Wedding, honeymoon and breastfeeding

[LimeSlice]

DF and I are getting married next year, around Nvember, which will be Charlotte's 2nd birthday.
Initially I wanted to BF until around 2 years, longer if possible.

We will be going on a honeymoon for around 2 weeks, and Charlotte will be staying in Melbourne with my mum. I want her at the wedding, but I also want to be able to drink at my wedding, hens night! I dont want to have to worry about expressing on the honeymoon, or leaving milk for her while we are gone...Does that sound selfish??

Part of me is thinking that it would be the perfect opportunity to wean her, and the other part of me is worried that I am being selfish and putting my wants ahead of her needs. (But I really would love not to have to worry about these things and, quite honestly, get drunk on my hensnight- it will be a while since that has happened! lol)

Has anyone else been in a similar situation? How did you BF and do the wedding/honeymoon thing?
ATM I am leaning towards weaning her as of the wedding, having our last feed on the wedding day, a nice ceremonious ending to our BF relationship, I though that would be a happy way to end it...

(This is all supposing that she doesnt wean herself by then of course) But I really would like to have some notion/plan before we get there....

Hope that made sense!
HELP!!

[alioops]

Take it as it comes hun. Expressing could become a 2 person job on the honeymoon

She may decide to wean, which will make it easier for you, but dont stress if she doesnt. Either way she will be just fine and having a happy mummy is what she needs most of all. At 2 you dont HAVE to leave milk for her. If she refuses cows milk then your mum can get her to eat cheese and yoghurt for calcium. There are lots of foods with calcium in them so she will be fine even if she does refuse all milk but yours.

There is NOTHING selfish about wanting to enjoy your wedding and honeymoon hun! Just take it as it comes and know that you will both be fine. She will enjoy the wedding and so will both of you. and if you do finish BF around the time of the wedding then it is good timing for a honeymoon baby

[Lucy]

Slighty different timing, but we got married when Charlie was just 3 months old.

I had him with me through all of the preparations for the 4pm ceremony and did a BF just before I got my dress on at about 3.30pm. The I handed him over to my Mum, with gallons of expressed milk.

I then expressed just before dinner, to relieve the pressure. I then carried on with the champagne!

I did find myself leaking a bit as I cuddled him before he went to bed.

We ALL stayed at our wedding reception venue.....Olivia, Charlie and my Mum and my Matron of Honour in one collage, and DH and I in the HoneyMoon suite which was in a separate part of the house.

DH & I had our wedding night of passion, and I woke up at about 5am with boobs fit to burst so I nipped across the lawn to give Charlie a BF, then ran back to snuggle back up to DH!

We didn't have a traditional honeymoon though........largely becasue of Olivia and Charlie........we have $$ in a savings account to take us away when I dare leave all three of them with someone else for a fortnight.......in about 15 years I reackon, LOL!

Good luck!

[MantaRay]

LS, I am sure that whatever you decide will work. I would probably not wean as of the wedding day, just purely because it might be harder for her to have the double whammy of mummy and daddy away for 2 weeks AND no more bfing all in one hit. So if you are going to wean, I would probably try and do it earlier.

It's hard to know what to do, I am sad that both my boys self-weaned before 2, but that's me. Look in your heart hun, I'm sure the answer is there. And FWIW, I don't think it's selfish to wean a little earlier than age 2 if that's what you want. Your happiness is important too, and it's only a couple of months anyway. Best of luck with your decision.

[Barb Glare]

Hi,

Congrats on your wedding! And double congrats on planning to feed your baby for so long!
Breastfeeding is life! Work, marriage, family ups and downs, are all woven around the breastfeeding mother and child, and it often takes us in directions we never thought of. The breastfeeding 2 year old is a completely different being to the 8mnth old. Firstly, for a 2 year old, alcohol won't be a problem. As we know, alcohol goes in to milk at the same rate as blood - but that is stillonly a tiny bit - and it will be entirely metablosed out of your system by 2-3 hours.
As to how your breastfeeding goes - there's no roadmap a all. As you recognise, it's really normal for 2yr olds and beyond to breasteed. My guess would be that if she makes it to 2 - a 2 week break won't throw her off course!
But - mark in your diary = send us a photo of you breastfeeding your 2 year old breastfeeding when you are both glammed up for the big day - that would be a beautiful thing indeed
Regards
Barb

[The[cookie]Doctor]

I can't really help LS but I think feeding on your wedding day would be gorgeous - there was a picture in the breastfeeding not obscene facebook group of a lady that did and it was a priceless picture. We're looking at September next year so DS will be about 17 months (& maybe another bubba ) so that will be interesting for us too. But we won't be having a honeymoon... I'm just worried about getting out of my dress in the middle of the day to express and relieve the pressure

[LimeSlice]

ash - that photo is what made me think about it I love that picture

Thanks girls And there will definately be a piccy of the wedding day feed

[Pix]

Hi There,
Many mums have had to deal with an extended break just like you are facing. A hospital stay, for example.

As you say this could be the time/chance when she will wean, if you and her are ready.
Before the time comes;

You will need to consider if you are the one who is ready to wean, and to make the first move on this, if this is your choice. You need to plan for a smooth transition.

If you are happy for her to 'lead-the-way' then you will need to express at least once a day, in the shower is a great time for it. Making sure you are ready and raring to go the second she lays eyes on you - and says "Boobie Mummy !!".

You also need to be prepared, to have expressed all honeymoon; and she doesn't even look like asking for a feed, from you ever again.

[LimeSlice]

You also need to be prepared, to have expressed all honeymoon; and she doesn't even look like asking for a feed, from you ever again.

That sounds so scary when you put it like that!!
I suppose I will see how I go...I wasnt sure how much I would need to express to keep my supply going while away, but once a day isnt much. Maybe I'll think about the rest later!

[MantaRay]

By that age LS, I would think you would necessarily need to express every day. I went away for 24 hours when DS2 was 11 months and didn't have to express once. I would think that, depending on how many feeds she's having them, that you might even be able to do it every two days or so. I wouldn't get too hung up on that, wait and see what pans out.

[Pix]

I was recommending/suggesting to express everyday giving consideration to the fact it will be 2 weeks, not just a 24 hr period.

If done everyday for a few min, say in the shower there is a routine/pattern established. The amount expressed will not have to be great, you would not have to empty your breast, just keep it regularly 'active'.

If you have a small hand pump you wont even need to put the base on, just pump under the shower for a few min each side, till you release your letdown.

You may not realize it but you are still having letdowns when you feed.

Once you and your daughter have resumed your feeding relationship, her Demand & your Supply will balance back out.

The idea here is too keep you lactating, not to keep your supply at its current level.