Travelling for work, how much milk should I have pumped?

[aleatha5]

I have previously complained about my job here. My boss is not very family friendly. As an aside, just recently she refused someone bereavement leave when that woman's ex-DH died. This couple had a DD (12 years old) together and obviously the DD is devastated. But my boss said "she couldn't make an exception, because then she'd have to make an exception for everyone"

Anyway...she wants me to go to this convention, it's only 2 days. And when she said I'd be going it seemed so far in the future....now, though...I'm panicking. My DH is going to come down one night and morning. The convention is in the hotel so, that will cover some time and I can slip away to BF. But, I'll still be away from DS for 24 hours . DS is 8 1/2 months, but he was premature, so more like 8 months. He does eat some solids, but more for fun than for food. I don't have a ton of stored milk b/c my job is so unfriendly to pumping. I only have 22 ounces. Is that going to get him through? I will probably be able to get up to 25 before the trip, but I'm so nervous. It is only 24 hours, but I feel terrible about it.

TIA!

[aleatha5]

Anyone? This is coming up so close, and I'm am crying at my computer because I don't want to be separated, and I worry that he will be hungry and I won't have provided enough for him. I don't know what to do. He nurses every 2-3 hours overnight and every 3-4 hours he either nurses or gets a bottle of expressed milk in the day. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm failing as a mom.

[lolar2]

DS couldn't bf; he was taking just under 40 ounces of formula per day at 8 months, plus solids. He's a big eater though. Most babies take a little less. My friend's baby took about 32 ounces a day, I think, at 8 months.

Since yours is on solids, I wouldn't think that it would do him any harm to have a bottle or two of formula if that's what it takes to keep him from being hungry. When is the convention exactly?

[aleatha5]

Wow! More than I thought. It's on Wednesday. My DH has a condition that is heritable, so I have to avoid all soy and dairy with DS to hopefully avoid his developing it.

[MelW]

I think that at 8 months and doing a little bit of solids 22-25 ounces should be fine. You can always give him water and some extra solids, and it's only 24 hours. How much milk does he normally drink during a work day? In a pinch you might be able to give a little rice or hemp milk. I know that it's not an ideal baby food, but if you're just helping to fill his tummy and keep him comfortable while you're apart it probably wouldn't be a big deal.

Sorry your job is not more family friendly

[aleatha5]

Mel, thanks! I hadn't even thought rice milk. Is that OK for babies? That is what my DH drinks. But, obviously in a pinch it could work for DS too, right? Certainly not my ideal, but a good solution. THANK YOU!

[poorlittlefish]

Don't panic.
I travel for my job and with my DD who is now 2 I would have to pump and leave some. She did at times need to have the gap bridged with a bottle or 2 of formula but not very often.

On Kellymom, they said that a BF baby takes about an ounce per hour. My daughter pretty much always stuck to that, even after solids were introduced. I am sure you will be fine but I might but some formula or make sure to offer the solids he likes best.

HE WILL BE FINE!

[MelW]

Most rice milk (and soy, almond, etc.) say on the container "not intended as a replacement for formula" or have a warning about not giving to children under the age of 2. That's because it doesn't have adequate fat/nutrition for babies.

But in a pinch, I would personally feel comfortable with it. Since your baby's diet is mostly breastmilk, one or two bottles of a lower fat milk to get through a tricky situation wouldn't concern me. It's something that we discussed with our immunologist (both of my kids have/had multiple allergies as babies) and he also agreed that a rice milk would work in a pinch for comfort and filling baby's tummy.

You're welcome, and good luck with the trip!!

[Ruby2]

My dd follows the “one ounce per hour” rule almost exactly. One thing that you didn’t mention is that you’ll be pumping during those 24 hours that you’ll be away, right? So when your dh comes to the convention for the night, you can send him home with what you pumped.

Also, maybe try adding some rice cereal to ds’s diet to get him used to it before you go??? I’m not a fan as it doesn’t seem to have a lot of nutritional benefit, but it will certainly fill him up and get him through the day.

You can do it!!!