express at the same time time she would be due her feeds in bst - is that not really necessary then? It's okay to fit it around my schedule when I'm out there?

I wouldn't - you'll be tired enough with the travelling as it is without waking up to express. Just do as much expressing as you can - if the time change means you are up early, you can get two expressions out before work. If work let you have room service breakfast, that is a more relaxed way to pump in the morning .

I never expressed at the times ds might have a feed as it just wasn't practical - my theory was that getting milk out at any time was the important thing. Don't forget to do breast compression and hand expression at the end of each pumping session to maximise what you remove

Okay will do - thanks so much. Feeling quite a bit better!

Hi, I went away on an important work trip for 4 days when DD was 4 months. She was totally happy with Dad and Nan, and I had no problem re-starting breastfeeding when I returned. We are still bfing (she is now 11 months).

The hard part is keeping expressing whilst you are away - I did every 6 hours or so I think (but not overnight) just for my own comfort (and its heartbreaking to have to dump it down the sink after all that work)!

For the first day I felt like my own no baby self and enjoyed myself - but I started to miss her more as time went on. Quickly went though and it was lovely to see her again when I got back.

I think you'll all be fine - try to enjoy it

Thanks for the messages! Really good to hear that breastfeeding was fine when you got home Jules125, and that you enjoyed it. And yes I'm visiting the US office so it should be quite straightforward to pump.