Looking for Advice Re: Travel, General Anxieties, etc :)

[rozziemama]

Hi there,

It's been a while since I've posted to this forum -- about 10 months I think! I'm looking for some advice.

I'm a full time working mom still breastfeeding my 10.5-month old. He is in daycare 4 days per week, with me for the other 3. He's never really taken to the bottle - though we FINALLY got him to take it at 3 months, since starting solids & moving towards eating 3 meals per day + snack he basically gave up the bottle again.

The challenge is he also doesn't really like to drink from the sippy cup. Basically, I think he waits to drink from me at the end of the day, with a few sips of water here and there during the 7 or 8 hours we're apart. The daycare provider will spoon feed him about 2.5 oz while he's in daycare.

This works to a degree, but it makes me concerned he's not drinking enough. And - here's the reason for the post - a month from now I am traveling for two nights for work. i'm dreading it for all sorts of somewhat obvious reasons , but really I am very concerned that while I am gone he is not going to drink enough with Dad. I'm not worried about his food intake because he is a very good eater with solids - he loves food.

Has anyone out there ever faced this issue of a baby who will only really drink from mommy?

Any suggestions or advice? Thank you in advance!

[woodchick]

Have you tried letting him drink from a small, open cup? Or with a straw? DD1 could (and would) drink from both of those by 10mos.

[rozziemama]

good advice - we will try... thanks!

[mysticmomma]

He has probably "reverse cycled" which means he's making up for daytime milk at night when you are home. Is there anyway DH and DS can come with you on the trip?

[rozziemama]

Hi - yes, I have been thinking that he's making up for lost daytime milk at night - or the early morning... Sadly, it's really impossible for them to come with.
I am dreading it.
I have spent one night away from him - when he was about 7 months old - but that was less than 24 hours - AND he was taking the bottle a bit better then. This is a big/more stressful trip.

So in part it's the dehydration factor that makes me anxious, but I think the being away from him for two nights/mornings is the real issue.

Not to mention what might happen to my milk supply, which is already so screwed up (over-supply) because of all the pumping I do... Ugh. I know being a working mom has some benefits (though I'm doing it for financial rather than intellectual reasons, sadly) - but this really is the worst.