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Personally, I wouldn't really want to leave a baby behind for multiple nights at all before 12 months due to the nursing/pumping hassle. I'd take her with you and try to do some nice evenings out if you can.

@PinkElephant: I left my exclusively breastfed baby for two nights at eight months old. She was not a big fan of the bottle at the time, and pumping to get enough milk to leave with my parents was pretty annoying. As was pumping on vacation--although I did not pump as many times per day as my baby would have been nursing and this did not affect my supply upon return, it just left me really full between pumping sessions.

That said, it was so fun to be kid-free for a few days! I would do it all over again--actually, I plan to. I'll be leaving my then five month old and two and a half year old for two nights this fall. Personally, I think the hassles involved are worth it for a chance to get away with your husband to reconnect without kids around. You can focus on each other, focus on yourself, and come home to the kids fresh and recharged.

I personally would leave her if you're leaving the older two. But take that with a grain of salt- I travel monthly (although they are with their daddy and grandma, and very used to this routine.) I will be leaving #3 at a young age too. I would think with 3 kids it would be good for you and your DH to get some alone time, and 9 months isn't that young. BUT if your lo isn't used to being without you at all, I might not, because separation anxiety at that age could be more difficult than, say, at 4 or 5 months. Also, I only BF/pumped with #1 for 6 weeks, and FF'd #2 (medical reasons), plus started my traveling schedule when LO2 was already over a year old, BUT with #3 I plan to combo feed and I think there will be some degree of pumping and dumping, and some storing of milk.

Ultimately it's what you are comfortable with.

I would take the baby because I really really really really hate pumping.

I would leave the baby and enjoy a kid free vacation

Leave the baby and enjoy some childfree time!

I'd either take the baby or shorten the trip. I hate to say it as I'm sure you need a break! but worrying about her eating and pumping constantly would really suck. It's hard traveling when they're young

I kind of think it depends on what you're going to be doing while on vacation. I left my 5 month old for 2 months to go to a wedding and it was fine, but it was annoying to have to return to my hotel room every 3 hours to pump, but it also wasn't too inconvenient since we stayed the whole time on the hotel grounds, so I could easily go back to my room to pump and store the milk.

If you wanted to do any sort of day-trips while on vacation, I would think that would be easier to do with your baby than having to deal with figuring out how to pump on the go and store milk. It's doable, but also a pain, in my opinion. I always liked the ease of just being able to nurse and not deal with needing an outlet to plug in my pump, a private place to pump, and a place to store the pumped milk.

I'd leave the baby and enjoy child-free time. I don't think you can compare pumping to having a baby along with you. I'd do it in a heartbeat!

for a 5 night trip at that age, i would feel more comfortable bringing a 9 month old (i've left both my girls younger than that while EBF for 2 nights). so if it were me, i would probably leave them all but cut the trip to 3 nights, but be gone as soon as i could in the morning to as late as possible in the evening, so 4 days, 3 nights. kid free vacations don't come along often, so i would do my best to make it work without them.

I really feel like the people suggesting you leave her - maybe are missing the fact that you'd have to build up an entire week's stash in just the next few weeks. That sounds extremely stressful. If you're trying to make it to 12 months of breastfeeding and you don't have a stash built up, I really don't even feel like it's a legit question. Gotta take her.

I left my 8 month old baby for 7 days. I knew months in advance that I was taking this trip so I had time to prepare my freezer stash. He did fine with the bottle! He was a little resistant to breastfeed when I returned, but it only lasted a day