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My wife is breastfeeding our 6-week-old baby. She has to make a trip overseas for 24 hours and cannot bring the baby due to passport issues.

The baby is used to drinking expressed milk from a bottle with no issues and also the occasional formula bottle, but is primarily fed from the breast. She will continue to extract milk to keep up production whilst on the trip.

Can the baby be off the breast for 24 hours and resume being breast fed afterwards? Our concern is that the baby will "forget" how to drink directly from the breast.

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The baby is used to drinking expressed milk from a bottle with no issues and also the occasional formula bottle

Since your baby is already comfortable taking a bottle, there is much less of chance of nipple confusion when they're not breastfeed for 24 hours.

Can the baby be off the breast for 24 hours and resume being breast fed afterwards?

24 hours is a short enough time to where not breast feeding it's not likely to cause issues for the baby. I recommend speaking with a lactation consultant for medical advice.

I recommend that the mother or breast-feeding parent should continue to pump breastmilk (and toss probably) to keep her milk production up and avoid mastitis. I recommend that you continue to use a properly sized nipple so that the baby still has to do some work to get the milk (or formula) or you increase your risk of nipple confusion, because the baby may learn that milks comes out easier from the bottle otherwise.

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Babies do not need to be taught to nurse, so I wouldn't expect one day without "Mom" to be an issue. Several days without nursing may affect the babies preferences, but one day shouldn't be a big deal. You stated that

The baby is used to drinking expressed milk from a bottle

which indicates that the baby is used to sometimes bottle, sometimes breast. Another reason that one day without breastfeeding shouldn't be a problem.

Baby Reflexes: 5 instincts she's born with

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    Just FYI, sucking and nursing are not synonymous. Some babies do need to be taught to nurse, and some babies never do 'learn'. They end up being bottle fed, much to the mothers' dismay.
    – anongoodnurse
    Jul 1, 2019 at 23:42
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    "Babies do not need to be taught to nurse" can you back up this claim or, if you can't and determine that it's not needed, remove it? How many children have you breastfed? The burden of proof is always on the author of an answer.
    – Anne Daunted GoFundMonica
    Jul 3, 2019 at 16:14
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    Lactation consultants assist both the mother and baby in nursing. Some babies need to help to nurse properly. Case in point, premies "born before 34 weeks struggle to coordinate their sucking, swallowing and breathing" [1] and some full term babies still have nursing issues. The point here is that not to give the impression that all baby just know what to do when it comes to nursing, but parents need to aware of how much their baby is eating and seek help early. [1] medela.com/breastfeeding/mums-journey/premature-baby-feeding
    – jcmack
    Jul 3, 2019 at 16:39
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    So you can't back up your claim? Also, you do not seem to understand how evolution works.
    – Anne Daunted GoFundMonica
    Jul 3, 2019 at 20:56
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    @elbrant - As I stated, commenters are encouraged to point out mistakes or to ask for sources for answers. The opposite is not true. You are wrong in this matter. Better to accept it gracefully. (Also, your breastfeeding history is relevant.)
    – anongoodnurse
    Jul 4, 2019 at 2:51

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