resuming breastfeeding after 1 week absence?

[Emmet's Mommy]

I am contemplating a one week vacation without baby when he will be 8 months old.  He is nearly 5 months now and breastfed exclusively.  He rarely gets a bottle if I go out and he stays with grandparents, although its been a while.  He is a big boy (about 20 pounds) and presumably he'll be getting some solids daily by seven months.  I am worried that he won't want to continue breastfeeding and will be essentially weaned by the time I get back, not to mention stranger anxiety kicking in. Has anyone successfully resumed breastfeeding after such an absence?
Thanks

[Samuel's mum]

I haven't myself but I've read about mothers who have not nursed for more than a week due to nursing strikes. They were pumping regularly (as close to nursing times as possible). In their case it was to give to the baby but in your case it would be to keep up supply. Of course when you return you may have the supply still but your relationship with your baby may have changed. This is something you really won't know about until you walk through the door with your suitcases. He could recognise you happily and remember nursing and be keen to get back to it. Or he could be upset and confused and prefer a bottle from the person who has been his primary caregiver for the past week. If you choose to leave him he will need to be established with using bottles. We recently had a breastfeeding mother in the UK who went to New York on business and eventually had to fly back a day or so later when her baby refused to take a bottle! You wouldn't want that!
If breastfeeding is something you value enough to not want to jeopardize it, is there a chance your holiday could wait a few more months? Have you thought about him coming on holiday too? I had a great family holiday when my LO was that age. He was really taking notice of the world and had so many experiences - dipping toes in the sea for one!
Good Luck with whatever you decide is best for you and your LO.

[Nicola_G]

Hi there,

Sorry to butt in here, but I have a similar question and am interested in the replies you get. I have to go away on business for 2 nights in about a month when my lo will be almost 8 months. He is already well established on solids for 3 meals/day but continues to nurse 5x. He is in childcare so one of those feeds is a bottle of EBM.

I intend to take my manual pump with me when I go away and pump at normal nursing times, this should do the trick to keep my supply there, right? Also, I never have much success pumping, and (such a shame!) will have to discard the milk as I won't be able to keep it frozen. Given the fact that my breasts will be giving up less milk, will they get back to normal once lo is back nursing?

Thanks in advance.

[Samuel's mum]

Dear Nicola
It sounds as though your LO is already experienced with bottles so at least you don't have that problem. You're right about the need to pump regularly - near to feeding times if possible. It will be worth it. Even if you only get small amounts it will be something. After the couple of days you hopefully should be able to resume nursing. It may be something your baby takes a while to get back into the groove with (in a very small number of cases the babies won't ever- just to warn you.) It may also at least 2 to 3 days of regular feeding before your supply returns to what it was.
HTH

[Jennifer2e]

Nicola,

If you can keep your BM on ice it should be just fine.  If does not have to be frozen right away.  It stays good in the fridge for 8 days.

[Kayna]

My SIL just went to Rome for a week and when she got back she just picked it right back up with her 5 month old. She pumped while there but her dd latched right back on when she got home. Every child is different though.