I am still breast feeding my daughter who is now 18 mo. She's my last baby and neither one of us are ready to give it up just yet. I am scheduled to go on a special weekend for women through our church the end of July. I will be gone Friday 5pm through Sunday 5pm. No, there is no way she can come and no, there is no way I will be able to see or nurse her during this time away. We nurse 1-3 times a day, depending on the day, but most often she nurses once or twice a day so I know my milk supply is very low at this point. I've not even attempted to pump in over 6 mo (maybe longer) and I don't even have my breastpump any more so pumping is not an option either. I could nurse her before I leave and again as soon as I get home but that would be a full 48 hours without nursing (I've never gone longer than 24 hours before). Will my milk dry up? Is it possible to be gone, miss nursing for 2 days and then resume when I get home? What are my options here other than don't go or wean before the trip?
Buy a cheap hand pump. Drying up happens very quickly. More concerning- mastitis from a clogged duct. I had it with my first child- very painful and very sick.
I nursed my daughter until she was almost 2. She was down to only nursing at bedtime when I went out of town from fri-sun. My milk dried up by Sunday. I was actually relieved because I was ready to be done. Good luck.
Since you don't nurse real often any more I think you really run the risk of it drying up. You can try hand expressing but I don't know if that will work very well. Milk dries up pretty fast unfortunately.
You could pick up an inexpensive hand pump or hand express.
Just go with the flow! You may need to hand express for comfort while you're gone. She may wean, but in m experience after time apart my toddler always wanted to nurse MORE the next few days.
And I doubt your milk supply is low, your body has just become very efficient at producing what's needed when it's needed.....
My preschooler has gone so long between nursing sessions I couldn't remember the last time he'd nursed and I was SURE we were done, only to have him go on a nursing spree and be shocked that there was milk!
It took months for my milk to dry up after my last child weaned. I could easily take weekends away and just express enough to relieve the pressure by the time they were 18mo. My kids didn't lose interest, and it was always the first thing they wanted when I got home, so I learned to make that time available to them.
That said, your body is your body and not my body, kwim? Who knows what will happen, but I bet you don't dry up that fast if you have years of nursing behind you (I did). Hell, I got mastitis a full TWO YEARS after I weaned the last one. I could now probably lactate within days if I had to, I nursed so long lol!
*your experience may vary*
If your milk supply is already low, then there is a pretty good chance you will dry or mostly dry so that resuming nursing will be difficult. I had low supply throughout nursing, and especially at the end, and it really only took a couple of days of stopping for me to be mostly dry. Also, if you don't pump or nurse for a few days you will be uncomfortable, so if you want to continue nursing, then buy or borrow a pump -- to protect nursing and prevent discomfort. Good luck!
I'd hand express a little while you were gone, just keeping up that stimulation will help. Your milk supply will probably dwindle a little bit but I have no doubts that daughter won't fix that problem within a few days when you get back to your routine.
I had residual milk for several years after stopping nursing.
I would not worry about it.
I'd just see how it goes. Your milk *may* still be there when you get back on Sunday and you could resume your nursing.
Your milk will not dry up in a short weekend you are describing. You may get engorged slightly while you are away so you may have to express some to relieve the pressure. As soon as you get home, latch her on and you'll see that you still have milk.
You run the risk of her no longer wanting to nurse when you get back, or having no more milk. Hand express some before you leave and while you are gone and see what happens, but be prepared to be done, sorry.
