TRAVELLING WITHOUT BABY

The first time I travelled without my daughter was when I had to attend my best friend’s wedding. I was the maid of honour and I couldn’t imagine having to drag her through all the stress of running around to put things in place for the wedding. Hurrying out of the church to breastfeed a crying baby out of my gorgeous dress while the couple exchanged vows wasn’t something I wanted to happen either (wink). The best option was to leave her with my mum. Before this time, I had never spent a single night away from her, so being away for a week was one of the biggest decisions I’ve ever had to make as a new mom.

Try not to feel guilty about leaving your baby as long as she’s in safe hands. It’s even okay to look forward to your trip. This doesn’t make you a bad mother. Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty either. Family or friends might make a few comments about how your baby would miss you so much or about how hard it is for them to leave their kids behind. Some could even say it’s a cruel thing to do. Don’t let such comments put you down.

If you’re still nursing, store up a supply of breast milk in the refrigerator for her to feed on while you’re away and if it runs out, she can switch to formula till you come back. Make sure everything she’ll need is put in place before you leave so you won’t have to worry about your baby being hungry or in some sort of distress from miles away.

Enjoy the break! When it’s time to sleep, sleep through the night. It won’t be long before you’re back to waking up for midnight feedings and it will feel like you never left.

How did it feel travelling without your baby the first time?