Mama's Going Away!

[Momange]

I have a girls trip planned (in three weeks!!) and an 8 1/2 month old girl who still counts on breastfeeding for the majority of her meals.  She eats a little food during the day but not much.  I never introduced the bottle to her so she's not used to eating with my husband. She can drink out of a sippy cup now but usually spits the milk out after getting 3-4 gulps.  She knows she can count on me to BF before putting her down so she resists drinking a full cup.

I tried to make her just drink from the sippy cup during the day yesterday but she basically kept from eating at all and then woke up more throughout the night to get her fill.  

I'm worried that she's going to be traumatized while I'm gone but hope I'm over-reacting.  I also don't know if I should try to get her to drink from the sippy cup when she wakes in the morning instead of keeping her from having her daily feeds.

Any advice, or tips would be much appreciated!!!

[SilverFish]

well, i would start pumping a stash, choose a formula you feel comfortable with, and have you husband take over at least a couple meals per week now in preparation. chances are she will never take a bottle or sippy from you in exchange for a nursing session, because hey, why should she? she knows you have the boobs, so she will just hold out until you decide to give her the boob. 

if you go out a couple afternoons or evenings a week now until you leave (bedtime or nap time), your husband can use that time to practice feeding her a bottle or cup of milk, in addition to a solid meal. your dd may find a bottle intriguing at this point... my dd hasn't had to have a bottle since she came home from the NICU 18 months ago, but she finds still bottles to be a really amusing way to get a drink. you can also try a little open cup, a straw topped cup, or a sippy with a different lid. a bottle will probably be most conducive to the sleepy cuddle time that she associates with breastfeeding. 

i wouldn't try to keep her from breastfeeding normally while you are around her during the day or at night. it's confusing and not necessary, as it's not you she needs to learn to accept milk from. in the end though, as long as you leave enough milk (or formula if there's not enough milk) and your husband has a pretty good handle on what solids to feed her and how to get some milk into her, they'll both survive. 

[D_McG]

I don't really understand how it's possible to leave a baby that age who doesn't take a bottle?  

She'll need about 25oz/day.  Will you have that pumped for her?  Or are you going to use formula?  (Will she take formula?)

I left my big two when they were about a year so I'm not against leaving bf'ing kids at all but I don't really see how this can go without a lot of trouble for her.  

[Momange]

Silver fish, thanks for your response.  I have been pumping 4-8 oz daily so I'll definitely start putting a stash aside.  I plan on freezing the milk in 1oz ice cubes so my husband can unfreeze the amount he'll need at each given time.  I agree that he needs to start doing some of the feedings.  It's difficult with his work travel schedule but we'll have him do so as often as he can.  I kind of think that my DD will eat more food with him during the days I'm gone.  I'll have my husband try the bottle again and see if she takes from it better...she didn't find it that amusing the last time.

D_McG, I know that it's going to be hard on my daughter and my husband too, for that matter.  She WILL take a bottle but she only drinks 2-3 oz from it at a time.  She does the same with the sippy cup.  She also eats pureed foods, so like I said above, I will leave enough milk frozen and food for her.  

[D_McG]

2-3 oz at a time is totally normal.  in your OP you said 3-4 gulps!

[foreverinbluejeans]

I wouldn't give an 8.5 month old breastfed baby a bottle and don't see that as an issue. I would rather feed the baby solids and get milk down other ways than risk the breastfeeding relationship. When my DIL went back to work full time at 9 months we never gave bottle, didn't even own any.

I wouldn't leave my babies. For me there was nothing that was worth it and I wouldn't have had fun.

[bandyr]

Just to let you know.  A baby that nurses as much as your LO does may wean abruptly even if your absence lasts a few days.  Breastfeeding is so much more for her than getting food.  This is how she feels secure and close to you.  No one can explain your absence to her, and she is likely to feel angry or devastated.  

Do you plan to bring a pump along with you?  Without continued milk removal, you may experience a considerable drop in supply or even a breast infection.  If you want to maintain your current milk supply, you'll need to pump at least as often as she nurses, depending on the type of pump you use and your ability to remove milk this way.  Even with pumping, you're likely to notice a drop in supply.  A machine can never match the efficiency of your baby in removing milk.  If she is reluctant to nurse when you return, this could lead to even lower supply and be the end our your nursing relationship.  Sounds harsh, I know.  But this has surprised a number of moms after a weekend away.  

Believe me, I know you could use some time off!  I don't want to discourage but want you to be aware of the possibilities.

SAHM to three BF babies