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[quote=Anonymous]I am having a dilemna I am hoping some other moms who have been there can help me think through. I have a very important work commitment in Asia in February when my baby will be 6 months old and I can't decide if I should make the trip or not. The trip is not mandatory but it is a global staff wide retreat in addition to a global management retreat where literally every single other person in our 100+ company will be in attendance. I manage staff in this location I have not yet met and it would give me the opportunity to meet in person staff from other offices I do not yet know.There would also be a lot of company wide decisions made and discussed and I am a member of our leadership team. Given the travel time and agenda, the shortest I can be away is 6 days. After being out of the loop on maternity leave I am afraid missing this event will only make me more so. Additionally, I plan to ask for a slightly reduced schedule come our annual reviews in the Spring and want to demonstrate to the CEO that this would by no means be a reflection of my committment to the company or my work (I think I can get everything done I do now with a few less hours). So I think making the effort to be there would be a good way to show I am still fully committed before making this ask. Finally, if I don't make the trip now, I will need to make a trip sometime in the 2013 calendar year when I won't have the added benefit of meeting our other global staff. So intellectually, I think it makes sense to bite the bullet and do it now. I work in an international career so travelling internationally a few times a year is a reality for us at some point. But then logistically, I worry about how to handle pumping/feedings. I am breastfeeding and currently not using any forumula. I can barely keep up with the day to day feedings now that I am back at work so I can't imagine I will be able to build up a supply to last 6 days, so introducing formula is likely inevitable. (But then again, I may need to anyway given my current challenge of keeping up). It will also require me to pump while I am away including on the very looong flight. Will my pump need a converter? Would I need to manually pump on the plane? And it is a lot to put on my husband so we'd likely need to fly one of our moms up to help. And finally, emotionally, I'm not sure I am ready. I know it would be harder on me than her and once I got there I would be so busy it would fly by, but imagining myself kissing her goodbye to head to the airport is gut wrenching.

Some days I think, yes, I need to go, this is my career that I am passionate about and nobody bats an eye when dads travel for business. She will be well cared for and it will go by fast. And then the next day I can't imagine leaving her. I am so torn and need to decide in the next couple of weeks. My husband is completely supportive of whatever I do.

Also, as a side note, I have an older daughter (6) who I would also leave behind but I know she will be ok with regular Skype video calls and promises of some cool presents when I get home. She is used to me travelling on occasion even if she doesn't love it and it allows her and my husband to spend some QT together.

So I guess what I am looking for is advice from other moms who work in careers that require international travel. At what age was your baby when you did your first trip and how did it go for everyone involved?  Anything else I'm not thinking through? (And if its to say I am a bad mom who should never of had kids if I wanted to be away from them then, thanks but no thanks).[/quote]

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