When my son was four months old, I embarked on my first overnight trip away from baby! It was a girls’ weekend where I was hoping to squeeze in long meals, a relaxing massage, and plenty of SLEEP. But I also knew the familiar feeling of needing to feed the baby would strike every few hours.
In order to enjoy my trip to the fullest, while also saving every last drop of precious breast milk, I needed to plan ahead for traveling while pumping. I returned home with a rested mind and a giant cooler bag of breast milk—win-win!
I was glad I did my research, because traveling while pumping can be a daunting task! Whether you are headed out of town for work or pleasure, near or far, a quick trip or long stay, these little things will ensure a smooth experience while away.
- Cleaning Wipes – Odds are you will be spending most of your trip in places where it won’t be possible to sanitize your pump parts; these Medela cleaning wipes were lifesavers. They did the trick for my short trip and were pretty much all I needed for cleaning supplies. If you are taking a longer trip, you may want to bring along one of these steam bags which could easily be used in your hotel microwave. Remember, you can also throw your pump parts in a cooler or fridge to keep them from spoiling so quickly.
- Cooler Bag – Really any old cooler bag will do, along with several ice packs. Don’t skimp on the number of ice packs! Just in case you won’t be near a fridge for several hours during your trip, you’ll want your breast milk to stay cold. Choose the right-sized bag based on how long you’ll be gone and how many bags of milk you’ll need to store. I have a not-so-glamorous large black bag that has worked for me, but I love these cute Scout bags, too.
- Storage Containers – This is obvious! You’ll need small plastic milk storage bags to collect your breast milk. Breast milk can be pumped directly into storage bags or you can pump into a bottle then transfer the milk to a bag. Not all milk storage bags are created equally. My favorite is Nuk, even though those are not the same brand as my pump. I like the size, thickness, and shape of these bags over other brands. Your best bet is to store milk in small increments, so large quantities won’t be wasted later when you warm the milk up for baby. This means you may need LOTS of bags on hand while traveling, depending on the length of your trip.
- Battery Pack – How I never discovered a battery pack for my breast pump with my first baby, I’ll never know! I literally sat next to an outlet every single time I pumped. Don’t be like me! Go on Amazon and order a battery pack as well as looooooots of batteries. If you are pregnant and haven’t ordered a pump yet, look for one that has the option of being charged, so that you’ll get to skip the battery pack all together.
- TSA/Security – When it’s time to head home, you’ll have your cooler bag full of milk in tow and that means carrying the bag through airport security if you’re flying. As every flyer knows, there’s typically a rule on liquids when passing through security. This rule does not apply when carrying breast milk – you can bring as much as you have through security. You will, however, be subject to testing. In my personal experience, security simply swabbed the outside of a few milk bags inside my cooler. When those came up clear, I was free to move on. But be prepared for more time-consuming testing, and don’t cut it too close to departure time just in case!
- Hand Pump – Life saver! I’ve used this on the airplane to relieve pressure really quickly. It’s also come in handy when I couldn’t get back to my hotel to pump! This way, you don’t have to cut a great meal short for a full pumping session. You can slip it under your shirt and/or nursing cover for convenience. I have this one and it does the job.
- Nursing Rooms – Do some research before you leave to find out if the airport and destination have nursing mothers’ rooms. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Denver airport had an amazing nursing room. It was very clean, had a locked door, comfortable seating, and a place for washing hands or changing baby’s diaper (if they are with you). Our hotel was also kind enough to let us into a room both early and late to pump – thanks, Marriott! I was worried before my trip that I would end up having to pump in a public restroom at some point, but I am happy to report I never needed to.
What little hacks do you have for pumping while traveling? Any tips to make this tricky task a bit easier?
