first longish trip away from LO - need a little encouragement?

[cww]

Our DD is almost a year old, and in about a month, I'll be taking my first longish work trip away from home (five days on the opposite coast).  I just finished a 36 hour trip to a conference that was a bit closer to home as a kind of trial run, and it wasn't a great experience - not terrible, but I basically spent the whole trip literally running back and forth in the sub-zero weather between the hotel and the conference center to pump, etc, and I didn't end up having time to see any talks other than my own and my co-author's. 

The upcoming trip should be better, in that I'll have some time to recover in between travel days, and the conference talks and meetings are all in the same hotel as my room, so pumping should be a bit less complicated.  I'm more just feeling depressed at this point at the idea of being away from DD for so long - I know that the conference will be really good for me professionally, and I'm lucky that I didn't need to travel when she was younger, and I think DD will be fine since she will have daddy and grandma around the whole time (after I got home from this last conference, she didn't seem to miss me at all - her reaction was something like, "oh, you again").  It just feels so "wrong" to be somewhere without her!  There probably isn't any sage advice out there about how to feel less sad about the impending time apart, but I was just hoping that some of you who have been there might have some encouraging words to share...

Thanks for reading my post!

[Super~Single~Mama]

I sympathize!! It's hard, but it will be OK, and your LO will be ok too. I don't travel for work, but I did a week long trip for school when my ds was just about 2yo. It was hard on him, but I think mostly because he was older and knew to miss me. We also did a week long trip away from me the summer before (I'm single, so he visits his dad, and week long visits started at 1yo during the summer). It was hard then too, but he is loved on by his dad and his dad's family, which helps. 

Don't worry, and don't feel guilty.  Also, if you have the time, I highly recommend Skype for video chat. I know your dd is very young, but 10-15min of skype ALWAYS helps my ds when he misses his dad. Always. He really enjoys it, and if you have 2 copies of any books, being able to read them over chat is great too.

[cww]

Thanks for the reply, SuperSingleMama. :)  Thanks for the great suggestion about the book - I had never thought of that!  DD is still not quite into being read to just yet, but that seems to be changing on a daily basis, so maybe if I'm lucky in a month we could try that when I'm gone - we definitely have a few books where we got duplicates.  I just booked the actual flight ticket a day or so ago, and I felt so panicky just committing to the trip!  I know we'll figure it out and that we'll both get used to the idea that occasionally we'll be apart for trips like this, but right now I find it really hard not to be sad about it!  I really admire any mamas out there who have to do this regularly for work!

[Super~Single~Mama]

Sure! Another suggestion: leave her a picture book with lots of pics of you in it. My ds has one at his dads house of me and one here of his dad. It helps when he misses either of us. I have the kid albums that won't come apart or hurt ds but I
Don't remember the brand.

[tangozulu]

You've already gotten good advice, but here's mine anyway :)

Keep busy while you're there, and try to do something to pamper yourself (read a book, get a pedicure, go to bed early, go to the workout room at the hotel, take a walk, shop - whatever you enjoy).  Look at it as an opportunity to take care of yourself so you can be extra available to your DD when you get back!  

Hang in there, 5 days is hard, I find the last couple of nights long when I have to be away that many days in a row.  Bring whatever helps you sleep if you think you'll have trouble sleeping without your DD.  I have a white noise app for my iPhone, but bring whatever works for you - Sleepytime tea, sleeping mask, whatever.  It will only benefit you and your daughter if you come back as well-rested and refreshed as possible.

Good luck!