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Leaving Baby for the Weekend

Traci - posted on 06/16/2011 ( 3 moms have responded )

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Hello. My son is 10 months old and I have only been away from him for 3 or 4 hours at a time. In a little over a week, my husband and I will be leaving him with my parents for the weekend. We've slowly started the weaning process two months ago onto formula, so I know he'll take a bottle of formula. He still breastfeeds about 4 times a day though, especially when falling asleep for naps or for the night (but sleeps throughout the night as well). I haven't pumped in four months or so (when he was exclusively breastfed, he ate so much I could rarely pump anyway), so I know I won't be able to pump enough for him to have for the whole weekend. Is it a good idea to leave him the whole weekend when he is still breastfeeding? Is it a good for him to be exclusively on formula and solids for the whole weekend? When I come back, will he be totally weaned from breast milk?

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3 Comments

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Teresa - posted on 06/16/2011

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I know I wouldn't do it, but I can't say whether or not you should. Some kids won't breastfeed again after a situation like that. Others will pick right back up as if you were never gone. The choice is entirely your's on whether or not you want to risk it. If you DO go though.... make sure to pump while you are gone.

Shannon - posted on 06/16/2011

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I would try to pump some... and mix the formula and breast milk together.. it may make it a bit easier on him to transition between the two... When my son was still nursing, I used to work 9 hour shifts... and could only pump about 12oz while I was at work. Thankfully he only took 3 6oz bottles while I was gone, but I'd do 3 bottles with 4oz of my milk, and add 2 oz of formula to each.. We ended up going away for 2 days, and I took from my freezer supple to do the same thing... and he went right back to breast with no issues... but, all kids are different so I can't say if yours will or not. Good luck in which ever you choose to do...

Amy - posted on 06/16/2011

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If you want to go away then go but I would probably do one overnight trial run before you make the commitment to go. Different surroundings, and a different routine could really throw your baby off. For example when my husband and I go visit my parents in NY my 15 month old has to sleep in bed with us because the crib is in the same room and she sees us, while at home after her last feeding I can put her in the crib awake, leave and she talks herself to sleep within 5 minutes usually.
Also you're baby probably isn't going to wean because you leave him for one weekend. I had to leave my daughter for 5 days because of a business trip when she was 7 months old, she was already used to taking a bottle and some formula because I work full-time. When I returned home she picked right back up where she had left off.
I highly recommend that you pump while away. If you don't you will be very uncomfortable even if your LO only breastfeeds four times a day. Your body doesn't know to stop producing so if you intend to breastfeed when you return you need to keep production up. Good luck!

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