Seeking Info on Traveling with My Nursing 1 Yr Old While Weaning

I would definatly take him with me if at all possible! It will be a more enjoyable and relaxing trip without having to worry about him. You will get to bond with him in a special way. Enjoy it!

I glanced over a few of the responses and I tend to agree with the fact that once you are gone, dad will be just fine for your baby. I haved BF 3 of my kids until 2 years and my 4th child is 15 months and still BF. I know it's kind of a weird sad feeling that you will be gone and miss those BF times, but your boy will miss you but adjust and when you get back, he may either cling to you and BF right away or be prepared for a nursing strike because he's a little mad at you for leaving.

Yeah to you for breastfeeding your toddler! My son nursed for 2.5 yrs and my daughter is 15mo and still nursing strong, so we've been there too!

My first advice would be that babies that young (especially those that are nursing!) should be with their mommies! So if you can take your baby with you, I think you definetly should! It'll make life less stressful on all of you.

If you do choose to leave him home, I wouldn't do much prep in terms of having your husband give him a bottle instead of nursing. It's already going to be hard for your son to accept the bottle for the days you're gone, so there's no reason to prolong it by doing it ahead of time too. Also, I know that my kids often react better to other caregivers when I'm not there. My 15mo old daughter is at times only consolable by me if I'm home, but she's fine with my husband or her grandparents if I'm not there. So your son may accept a bottle from your husband when you are traveling because it's the only option, but may be understandably upset if you are home and refuse to nurse him and give him the "second rate option" (in his opinion) of a bottle instead. If he's used to night nursing, which my daughter still is, he may be a little harder to console during the night than other times. But it's just a few days, so hopefully it shouldn't be too bad, if it has to happen at all. (I'm still in favor of taking him with you!) Just keep pumping while you are gone so that you can get back to that great nursing once you get home. Everything in his life will have been turned upside-down by having you gone, so that's the best way to reassure him that everything is back to normal in his life once you return!

I don't think it's necessary to take the child with you, but if you decide to, I got a passport for my daughter in March, and from when I mailed it until I got it back was 2wks. Everyone warned it was slow, but it was quick. I got my name changed on mine, it was quick too. Dublin post office doesn't do passport photos for little ones. I found out the hard way. Thought I could do everything together - nope. Also, the Walmart at Tuttle doesn't do passport photos.

My opinion is that babies are very adaptable and it's us moms that are more upset. My daugther is almost 1, and she nurses every few days, and takes formula the rest of the time. My milk supply has been OK (meeting her current demand) and she's fine without. Don't worry -everything will be fine. He takes naps without nursing? It's just a long nap. :)

I know how unsettling it is to travel away from kids when they're young. My oldest was weaned at around a year old and I took several weeks to do so. She took it pretty well, and I especially wanted her to sleep better at night and just let her cry without a nursing. That was hard, but it took just under a week for her to get the idea(she was around 9 or ten months old then). I would suggest weaning the nursing sessions in the middle of the night first (it'll be hard, I know) He's old enough to get the idea. If you take him with you, you problably won't be bright eyed and bushy tailed for meetings or whatnot. He won't suffer without you(I suffered more with the crying than my daughter did) A slow weaning process is the key that worked out in the end for me.

I would still go. Dad will do just fine. I agree with some others, once he realizes that you're not there, he will settle for Daddy's offerings. It's very easy to work yourself up about this, but really, they will both be fine. I can't imagine taking my own advice for my first children, but I now have five children, and I realize how adaptable kids are. It's just a few days. Enjoy yourself, and your husband will enjoy his alone time with the kids!

I think your son will be ok. I was nursing like you at that time (my daughter was just under 12 months) and had an emergency hospital stay where I was there for 4 nights and my little girl did great for Dad. She didn't fuss for him at all - it kind of bummed me out!! :-) You'd be surprised how easy they take a bottle from Dad when the nursing Mom isn't available, especially since he is used to having a bottle.

Also, when I got out of the hospital - it was business as usual for us, she went right back to her nursing ways...but it did help me eventually with the weaning (I nursed until she was 14 months old). Hope this helped - Good luck!

I would try letting your husband give him bottles at those times to get him used to this. You could pump extra and leave breastmilk frozen for him to use so it would still be you.
He might do great! My sister-in-law had a similar issue and she was so worried, but after a rough first night for dad and son, everything was fine. Good luck and safe travel!

I have been in your situation. I was planning to leave my nursling at home for 3 days while I went to a midwifery conference, but I broke down at the last minute and took her with me. I assumed it would be okay, but apparently they had a rule against children at the conference. I ended up having to fly home early and I didn't get a refund. I was really angry since it was a midwifery conference and I assumed babies would be openly accepted.

My point is that you should make sure it's okay to bring your baby. If it is, you could bring him. Many people will probably be delighted you did. Other people will be annoyed, but they can just get over it IMO. I totally support nursing mothers and babies being together.

The other option would be to leave him home. I don't think it will make it any easier to start giving him a bottle now. In fact, the longer you are cutting down on nursing, the more likely it is your milk supply will dry up. If you have to leave, dad will just need to work things out. He has obviously had a bottle before, so it probably won't be as hard as you think. Make sure you take a good pump for yourself or you will really be hurting and unable to concentrate.

Oh, and I have to add that it is total BS that nursing babies should be sleeping through the night by a year old. None of my three have gone all night without nursing before age 2. Not only that, I am on an attached parents email group and it seems like that holds true for others as well. Babies need to eat when they need to eat. Between age one and two, your baby will be growing a lot.

Skip the bottle and use a sippy cup. Have your husband try once each day while you are out of the room. Have him try to console your son each night (by picking him up and rocking him or patting his back/tummy while he lays in bed) before you nurse him and you may get him weaned before you even leave.
In response to a few other posts...I'm guessing it's far too late to think about taking him since it's over seas unless you already have a passport for him.
Good Luck!

I will answer as a Lactation Consultant, with some momsense peppered in! I wouldn't even mess with the bottles. The night nursing is for you and him and he may wake at night, but as soon as dad comforts him, paci tip in whatever, and he sees your not there..why bother. Hey if there is no warm choc chip cookies, I ain't eating lettuce! That's my translation of baby talk at that time:) I assume he does a cup at daycare. Just up the cup offerings, dad can do more solids. Really at this age, they are so flexible. This may be the time he weans for good, or he may bounce back strong when you return. IF, you want him to continue, just pump and dump while your gone to keep your supply up. I would take at least a handpump for comfort if nothing else. Worst case scenario, dad always can offer a bottle of cows milk, but I would use that as last resort. Enjoy your trip, all will be fine!

As much as I enjoyed nursing, you need to change the routine before you go. I don't know if switching to a bottle is the right answer, have you tried putting milk in a sippy cup? Once I moved to the sippy cup (me or my husband) could both give our children milk while we read a bedtime story. Your son is definitely at the age that he does't need to get up at 1am to nurse, he just knows you will feed him if he comes calling. I would recommend when he wakes up in the middle of the night, not offering nursing or anything else to him. I don't know if he uses a pacifier, but that is all I had to use to get them to roll over and sleep. I wouldn't do the 'not offering' during the week with you & your husband working, but maybe do it this weekend. That way a sleepless night won't ruin your entire week! I would have your husband go in and try to get him back to sleep. Your son will adapt within 72 hours of stopping this. The best of luck to you in your travels and great job for taking the time to plan out changees with your family...you see too many time where the spouse would be so angry and then you would never leave again!

I had to be away for 5 days when my oldest daughter was 9 months. I left a lot of pumped milk in the freezer, so my husband could get up and feed her with a bottle. And I brought the breast pump and suffered with pain from full breasts. She was used to take the bottle with breast milk during the day, but when he came to feed her that first night she was highly disappointed it was just him and the bottle and not the real thing, so she cried and refused to take it. After that first night, she started sleeping through the night. And then the whole family slept better.

At 13 months, he does not NEED to eat at night, it is just a bad habit and he probably just wants company. So I think you should travel and see this as a perfect opportunity to wean him of night time feedings.

I nursed my oldest until she was about 17 months. At that time, my husband had to travel to see my father-in-law, who was very ill at the time. We wanted my daughter to go with him, so that she would meet her grandfather, in case it would have been the last chance. They were gone for 1.5 weeks, and I decided the trip was a good excuse to wean her. Although it was a little sad to know that the very last time I nursed her would be at the airport. :( Anyway, it worked out well. It felt like a good way to do it, to simply not be around. It would have been hard to say no to nursing, when I was around, and who knows how long I would have nursed her then! :)

Long answer, but my suggestion to you is to travel alone, take this first trip to wean him of night time feedings and the second one to wean him completely. If you are ready for it that is. Otherwise, don't forget the pump! Good Luck!

M.,
Start weaning now before you go on this trip. Yes, having dad feed him a bottle is a good idea, but I have a question. What is a 13 month old doing still nursing??(He should be on sippy cups by now). While you're away have him feed him formula in a sippy cup.
Kudos on taking an overnight without the little ones!!
You'll miss them and they you, but it's ok to spend time away.
Good Luck!!
R.

Hi M.,
I was a LLL leader back in the day :-) and I nursed all three of my girls. I would say the evening feeding would be the roughest. I think I would try an evening away go have coffee or tea somewhere or shopping) with your husband taking care of the baby...reading a book...using a bottle if he takes one..or a cup of milk and try rocking him to sleep or whatever it takes and see how it goes. You know.."a dry run". I would probably even have him get up at 1am with him to see if he can console him without you.
I was nursing a 12 month - to 18month baby when I was pregnant for the third. I started to have braxston hicks contractions at 6-7 months which were pretty uncomfortable while nursing her, so I said no more of that..and we used a book and a cup from then on at naptimes and bedtimes. She was ready to wean and she did fine.Usually babies of that age do better when you are not around and can't see you. Of course, he will most likely be all over you when you get back. :-)
All babies and families are different of course.
Good luck with it.
S.

I ran into a similar situation with my Ava, now 2.5. What I did was wear one of my husband's T shirts as a night shirt for several days. This put my scent all over the shirt. My husband would then wear the shir6t when he fed the baby. It was the best of both worlds - he got to bond with his daughter, the baby got to smell Mom.

I would also do the same for an extra shirt and kept that shirt (or baby blanket that I has slept with for several nights) in the crib. She would end up cuddling up with it.

Your kiddo may have a tough time but Dad will need to find a ritual for the two of them. Make it extra special time - stuff they get to do when Mommy's gone.

I hope that helps!
About me: 44, full time work outside the home, 3 kids; 2.5 girl, 4 month old twins (boy and girl). I need sleep!