Advice needed- adult only wedding

[Janers]

I'm just needing some advice, I'm a FTM and breastfeeding my 7 month old DD. We've been doing BLW, and she's starting to show some interest in food, but not too much. She nurses often, and that is the only way she'll fall asleep, she nurses to sleep for naps and bedtime. She won't take a bottle either, she completely refuses, and I don't push it (Its been months since I last tried).

So I have a wedding beginning of August, and kids aren't invited. It is a really close friend of my DH so not going isn't really an option. My plan is too leave her with my sister, who has two little kids that adore DD. There is a break between the ceremony and reception so I'll pop over and hang out with my daughter and feed her again, but then I'll have to leave her for a few hours at bedtime, when she nurses constantly, our evenings consist of cuddles, books, and nursing from about 730-830ish when she's ready to go to sleep. I'm just not sure how to make this easier for her.

Are there any good tricks from you experienced mamas? I'm not planning on staying out late, I assume I'll be there for dinner, speeches, and maybe a dance (depending on timing), DD usually goes to bed between 830-9, I would be back to get her by that point. Do you think her habits may change in the next month? Could she be more reliant on solids? Should I try and encourage her to take bottles? My sister knows I want her to contact me if my DD won't settle and needs me, but I am hoping it won't get to that point.

Any pointers, or advice will be greatly appreciated!

 

[kitabird]

My LO is the same, I've never left him in the evening because nursing is the only thing that settles him. If I were you I'd try again with a bottle, or maybe a cup. Does she take water from a cup?
She may well take the bottle/cup if you're not there and she has no other option.

 

[TheNewMrs]

Id really be encouraging a sippy cup rather than a bottle. Offer at every mealtime. Even just water in it or maybe an oz of bm. (If you can stand the waste!) By 8 mo she should be drinking water with meals and will be eating slightly more, but I wouldnt be worrying about the volume of solids. If she will take milk an a sippy cup you'll be fine.

 

[deafgal]

I wouldn't go, but tthat's is just me.I don't care for events specifically don't allow kids .I think it is rude to state something like that for wedding (now as a friend, it is a polite thing to do not to bring your kids) ...and funeral...as I feel it should be something family should go through together no matter the age. Your husband can go alone . I never went to any of my husband's friends wedding)

 

[Tess.ie]

I second trying more with sippy cups than bottles.

We blw too, and at 7 months Chloe wasn't interested in water or anything that much. I had to buy 4 different cups before we found one that Chloe liked and could manage. Now she will drink out of it, especially if she is thirsty. Just took lots of practice.
So you can try to get her drinking a bit more that way, either bm or water.

Also i would leave a bottle too, she may just take one if she us hungry and sleepy and you aren't there!

 

[Janers]

Thanks ladies, and I can't believe I didn't think of a sippy cup! I really have no interest in bottles whatsoever so this is perfect!

I'll leave a bottle and expressed milk just in case, but I hate the idea of her taking it because there's no other option. I don't want her to be that distressed. However at the same time it's there just in case.

Thanks for all your advice!

 

[Janers]

I wouldn't go, but tthat's is just me.I don't care for events specifically don't allow kids .I think it is rude to state something like that for wedding (now as a friend, it is a polite thing to do not to bring your kids) ...and funeral...as I feel it should be something family should go through together no matter the age. Your husband can go alone . I never went to any of my husband's friends wedding)

I considered this, but I'm trying to balance both, leave my baby for a couple hours at a time and go out enjoy some time with my hubby (i'll miss her dearly but a breather is always good). My husband works out of time ALOT so to have a few hours with him, and allow someone else to watch my baby for that time could be a good thing for me.

I'm not much for leaving my baby, so this is taking a lot of thought and planning.

I agree with you though, I'm not a fan of events that don't include children, and if that's the case, i never go! She's my baby, she goes where I go. This however feels like a special circumstance.

 

[SpringerS]

These cups are utterly brilliant for BF babies as the sucking needed for them is very similar to the sucking that they do when they latch on.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/mOmma-Straw-Dual-Handles-Orange/dp/B006WL9S2M

 

[Janers]

These cups are utterly brilliant for BF babies as the sucking needed for them is very similar to the sucking that they do when they latch on.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/mOmma-Straw-Dual-Handles-Orange/dp/B006WL9S2M

Thanks for the heads up! I am ordering one of those now!

 

[Janers]

These cups are utterly brilliant for BF babies as the sucking needed for them is very similar to the sucking that they do when they latch on.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/mOmma-Straw-Dual-Handles-Orange/dp/B006WL9S2M

Have you used this sippy cup? Did you find it hard for your LO to figure out how to drink from a straw? I ordered it, I'm really excited, but I wonder if it would be easier to start with a more traditional sippy cup style top.

 

[MommyJogger]

These cups are utterly brilliant for BF babies as the sucking needed for them is very similar to the sucking that they do when they latch on.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/mOmma-Straw-Dual-Handles-Orange/dp/B006WL9S2M

Have you used this sippy cup? Did you find it hard for your LO to figure out how to drink from a straw? I ordered it, I'm really excited, but I wonder if it would be easier to start with a more traditional sippy cup style top.

I think it depends on the baby. My son figured the straw out before he figured out traditional sippies, despite the straw cups having higher age recommendations. Now he'll use a sippy, but his preferences (and proficiency) go in the order of: straw, cup, traditional sippy cup, no-spill sippy cup. Babies are weird sometimes.

 

[SpringerS]

Yeah we use it, and he uses it fine but if I was starting over I would have gotten him this cup from the very start instead of a more traditional sippy cup. Up until about 7mo everything that when into his mouth got sucked but recently he's started to chew and it was after that that I got him the cup, so it took him about a week to suck it. The best thing about it is that he doesn't need to tilt it up to drink from it, so he has a lot more control over it. If I have another baby, this will be the first cup I offer them.

 

[deafgal]

my breastfed babies did better with sippy cups. Without the no spill valve. They can handlee disposable no spill sippy cups like the picture in this blog very well: https://blogs.babiesonline.com/baby/cleaning-sippy-cups/

 

[SarahBear]

I honestly wouldn't leave Violet in the evening.

 

[Janers]

I honestly wouldn't leave Violet in the evening.

Ah I know. I'm really working hard on making this a fun thing to do though. It's really really hard. Don't get me wrong, but I know I won't be gone that long. I trust my sister 100x, I know she will call me if Anna is upset or needs me. I live in a small city, i will be ten minutes away.

 

[SarahBear]

I honestly wouldn't leave Violet in the evening.

Ah I know. I'm really working hard on making this a fun thing to do though. It's really really hard. Don't get me wrong, but I know I won't be gone that long. I trust my sister 100x, I know she will call me if Anna is upset or needs me. I live in a small city, i will be ten minutes away.

Sounds like you've got a plan and I have considered having an evening babysitter on one occasion (5 year wedding anniversary), but in the end, I decided that I'd rather not.