Breastfeeding help - a week without baby

[Pickle]

Some sad news from home means I'm having to dash to NZ on Monday, and will be away for a week. Logistics mean that, after much soul searching, I'm leaving my youngest at home (obviously I'm sad to be leaving the other 2 as well, but they're a bit more independent)

She is 15 months old, and I still breastfeed her, just one feed at bedtime. She drinks a mix of toddler and cows milk at breakfast time and never asks for more during the day, so my nighttime feed is quite precious and I'm not quite ready to give it up.

Is a week away going to mean the end of my milk? Anyone experienced a similar situation? I wonder whether something like fenugreek (?) would help? Obviously on my return I will go straight back to trying to feed her at bedtime, but as she's not a tiny baby the standard Google answers like "take a nursing holiday, go to bed with your baby for 2 days" aren't really practical.

Many thanks

Advice welcomed.

[womanofdulwich]

i think you can just express a bit out each night- and throw it away:(

[Emski]

Sorry to hear you've had bad news.

I would agree with the above - expressing should keep your supply up. Perhaps just pumping at the same time of evening for the usual duration of your feed would ensure you don't increase or decrease your supply?

[Pickle]

You'd think that after 3 children I would have thought about that option. My brain isn't working at full speed today sadly. I will dig out my old pump and give it a try (I haven't expressed since I had my 1st baby, as no 2 refused a bottle and I never found the time with my 3rd). Thank you.

[Saffron]

I would go for the pump + Fenugreek too. You can get it in preparation with other herbs like Blessed Thistle that are also thought to be pro-milk.

I think if you do nothing (no pumping), you'll might lose (or very greatly diminish) your let-down reflex. You'd still be making some milk, but not an appreciable volume of let-down, if you see what I mean?

I had a ~10 day break from b/fing Little Saff around 2 yo, and it pretty much quashed my let-down reflex. (I didn't do anything - it was a trial run to see if she was ready to quit b/f - she wasn't!.) Although, Little Saff was quite happy to continue to have a comfort suckle after that. When I asked her if she was getting any milk, she would say, 'Just a little bit.' She was quite happy with that for another year, and we've only quit b/f at 3 yr 3 mo.

So sorry to hear that you're dashing home for sad news. Good luck for your journey and return to London. xx

[Saila]

Sorry you've had some sad news

I have a travel medela pump. Nice and compact if you want to borrow it.

[theratprincess]

I managed to keep my supply going when my baby was in hospital for two weeks and couldn't feed. I just pumped on a schedule which mimicked a newborn (she was 9 days old). So pumping in the evening should work for you. Remember though that a pump is not as efficient as a baby. So maybe pump for a bit longer than your child would feed.

I didn't bother with galactagogues ie fenugreek, fennel, oats etc (although fennel tea and oat milk are my current favs), but you could experiment a bit with them, if needed?

If your supply has dwindled, when you return, you could get a prescription for Domperidone - it's an anti-sickness medication, a side effect of which is increased supply. GPs can prescribe it for this secondary purpose.

Good luck.

[womanofdulwich]

you could always feed another baby while you are there!!

[Pickle]

Hmmmm, not sure how that would go down in small town NZ womanofdulwich!

[womanofdulwich]

let us know then......

[midivydale]

Hey, sorry to hear you have had sad news. I too have a great and compact pump you would be more than welcome to borrow.

All the best

C x

[Smiler]

So sorry to hear this pickle.

I had a few days away from feeding littlest smiler at a similar age and didn't even express or try to maintain feeding (was fed up!), went back to it and it was fine, as was she, and carried on feeding her for another year after! She fed more for a while on return. Milk supply is still not completely gone now after stopping four months ago.

So with a bit of expressing you should be fine. boobs are amazing!

Hope your trip goes smoothly as possible in the circumstances xx

[Smiler]

Also don't get stressed if you can't express much, it won't necessarily mean you'll have problems on return, volume will be less given your littlest one's age.

[esme]

Definitely agree re the expressing... I have known various women who have spent days apart at various stages of baby's first couple of years and they managed to keep supply up by using a pump. Try not to stress and rest where possible however hard that is when travelling and going through something traumatic too - as that is most likely cause of "drying up" - good luck and hope all goes well x

[kittysailing]

Hi Pickle - my little on is coming up for 14 months and I do a morning and night feed - since going back to work three days I've had to do various overnights and recently snook off skiing with a friend for 4 days ( 5 nights) I was worried about supply and found I needed to express each night before bed just for comfort more than anything else. When we got back we picked up where we left off - was impressed by the flexibility of my bosom!

[Pickle]

Thanks all for your advice and support x

[Fuschia]

Sorry to hear your bad news. I think yiu will ee to pump for comfort and to keep your oxytocin levels up otherwise you may get a 'drop' which is the last thing you need

Thinking of you x

[Hollybush]

Hi,

Just to say I sent my 18 mo old away with his dad for 5 days to visit family and I really thought that would be the end of that (secretly hoping actually...) When I saw him again he was so happy to see me, but about 30 mins later seemed to realise something was missing and went straight back on the boob. He carried on until about 21 months. I guess he wouldn't have got much milk the first time, maybe just comfort, but that would have brought it back up I guess.

Hope it goes OK for you - really feel for you having to leave the little one, it's much worse on you than them though

x