traveling for work - different pumping schedule?

jlsimon56

I am traveling for work next week.  I am bringing LO and my mom with me.  

Normally, at my first pumping session at work, I get anywhere from 5oz to 9oz total.  The rest of the sessions, I get 1.5oz to 4.5oz, usually around 3oz.  So the first session covers a big portion of LO's bottles.  She takes 12oz at daycare 8-3:30.

The seminar I'm attending doesn't start until 9am, so I'll be nursing in the morning instead of pumping (I get to work by 6am usually).  I'm concerned that I won't be able to pump as much b/c I'll miss out on that first morning pump.  Based on the seminar's schedule, I will get two 15 minute breaks and one 1 hour lunch break.  Currently, I book the pumping room at work for 30 minutes at a time.  My 2nd letdown is at the 20 minute mark, give or take.

LO got 6oz of frozen milk today, so I have an extra 6oz in the fridge, plus I will be bringing everything I pump tomorrow.  (I don't want to travel with frozen milk.)    

Should I pump at the hotel instead of nurse?  If LO does nurse in the AM, will she take less BM throughout the day since she will get so much from me in the morning?  Should I bring MORE milk with me?  (How much?)  Should I go to the hotel at the lunchbreak to nurse LO?  (Hotel is ~15 minutes away.)

Any other ideas?  Tips?  Advice? 

I'm more concerned about the logistics of bringing LO to this than the actual seminar itself.  Not good! 

AmyRI

I can get 5, sometimes 6 oz at my first pump when my DS takes 4 from a bottle. If I nurse him first and then try to pump, I'm totally empty. He overeats, but that doesn't keep him from taking the rest of his bottles as usual. So, I would either pump in the morning to get that full 5-9 oz and bottle feed as if she was at daycare, or pump and get at least a few ounces and then nurse (say you average 7oz at that session, and your LO takes a 4oz bottle at that time. Pump until you have 3 oz, then nurse... does this make sense?).

I think you're traveling with a day and a half of milk, right? 12oz you'll pump today and 6 extra from yesterday? I think that's plenty for being gone a week.

I would not nurse LO on your lunchbreak. I think that would be more stressful rushing to get to the hotel, feed LO, feed yourself, get back to the seminar. You could probably do it... but if you want to nurse, I'd maybe see if your mom could meet you for lunch somewhere close to the conference center.

I would also probably just pump through your normal second letdown on your breaks, even if you're late getting back to the seminar. Usually breaks run long anyway, and if you're stressing about finishing in only 15 minutes, you're even less likely to get the normal amount.

Good luck!