In January, I had gone on vacation out of the country for 5 days away from mini me. She was 9 months old at the time. I too was concerned she would refuse the breast when I came back. Fortunately, that was not the case.
Prior to leaving, I sought out advice on the internet via blogs and forums, and found very little information. There were quite a few moms on twitter who said they had no problems with their little ones latching back on after being away from them.
I think that as long as you nurse during the times you’re with the baby, and only give the bottle when you’re let’s say, at work – breastfeeding your baby after not being with them for a few days will be just like you never left.
While I was away my daughter drank her bottle. She is used to having a bottle during the day only. My Mom said that in the evenings she did want to nurse, but when she became hungry she eventually took the bottle.
When I arrived home from my flight at around 1am, my daughter wake up about 2-hours later just in-time for her night feeding. She was excited to see me & latched on regularly as though I’d never left.
A Few tips (see more here)
- Pump as often as you would normally nurse your baby
- Try some golactogogues. I used fenugreek tea, capsules & more milk plus.
- Drink lots of water
- Have fun & don’t worry. Stress can decrease your supply.
- Bring back milk for your baby
- Bring pictures of your baby, and if you can, Skype. This ended up making our daughter a little upset, but, it was good for us to see her.