A mother who is breastfeeding usually lives in the belief that she cannot leave her little one even under the care of someone else. The child often eats, in addition, on demand. It falls asleep only at the breast and only with his mother. The fact that you are feeding does not make you a slave. You have the right to go to the cinema or to your friends and leave your child under the care of its dad, grandmother or babysitter.

Mothers are usually afraid of going out without a baby. It seems to them that their baby is too small and they cannot go out to the hairdresser or grab a coffee with a friend. The first time is the hardest, but a lot depends on the age of the child and the good organization of the mother.

First Weeks

In the first weeks of feeding you and the baby are almost one. It is on your breast non-stop and still demands your closeness, unless it is sleeping. But it also prefers to fall asleep during feedings. During this time, you also recover after delivery and you probably do not think about going out. You rather take the opportunity to take a nap and rest.

If in this first period you have a need to go out, try to keep it short. Maybe you will be able to go out in the nap time between feedings. In advance you can use a a breast pump and express some milk (it can be stored for up to 8 hours at room temperature). However, bottle feeding in this first weeks is risky. Not every child wants and is able to eat from a bottle. What is more, there is always the possibility that a baby fed with a bottle will reject the breast. The baby carer in a crisis can also feed it with a spoon, from a small syringe without a needle or from a special feeding cup.

Feeding on Demand

Remember that the ominous sounding “feeding on demand” does not mean that the baby is eating all the time. Maybe in the first weeks you will have such an impression, but nature has a purpose in it. The child, like nobody and nothing else, can stimulate lactation.

After a few weeks of very intense suckling, the feeding rhythm begins to stabilize. The child eats every 2-3 hours and between sleeps it sucks its fingers and babbles. These breaks are extended, of course, except during periods of lactation crises when the child makes a developmental leap and your lactation must adapt to it. During crises, the feeding frequency is again very high, but it usually disappears after 2-4 days. 

Expressing Milk

If you intend to go out regularly (to classes at the university, courses or to work), it is worth to get used to the breast pump. You will also need a few bottles for your baby which will help to fed it with your expressed milk.

Do not start expressing the day before leaving the house on a regular basis. You need to give yourself some time to learn how to use a breast pump, but, mainly, you need to give your body some time to get used to and to start producing more milk. Until now, milk has met your child's current needs, now you have to express milk for later. Approach it calmly and relaxed. Stress is the enemy of lactation. If you’re planning to use the breast pump systematically, it is better to get electric one which will do some of the work for you.

If for some reason you cannot or do not want to express breastmilk, together with the paediatrician, choose the right baby formula which will be given to the child when you’re out. Here, it is also worth conducting an earlier test, because children used to mother's milk may not accept the taste of the formula.

First Months

After 2-3 months, your feeding hours will stabilize and the intervals between them will lengthen. The infant begins to be more interested in the world, people and objects around. Now, it will be easier for you to leave him for some time and go out to run some errands or just take a break from everyday duties.

Leave the person, who is looking after your baby, a portion of the expressed milk. If you can, try to be on the phone in case you will be needed. However, remember that dad or grandmother will also be able to take care of the baby and do not call them every 5 minutes. They will definitely contact you if they have any questions or doubts.

After 6th Month

The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months of age. After this time, you can start expanding baby’s diet.

During this period, mother going out should no longer be a problem. Your child may get a dessert, vegetable soup or fruit purée during your absence. Breastfeed the baby before leaving and after returning. Get some breast pads with you to avoid staining your underwear.

Remember that mother's milk is also a drink for a child, not just food. So during your absence your baby should also get something to drink, preferably water intended for children.

The older the child, the easier it is to leave it under someone's care. It is worth skipping periods during which your infant strongly feels separation anxiety. Usually it occurs between 7 and 8 month of age. You do not have to give up feeding. If you have returned to work, you can still enjoy the benefits of natural breastfeeding in the morning and evening. As long as you feed - lactation will adapt to your lifestyle.