I’m not going to sit here and pretend I’m any sort of expert on any subject, because well, I’m not…especially when it comes to pumping while traveling. But what I can do, is tell you about my experiences on the subject, what worked for me and hope it helps you in some way.
While I was breastfeeding, I had two work trips I had to take. My first trip away from Rylee for work was when she was about 3 months old. The second she was just over 7 months old.
When it comes to traveling for work while breastfeeding, I have three tips:
- Know your rights.
- Channel your inner boy scout and adopt the motto: Always be prepared.
- Go with the flow. {Bwaha! See what I did there!?}
Know Your Rights:
One of my main concerns with traveling and pumping was, what am I supposed to do with XX days worth of milk to bring home!? Y’all know that stuffs like liquid gold so there was NO way I was going to pump & dump. I agonized and researched this subject for days…even going so far as to talk to my company’s UPS shipping rep about shipping breast milk back home. {That wasn’t an awkward conversation at all… ::side eye::} I finally hit the jackpot while searching TSA’s website on the matter. According to TSA, Breastmilk is considered to be in the same category as liquid medications meaning there is no limit to the amount you can carry on…whether you have your child with you or not. The only thing you have to do is declare it to the TSA agent as you’re going through security. TSA agents do not have the right to ask you to “taste test” your liquids. Needless to say, finding out that tidbit of information was a HUGE relief for me.
Tip: Does your company have official policies on this sort of thing? Check your employee handbook and/or check with your HR department. As one of the only females that traveled for my company, I knew we didn’t have policies in place, so I was lucky enough to be able to kind of make them up as I went.
Always Be Prepared:
It’s no secret. I’m such a planner. I tend to play this constant game of “worst case scenario” in my head going through any possible situation and how I might plan and/or react.
As I planned for my trip(s) I worked closely with my company’s travel coordinator to look at flight options, layovers, etc. to see when/if I’d be able to pump on layovers and how that worked with my typical pumping schedule.
Booking Hotels: When it came to booking hotels, I had a pretty ideal situation. The first trip I took, I traveled alone, so getting a hotel room to myself was no big deal. For my second trip, I was one of 2 women traveling with a group of about 50 guys to a tradeshow, where everyone shares rooms. Again, I worked closely with my travel coordinator on this one, and I was able to get my own room. {Can you imagine sharing a room with a semi-stranger/co-worker in that kind of situation!?}
I had our travel coordinator make sure to reserve me a room with a mini-fridge and if that wasn’t available, I had her make sure the hotel put on in my room for me. If I recall, there was a minimal charge, but what else was I supposed to do with 4 days worth of breastmilk?
TIP: I did not freeze any of my milk while I was gone for 2 reasons:
1. They say fresh breastmilk can last up to 10 days in the refrigerator.
2. If I froze the breastmilk, it would have all been completely defrosted by the time I got home meaning it would have needed to be used within 24 hours.
Before Leaving: Once I had flights and hotels all taken care of, I focused on my side of things. Here is what I did:
- I made sure to put a brand-new set of batteries in my pump AND made sure to pack the power cord.
- I made sure I had 2 brand new sets of the traingle-shaped-squishy-jobbers.
- I packed 2 sets of the larger size bottles and a lot of milk freezer bags. I would pump into the bottles and transfer them directly into the bags, which made for easy storage and even easier transport on the way home.
- I packed ziplock freezer bags.
- One of my carry-ons was a cooler. Since my travel days were anywhere between 9-13 hours of time spent in airports/on airplanes, I needed to be able to keep my pumped milk cold.
- I packed disinfecting wipes.
- I packed a little bottle of dishsoap with my “allotment of liquids”…I had to have some way to wash my pump parts each night.
Basically, I did everything I could to make things go as easily as possible while I was gone.
Go With the Flow:
When it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter how well you pre-plan, sometimes things do go the way you thought they would and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Based on flight times and layovers, I knew I’d have to pump in an airport bathroom, but what I hadn’t planned on is how awkward that might be. Since I pumped anywhere from 20-30 minutes at a time, I didn’t want to take up a handicap stall. We all know how small those stall are when you’re carrying a purse and a roll behind suitcase. Now throw in a breast pump and you’ve got a fun little number to deal with of balancing the pump on the suitcase and sitting on the automatic toilet. Not exactly ideal, but hey, I was making milk for my baby. Upon hearing the pump going, I was even asked at one point if I was okay. Oye.
Tip: Once I got through security, I went to the nearest restaurant and asked them to fill a couple of my ziplock baggies up with ice for my cooler.
On my first trip, I was going as a company representative to an event that my company sponsored. I mostly went to hang out and be a face for the company. Easy enough, I thought. What I didn’t realize was that the event was about 30 minutes away from my hotel…and it was all day long…and it was in the woods…and my car? Well it was parked about a 15 minute shuttle ride away from the actual event. What the whaa?? Where was I supposed to pump? I packed up my supplies and my pump in my backpack and set out for the day. I ended up pumping twice in a nearby porta-potty that day. Again, not exactly ideal, but I made a commitment to breastfeed my baby, and I was rolling with the punches. {Those disinfecting wipes came in all sorts of handy}
Like I said, I’m no expert on the subject, but hopefully if you have a need to travel for work and you’re a breastfeeding mama, you can glean a little something out of this. If you have any questions about something I didn’t cover, or if you just want to know more, feel free to comment, email or even send me a tweet!
Photo credit: www.ameda.com
Holy mother of God, Katherine! I never pumped with my son, and I never traveled for work, so all of this is completely foreign to me and I have to say–I salute you! (I also think you’re crazy, but I salute you). I cannot even fathom how much planning, dedication, energy, time, etc, that pumping takes–let alone pumping while traveling! Kudos to you for being so determined to breastfeed your baby, even when you had to be dedicated to your job and traveling, as well.
Not going to lie…I’ve been called crazy on more than one occasion.
Twitter: lilmissrysmama
Lady!
I didn’t breastfeed any of my kids and THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE POST!
So many real-world tips here…just awesome stuff!!!
Twitter: mrshiggison
Well thank-ya ma’am. ::curtsies::
Twitter: lilmissrysmama
awesome post! i travel a great deal for work (around 18- 20%), and am a soon-to-be mom. this is becoming a bigger and bigger issue because more and more people travel for work.
and this is such an issue for me personally, as we gear up and prepare for the little one, that i decided to ask my parents to get me a stellar pump as their “big gift” for us for our shower? amazing crib? pass. comfy recliner/rocker? pass. double breast pump with travel accessories?? sign me up.
here’s a question for you–what brand of pump do you use? are you satisfied with it? do you wish you’d gone another route? do you pack a hands-free bodice for travel, and is that worth it? i’d love more nitty gritty details, because i’m a hard-core planner like you
thanks for the great post–super helpful and informative.
Twitter: mylifeasprose
And this comment makes me realize we should start doing resource pages for LWM
Twitter: wa_tracy
lol!! you know me, tracy, i love the data
Twitter: mylifeasprose
I used (and will use again) an Ameda Purely Yours (Link: http://www.ameda.com/ameda-products/ameda-purely-yours-breast-pump-carryall) I was able to buy it from my OB’s office and my insurance covered most of the cost…I strongly urge you to check into that option! I loved it…well, as much as you can love a breast pump, you know?
I never did have a hands-free bodice, even when pumping in my office at my desk. I just had this really awesome kind-of-hunch-over-and-knee-balance thing going…it worked pretty well. That being said, I have thought about getting one for the next time around.
And if you ever have any other questions, feel free to ask!!
Twitter: lilmissrysmama
Ah, I can relate to this post. I travelled to Chicago for work for 3 days when Sky was 11 months old but I was still massively breastfeeding. Thankfully, I was to the point where I could last a few hours and the Seattle airport is AWESOME in that they have a pumping/family room IN THE AIRPORT! But, hauling all the milk home was embarassing, especially when the security guard took it all out IN FRONT OF MY BOSS and tested it for drugs…seriously?! I didn’t care at that point, I just wanted to go home. I have a medela freestyle and it held up like a trooper! I never want to do it again though!
Twitter: pecklife
I got stopped in security once too! I hadn’t declared the milk as I was going through, I just sent it through the x-ray machine. I had the president of my company in front of me and the VP of marketing (AKA my boss) right behind me…both older men. Luckily, the TSA agent guy who unzipped my cooler took one look at my pump parts and zipped it right back up! HA!
Twitter: lilmissrysmama
I did a LOT of this, too. Plus the added bonus that the facilities in which I work are restricted, and electronics aren’t allowed in certain areas- namely the places my meetings were held. This required explaining all this to my security and the facility security (usually while my colleagues were standing next to me) so they could find me appropriate places to store the pump and to pump. I did usually freeze my milk (in hotel fridge freezers) and packed it in coolers for the trip home-care it basically stayed frozen, though had there been terrible layovers it would have been more problematic. I used family bathrooms at airports. More space. I would also pump in the car before going to work sites or the airport, using a sweater or something for ‘privacy’. I had a Hygeia pump and liked it. Definitely get the 2 boob at once kind, and a speed control is useful. never check the pump in luggage. Bring the power cord. I also never got the hands-free device, but learned to lean against a desk or steering wheel in just the right way to uncomfortably balance while retaining use of my hands. All in all, I am so relieved to be done with it, but I al so glad I was able to give my daughter breast milk for her first year- not everyone can. Despite all the hassle, it was worth it.
I never even thought about the family bathrooms at airports! I also don’t even know where I’d find them! haha. Oh yes, the 2-boob pump is a MUST!
Twitter: lilmissrysmama
I’m a working mum who pump also but lucky enough to rejected the working trip and send my colleague instead. But there will be upcoming trip, my worry is my girl will not go to sleep without breastfed and she totally refuses bottle, she can be spoonfed when i’m at work. But at night she need to wakes up to feed a few times. Only breast can comfort her to be back to sleep.
Hello there! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and tell you I really enjoy reading your posts. Can you suggest any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same subjects? Thank you!
Margret recently posted..childrens place coupon
I had to comment on this…I traveled for work quite a bit while the baby was breastfeeding, my favorite was trying to pump while in the middle of the Mojave desert, in the back of an un air conditioned Jeep, surrounded by Marines conducting missions with live rounds. I had to duck down on the floor of the Jeep and used a towel to cover up my boobs!
Dr. Leigh recently posted..Success: weekly topic
Thank you for this post. Great ideas!
I am actually bringing my 7-month-old baby on my TWO WEEK raining trip. I am also recruiting my mom to take care of my baby at the hotel while I’m at work but I was wondering how to do the breastfeeding part. I actually will have to bring some of my banked frozen milk with me so that I have enough because I’m not producing enough milk daily for a whole day that I’m going to be away from my baby. Any suggestions on how go about this?
The cooler carryon is a great idea and the zip lock bags fool of ice are too! I’ll make sure I have all those things!