leaving your nursing 2yr old for a night or two?

[hanbanan]

I have an opportunity to do a training that I really want to do. But I am still nursing DS. It is 5 days and nights, but I would have DH come for the middle couple/few nights...Anyone left their munchkin who nurses for an overnight and day or two? It is the only thing holding me back. Oh, I don't pump. . .could, but seems strange at this age...Any advice would help...Thanks!

[FnkyGreenMama]

I'm wondering the same.

I will be away for 3 days, 2 nights. I do pump on days that I work, so I can pump, but I'm interested to hear other experiences. I worry that this could trigger DS weaning, though that doesn't seem likely.

[Qestia]

I left DD for two nights when she was 14 months old, I had stopped pumping during the day at work but actually got a plugged duct -- first one ever -- two nights before I left for the trip (what were the chances?) so I am very glad I brought the pump. DD did fine without me, seemed pretty laid back about the whole thing. And I resolved the plugged duct fine too.

[sarahr]

I left my nursing 2 yr old several times for a weekend each. It was fine. She had a blast with her grandparents, easily accepted their cuddling/bedtime routine, and happily resumed her regular nursing pattern when I came home.

When I first started leaving her, we were nursing more often and I pumped each morning for my own comfort (didn't try to bring the milk home). By the end of our nursing relationship, we weren't nursing very often, and I didn't bother to pump the several days I was gone.

[LynnS6]

I had to leave dd when she was 15 months old for about 5 days because my father was having open heart surgery and I needed to help him and my mother (who's blind and cannot drive). She was fine with it. She resumed nursing as if nothing happened when I got back. She nursed for another 2 1/2 years (I finally weaned her at 4).

For YOUR comfort, bring a breast pump if you're nursing more than once a day. You will get uncomfortably engorged otherwise, and you'll be sure to keep up your supply if you want to continue to nurse.

[SomedayMom]

I did, at 18 months and 2 years. He was totally fine not nursing overnight for his grandparents. After the trip when he was 2, he did wean, but he was down to just bedtime by then anyway and I was sort of ready...

[Carma]

I have also done it around that age. I pumped for my comfort. I came back when she was already sleeping, she woke up a little when I checked on her, she smiled and started nursing right away.

Carma

[marisa724]

I left DS1 for two days when he was about 2y5m. He was still nursing a few times a day, and I didn't pump much at that time, but I did bring my pump with me. It was a good thing I did because I started feeling full and strange when I'd "miss feedings" -- after about 12h on the first day I *had* to excuse myself and pump.

It was two overnights, DS was home with DH and everything was fine when I got back. My only regret was not being able to save the milk - I had about 18oz. pumped - it just didn't survive the flight and all the temperature changes and smelled funky once I got it home.

[firewoman]

My daughter went for a three night stay with my dad when she was 23 months old. She was still nursing several times throughout the day, but they were more like short little snacks. At the time I was in my second trimester of a pregnancy so my milk supply was probably almost nonexistent because I felt no fullness at all. Sadly once she came back, she only nursed for a few more days. I think her weaning had to do more with my lack of supply from the pregnancy than the being gone. If I had it to do again I would not have allowed her to be gone so long.

[pianojazzgirl]

I just did this last week for the first time ever and it went really well!

Dh took 2.25 yr old ds with him on a 3 day trip (leaving fri morn and getting back mon night) to visit grandma and grandpa while dd and I stayed here. Ds nurses at least once before bed, a few times throughout the night and sometimes one or two times during the day as well. I was pretty nervous about it beforehand - that ds would miss me and nursing too much, that my boobs would get totally engorged, etc - but none of that happened. Ds coped very very well without nursing. He had a great time with his dad and grandparents. And my boobs didn't become engorged in the least. I guess he nurses infrequently enough, or he's been nursing for long enough, that my boobs were able to deal with 3.5 days of no nursing. I even borrowed a pump from a friend (mine is on loan to another friend who is still using it), but I never had to use it.

[LionTigerBear]

It's so individual . . . but, I definitely would. Especially with Daddy there for comfort.

[annettemarie]

Moving to the Toddler forum.

Also, when I lost the first baby this summer, it was the weekend we were scheduled to go to a yearly reuinion we have with college friends. I didn't go, but DH took all the kids, including the nursing toddler. He did great until the last day apparently. But I wonder if what made it easy was that they went away from the house, so he didn't have all those reminders of me and of nursing. I didn't need to pump at all and he came back home and nursed just fine.

[mama lipenga]

I left my 21 month old at home with DH for a 7 day trip this autumn, and he did just fine. I had been away for a night or two several times for work functions previous to that.

He turns two in a week, and he is still nursing strong!

[eepster]

When DS was 2yo I had a gall stone stuck in my bile duct, and had to spend a few days in the hospital. DS came to visit each day, but nights were a huge problem. DH called the hospital at 4 AM b/c he couldn't get DS to go to sleep. He sounded so desperate that the nurse actually woke me up and put the call through to my room.

Can your DC sleep without you?

[RiverMamma]

i'v had no problem leaving dd for a night or two... I have to pump a little, but grammy says she sleeps fine!

[*MamaJen*]

Just wondering about this myself. DS is 24 months and he's going to spend about 24 hours at his dad's house, from this evening to tomorrow evening (deep organizing time and maybe even a night out on the town for mama!). He doesn't nurse a ton anymore, maybe three or four times per day, and he easily goes 8 or 9 hours without nursing at daycare. He's done overnights at his dad's house with no problem, but I've always picked him up pretty promptly the next morning and nursed right away.
I think he'll be fine without nursing for 24 hours and just drinking cow's milk, but I'll probably have to pump a little for my own comfort. I think I'll just pull out the manual pump and take a little off the top.
I don't think either of us are quite ready to wean yet. The nursing relationship is winding down, but it's still a pretty important source of comfort and nutritional insurance, especially when he's sick. He's also had three ear infections recently and I want to keep up that immune system boost.

[Dese]

I had a business trip when my daughter was 18 months and I was first trimester with the baby I'm expecting right now. I took my pump on the trip (although I'd stopped pumping at work when she turned 1) and I pumped that night and maybe first thing the next morning, I can't remember! I didn't keep the milk because I was flying and didn't want to transport it. I got home after midnight so didn't see her for about 48 hours but we resumed our nursing relationship fine.
I think taking a pump if you have one or doing hand pumping is the best idea to relieve any fullness you might have.

[nnaemeka]

thanks for the info and reassurance. i'm planning to attend an out of town conference and my dd is 18 months.

question: did you leave pumped bm for your little one? or was s/he fine with cow's milk/hemp etc?