Being Away from My Daughter While Nursing

This sounds like a good opportunity for you, but I agree with the other gal, could you maybe only make it two days. LIke leave early on Saturday and return Sunday? Also, just from a past experience, let your husband know he may be in for a trying time with the baby. It may be better by then because she will be on solids. She will nurse less because of all the good food! Please make sure HE is prepared for this. Hopefully you will not return to a distraught husband. Good Luck.

R. L.

M.,

It's a tricky decision, isn't it? I totally know how you feel - desparately wanting a bit of time for yourself, yet not wanting to leave your kids for that long! (especially while breastfeeding, I think that adds even more pressure! I am currently bfeeding my second son, who is 11 months, so I know all too well...)

I would go for it, that is an awesome chance that doesn't seem like it will come up too often....

At 8 month olds, your daughter will be eating (more) solids, so she won't be nursing quite as often.
You could pump 10-15 minutes after the morning nursing session to build up excess breastmilk to freeze for your time away.

She'll want to return to nursing, no worries - especially b/c of you being a SAHM, you'll have the opportunity to be with her and not offer her anything else.
Your best bet is to not worry about it & stay relaxed - that will help maintain your supply.

Good luck, and enjoy being pampered! :)

It certainly is possible, it just requires planning. I worked part-time while BFing my oldest and had to take a few overnight trips for work (I was only gone about a day and a half). Of course you need to pump extra milk to freeze for when you are gone and make sure that she will take a bottle or sippy cup (that was my biggest battle with the second and third ones). My kids never ate as much when I was gone but I always made sure to have a lot frozen just to be sure. You will also need to take a cooler to transport the milk you pump and your pumping supplies. You may want to double check that you have a refrigerator/freezer in your room at the spa to store your pumped milk, unless you are just going to dump it. I couldn't stand to dump mine - if I had extra I used it for cereal. Of course at 8 mos, there are no guarantees that she will still nurse when you get back, but I'm pretty sure that if she is nursing well before you go, she will fall right back into it when you get back. Have Fun - I know how hard it is to get away without the kids when you are a SAHM!

There was a time when my daughter was 3 months old that I wasn't going to be able to breastfeed for 2 days so I just had 48 hours of milk pumped for her and I made sure to pump when I was away to keep my milk supply up. It worked just fine, she went back to breastfeeding like nothing had changed. It's important to not feel tied down and to rejuvenate. You need to take care of yourself and sometimes a weekend away is just what you need. I hope things work out for you, good luck!!

M.- I think it is a great idea to get away with friends and think you should take advantage of it! When your a SAHM I think it is hard to have much time on your own. My daughter is 4 months old and I've only recently gone back to work part time. Although I miss her tremendously it gives me a sense of accomplishment and I like getting out here and there.

Now a 3 day weekend, maybe you could skim it down to just 2 days away?

I've never left my baby for that long, but I do pump and while at work and it does not seem to effect my supply or have any issue with bf at night. I think your baby will adjust as long as she does take a bottle successfully!

and I think it would be great for your husband to have some bonding time with the kids. Good luck

I think ultimately it's your decision... I know that for my son there's no way that I could have left him (and still couldn't and he's almost 2) for more than half a day or so. For me, it's a short time to go without getting away without him.. to me 2 years or so is a short time in the span of life really.

Perhaps you could go away for a day to the spa (certainly sounds wonderful!). Or go somewhere relatively close and have your husband or someone bring the baby in the middle of the day to nurse.

I'm sure they'll be other moms who have more advice or experience.. I just know for me it wouldn't work for our family.

Hello M., Go ahead and plan your trip. As a stay at home mom, you will have the time to pump in between feedings for a while before you leave. Freeze the milk for your daughter while you will be away. She will still want to nurse when you get back. Pump while you are away. Use hot towels to wrap the breast before pumping, this will help with the let down. I nursed my first child until her first birthday, my second for 7 months until I lost my milk when I got pregnant for my third. My 3rd was a unique situation. I developed a pelvic infection after his birth and ended up in the hospital for IV antibotics, then continued on oral meds after I got home for months so I was forced to ween him early. Due to him being allergic to everything we tried to feed him, the doctors told me that I had no choice but to go back to nurseing him. AFTER 5 MONTHS OF BEING DRY!!! With the help of his doctors I was able to go back to nursing him full time until he was about 15 months old. Don't fret about this because that in itself can interfere with milk production. Relaxe and look forward to your trip, things will work itself out. Good luck, and Happy Thanksgiving.

Could you husband bring the baby to you a couple of times a day so you can still nurse her and he can also give her bottles between nursings? There is a chance that if she goes 3 days without nusing that she may not want to nurse anymore. You should be ok with that idea before you leave. But then she may go right back to nusing. There really isn't anyway to know before you leave for the weekend.
It is a hard choice to make and you are the only one who can make it.