Vacation While Nursing?

Hi K., i did the same thing with my first and was very successful. he was almot 8 months and I was gone about 5 days. when I cam home he went right to the breast. do not forget to travel with your pump and be diligent about using it so that your supply is still strong when you return. Be prepared to feel a little full and a little sore by the end of your trip as your pump is probably not as efficient as your baby. ( I remember I could not wait to come home and nurse) I carried my pump on the plane, I was afraid to check it and have the airline lose it. it killed me to pump and dump because we all know that breast milk is like liquid gold, but it also allowed me to enjoy myself, have a few drinks and not worry about the effects on my milk because no one was drinking it.

have a wonderful time away with your hubby

W.

Hi - I had to be away for a 7 days when my daughter was 6 months old. She happily went right back to nursing when I returned home and I nursed her for 15 months. I just had to pump 3-4 times a day/night while away from her (and dump the milk). My in-laws stayed with the kids while we were away and had no problems with my daughter taking a bottle -- she in fact, decided she even liked sippy cups while we were away.

As everyone has said, pump and dump to keep your supply up. Also, if you will be drinking alcohol, make sure you drink a lot of water/other drinks to stay hydrated. Flying is very dehydrating also.

If you can keep up your supply, you should have no problems with your daughter wanting to nurse when you get home.

Have a great trip!!!

Hi K., Happy Mother's day! Wow Hawaii is very tempting. I am an "old" fashioned mom that never left her kids but that was ages ago (my 5 range from 41 to 25) Five days is not a long time. Take the opportunity, leave the breast milk and hope for the best. I know you will miss your baby and she will miss you. Bring lots of breast pads. Grandma Mary

I left my 9 month old for four days when I was nursing him. He always took a bottle and I was able to pump enough to leave for him. He had no problem resuming nursing when I got back - just latched back on... I know all babies are different and there are no guarantees, but in my experience it worked out fine. I think the worst part was pumping while away and having to get rid of the milk as I had no way to store it and bring it back. Not only was it a pain, but a waste!

Good Luck!

hi K., i also had an opportunity to go to hawaii when my son was 6 mos... i went for 10 days!!! i pumped and dumped the whole time... bring your electric for the hotel room and bring the advent isis hand pump for your bag. i pumped in the car, on the plane, driving up the mountains, at the waterfalls, public parks, etc, it worked out great. it killed me to dump it all, but i was glad i made the decision, i was able to drink and enjoy.... im not a big drinker, but it helped, because i missed him so much! plus, i went away for a few days when my daughter was 6 mos, and i pumped and saved all the milk, and it was difficult, and it was an issue at the airport, they almost didnt let me bring it back, finally they had me take it all out of the cooler, lay it out on the belt, and they swabbed everything. with a million ticked off people on line behind me. just a little fyi if you are planning on bringing the milk back. anyway, after hawaii, we came back and he made the switch back with no problem, went on to nurse for a year and a half. i also had surgery when he was 8 mos, he didnt nurse for about 4 days, no problem. and i had another surgery when my daughter was 7 mos, she didnt nurse for about a week, she also went right back, no problem. of course, every baby is different, i was scared too, but there was no way i was giving up nursing. i think you should be fine. use the slowest flow bottles they have while you are gone, and maybe one of those bottles that supposedly resembles your breast? i dont know, i didnt, but it couldnt hurt. good luck, and enjoy hawaii, it is just beautiful :)

Hi K.,

While some babies may go right back to the breast, others may not. If you are really committed to continue breastfeeding, I'd suggest postponing the vacation, as wonderful as it would be to get away. To maintain your supply, you'd need to pump at least as often and as long as your baby nurses - with only 5 days in Hawaii and a long plane ride - you'd be spending so much of your time pumping anyway. True, if she rejected the breast upon your return home, you could exclusively pump and feed her your breastmilk, but EP'ing is hard and some women find they can't keep their supply up.

Good luck in making your decision

It really depends on your baby,

this is te kind of thing you just need to wing,

You deserve a vacation, and very worst case scenario she bottle feeds with your breast milk,

I don't think 5 days will make a diffrence to her,

but only time will tell

good luck

M

If it is only 5 days, I wouldn't worry. As long as you pump your breast milk while you are gone, when you feel uncomfortable, even if you have to dump it. That will keep you going until you get home. Your baby will take you right back when you get home, don't worry about that. Go on that much needed vacation...and remember, even if she won't breast feed when you return...you gave her a fantastic start...AND you had alone time with your husband. Have fun!!

hi, just to add to all the good advice you've already gotten...if you decide to pump while you are away make sure to practice at home first. i pumped @ work wth an electric pump most of the time, but had to go away for a business trip and took a manual pump with me. i had the avent isis pump and i tried it at home first and couldnt get it to work. then i tried the medela manual pump and it worked much better for me. so i took that one. i was glad i did a test run with the manual pump at home first. good luck! i am sure you will be successful if you are committed to continue nursing.

Hi K.,
As with anything, you never can really know until you do it and find out. Pump while on vacation to your milk supply going and see what happens.
Good Luck
N.

I would pump and dump while you are on vacation, at least twice a day, or more often if you want to simulate the feeding times of you baby. Get an advent pump, it is lightweight and easy to use, no electricity and it's about 20 dollars, and comes with a bottle. Don't worry about the amount of milk, when you get back from vacation your body will start producing the right amount for your baby again. If you do not pump as often, you may have to supplement for a few days, but you can do it. I am jealous, I want to go to Hawaii too. Have fun.

K.,

As others have said, just pump and dump while you are away. And of she does not want to nurse when you get back, just conitnue to pump, she will still get the benefits of breast milk, even if it comes from a bottle. I went back to work when my son was 4 months old, but wanted him exclusively breast fed, so I would pump during the day and use that as his next days bottles. He still nursed at night and had no problem, but around 8 months decided he prefered the bottle better (which was fine since he had several teeth). I actually found pumping to be easier and quicker and it gave us time to bond in other ways, like playing together as he got older.