advice needed - bf'ing after 1 and work travel

[IndiaInk]

I could use some help thinking through a situation that has come up.  I have been SAH, but have been offered a great part-time, WFH job in my field.  If I accept, I need to fly across the country for a 2 day training that is happening next week.  
I'm still BF'ing my one-year old.  She eats solids great, and I just intro'd WCM this week, but she loves nursing and so do I.  She wakes 1x/night to nurse, and nurses frequently throughout the day.  I don't want to wean her yet and she certainly doesn't seem ready.
I don't have a freezer supply because I haven't pumped in a while, as there hasn't been a need. I could probably leave milk for MOTN feedings, but I don't have time to pump enough for the whole time I'm gone.
My question is:  If I leave her for two days (essentially three with travel), she will probably wean, right? I should take her with me and find a sitter while I'm working, if I want to continue to breastfeed right?  This is such a hassle and I'm feeling very unsure about what is reasonable to do with her at this in-between stage. Would appreciate advice.

[Deleted]

I wouldn't think she would wean...Then again I'm going away from DD (the same age as your DD) for two nights next weekend and just assumed she would pick back up when I got back. I've never spent a night away, so I clearly have no idea what I'm talking about. Following this post to see the responses!

[Deleted]

No, she probably won't wean. You can easily take this trip and continue breastfeeding. I'd just let her have WCM while you're away and she'll get back to breastfeeding the instant you get back. Pump and dump while you're away - probably just morning and night is plenty.

I traveled a few times after DS was 1 and before he weaned at 3. He didn't miss a beat. My friend has gone away many times while nursing a toddler (um, who is now a preschooler) and no luck on weaning even when she wanted to. Even when she's gone days without pumping.

If she loves nursing, she'll keep doing it.

[rootbeerfloat]

I left DS at 14m for 4 nights, and he didn't wean. He was pretty attached to BF, though. He wasn't taking bottles at that point (b/c he hated them), so H just comforted in other ways when he would've nursed. I pumped a few times a day to keep up my supply.

[mswax]

I recent left DS3 (who is still nursing at 21 months) for 4 days, 3 nights. I brought my pump to keep up my (now piddly) supply, and even though he didn't get any bottles while I was gone, he went right back to nursing when I got home.

[mrsGreeko]

She probably won't wean. I had to leave for 5 days every other week when DS was 17-20 months. I thought for sure he would wean, but first thing he did when he saw me was sign asking to nurse. He nursed until 22 months. It was no big deal. I brought a manual pump with me and expressed for comfort and dumped the milk. And that was enough.

[IndiaInk]

Oh whew. That is a big relief. I've been stressing about this. I know she will be very sad because she finds a great deal of comfort in nursing, but knowing that she probably won't wean is good news.

[anna7602]

I had to have a medical procedure done at 18 months and couldn't nurse DD at all for 2 days. I wasn't pumping anymore by then and she wasn't drinking any kind of milk consistently out of a cup. It didn't impact our nursing relationship at all. I pumped a couple of times to relieve discomfort and then we picked up where we left off as soon as I was with her again.

[water*drop]

Ditto everybody else. I left DD overnight a couple of times after she turned one, and she didn't wean until she was over 2.5.

[cinco]

DS didn't wean the couple of times I left him for multiple days b/w 18m and 2 years. My DD2 did wean when I left her for a few days, but she was over 2, and I was hoping she would! I think it would be far more likely that a 1 year old would not wean.

[litasail]

I left DS for up to five days between 1 and 2 years old (when we were still BFing) and he never weaned as a result.

[curbsideprophet]

I would be surprised if she weaned. I would pump some milk between now and then to mix with the WCM to help with that transition but I would try and not stress about it.

[redpenmama]

No way, I don't think 2-3 days = weaning. On your end, I would pump just to maintain supply and relieve any engorgement (I am nursing my 16-mo-old a lot still, and I know I couldn't go that long without nursing or pumping).

Congrats on the job!

[Deleted]

May 5, 2015 15:40:48 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

No, she probably won't wean. You can easily take this trip and continue breastfeeding. I'd just let her have WCM while you're away and she'll get back to breastfeeding the instant you get back. Pump and dump while you're away - probably just morning and night is plenty.

Do you have to pump until empty or just enough to relieve discomfort?

[Deleted]

May 6, 2015 3:18:11 GMT -5 @myblue said:

May 5, 2015 15:40:48 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

No, she probably won't wean. You can easily take this trip and continue breastfeeding. I'd just let her have WCM while you're away and she'll get back to breastfeeding the instant you get back. Pump and dump while you're away - probably just morning and night is plenty.

Do you have to pump until empty or just enough to relieve discomfort?

tomayto tomahto at that point. I think I did about 15 min.

[mpc]

May 6, 2015 3:18:11 GMT -5 @myblue said:

May 5, 2015 15:40:48 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

No, she probably won't wean. You can easily take this trip and continue breastfeeding. I'd just let her have WCM while you're away and she'll get back to breastfeeding the instant you get back. Pump and dump while you're away - probably just morning and night is plenty.

Do you have to pump until empty or just enough to relieve discomfort?

I pumped until empty. But I had supply issues in general and when I went on a trip and tried to pump a minimal amount it did hurt my supply by the time I got back home. 

[rondonalddo]

I was gone on business travel for 6 days when DD was 2 and thought for sure, but nope (and by that time I was ready to be done). That was the first thing she wanted when I got home :-) I didn't wean until 3 months later when she went a couple days without asking and I decided I'd push it.