What's the longest you've been away from DC while BF?

[mmsmom]

I am going out of town for 5 days/4 nights when DD will be 5 months and she will be staying with family. She currently only gets about 1 bottle/week which she is fine with but I am starting to really worry her not nursing for that long. I will have enough milk to leave for her & plan to pump while I'm away so not worried about that part. But I am concerned about her missing me & being miserable. Would love to hear from other moms who've left their DC while nursing... how long were you away... how did your DC handle it?

[kijip]

About 12 hours and that was an emergency situation where I was at the hospital with my mother this last week (thankfully I had a pump with me.) He was miserable after 12 hours and we ended up bringing him to nurse at the hospital with me in the oncology ward. My little guy is 5 months old and I can't imagine leaving him and maintaining supply for a 5 day separation. Unless it was a business obligation that was impossible to bring baby with on the trip, I would be really reluctant to leave him. I don't get as much when I pump as when he nurses and I find pumping a PITA so take my words with a grain of salt.

[firsttimemama]

DS is 18 mo and I haven't even been away from him overnight. But I haven't *had* to, either. Can you take the baby?

[SnuggleBuggles]

I didn't leave overnight till they weaned at 17+ months.

I left my (at the time) 5m old ds1 for 8 hours when dh was in the hospital. That was misery in terms of engorgement and discomfort.

I'd be really hesitant to leave a nursing baby for that long because I would worry about supply issues. Pumps just aren't as good as babies. If there is any option to take baby, I would do it. If not, hopefully other btdt moms will have advice.

Beth

[KBecks]

I was just out of town 36 hrs. Pumped a lot!

[mmsmom]

Ugh! Thanks ladies... I don't know what I was thinking. I can't take DD but I can rearrange schedule so I'm not away as long.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

what is the age of the baby? Actually, at any age I wouldn't leave a nursling that long. My middle child nursed until she was 3 years and 9 months and leaving her for 5 days would have probably caused her to wean at any age.

I was away for up to two nights as she got older (over 2 years), but any more than that and I brought her with me.

[smiles33]

I left for 3 nights on an important business trip when my exclusively BF DD was about 5 months old. Then again, she was on bottles for 8 hours/day while I WOH starting around when she was 4 months old so it wasn't that huge of a difference except that I had to pump in the mornings and night, too. We sustained our BF relationship until she turned 2, so I don't think a 3 day trip necessarily means your DC will wean. Just keep in mind TSA reqs re: transporting breast milk if you are flying somewhere.

Good luck!

[hellokitty1]

Just keep in mind TSA reqs re: transporting breast milk if you are flying somewhere.


what is the rule on this? is breastmilk allowed through security or does it have to be checked?

[smiles33]

They have made it much easier now, but I ended up dumping mine to avoid the hassle as DD wasn't traveling with me.

"Mothers flying with, and now without, their child will be permitted to bring breast milk in quantities greater than three ounces as long as it is declared for inspection at the security checkpoint."

See this page for more info:

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/formula.shtm

[pamxch]

I had to be away from my baby for 5 nights and days when he was 8 months old. I was worried he would refuse to nurse when I got back, but he showed no hesitation. While I was away, I was told the first day he was upset when he was offered the bottle rather than milk from the source, but by the second day he was okay. He was used to getting bottles in daycare and milk from me at home.

I dumped all my milk for the week because it seemed too big a hassle to carry that much milk home.

[KBecks]

what is the rule on this? is breastmilk allowed through security or does it have to be checked?

You have to go through the medical line when returning with breastmilk. Mine was not frozen. I carried it in a cooler on ice. They will have you open each bottle of milk and use a vapor tester thing to check the milk. (They don't put anything in the milk, just hold the instrument over the container opening.)

Take a lot of containers and a fairly large cooler.

HTH.