(long) Int'l business trip - take electric pump or hand pump?

NYBrideInWI · August 2009

What do you think? Should I take the PISA or just take my hand pump?

I BF 2x day (morning & night) and I have a business trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil area scheduled for late September. I'll be gone for a week, and likely will have to pump in an airport or on the plane due to the overnight flight. On 2-3 day trips I've taken just my hand pump (fits in my carry-on) but 2 weeks ago I was gone for a week (domestic) and took my PISA.

The electricity down there varies, but I can usually get regular 110 with the same plugs we use up here. I have a PISA and I've read Medela says to use a battery pack overseas, which I don't want to buy/deal with batteries. I'm not worried about the warranty because I bought the pump used. Embarrassed I plan to pump & dump because a) the water isn't always safe so I don't consider my pump parts to get totally clean/safe. I'll sterilize them when I get home and b) I don't want to deal with bringing that much milk back.

This might all be a moot point because my supply seems to have really dropped after I was gone for a whole week recently from DS and I might quit before my trip...but I'm stubborn and I don't want my job to be the reason I stop bf...

Also, if I take my PISA I have to check my luggage (carry on pump & computer) which I'm scared to do because I did that one time to Brazil, airline lost my luggage and I spent the week with 1 extra change of clothes that I'd carried on - washing underwear in the sink and had to have the hotel wash my shirt/pants every night. Shopping was not really an option (have you seen Brazilian women's fashions? - not appropriate for the factories I was in)

TIA!

CMDR513 · August 2009

I'd take the hand pump. It's one less thing you have to be worried about. I'd be nervous about breaking/losing/ or having the electric one stolen.

Topi-Jan · August 2009

I'm not help on which you should take because I don't know about hand pumps at all and didn't even think of the electricity issue! If you do batteries you'll need LOTS though because as they lose power your pump is less and less effective (I found this out the hard way and thought my supply was going down when it was actually the battery pack issue).

I just wanted to say that if you don't want to check in your bag, you can remove the actual pump from the black bag the pump in style comes in (I have the shoulder bag). It's held on with velcro so if you just put your fingers around the yellow square you can undo the velcro and put the motor in your bag (with all the other pump things ziplock or plastic bags).

A friend showed me this trick and it's been a big help on trips because it's one less bag to worry about and keep track of. When I went back to work I just put it back in it's place in the bag and took the black bag to work.

Good luck!

ai&Jas · August 2009

Hi there,

I use to travel (US and Canada) every week for 5 days straight and would be visiting different clients at each site/trip. I normally took both the powerpack and the batteries but relied on the powerpack and used the batteries on the plane. Could you buy a universal adaptor so that you could use the power pack? I normally carry one for Europe and Asia and I'm sure they have one for South America. You could also use rechargable ones which last longer than ordinary ones.

I also never checked in my pump, accessories or the milk and was able to do this by using a roller bag back pack from High Sierra instead of the shoulder bag I had. I put all said pump stuff and milk in there along with my laptop.

Good luck!

ai&Jas · August 2009

p.s if you've used the hand pump and it works great for you then I'd definitely take that! I had one but it did nothing for me because my boobs were so used to me using the highest settings when i pumped.

Valerie120408 · August 2009

As pp said, if you've used the hand pump and it works for you, I would use that. I recently traveled and used a hand pump for the first time and was surprised that it actually worked fine for me. So much easier to carry and no worries about power

DallasHorn · August 2009

First off - you should know this...BF is a law of supply and demand. A pump is not as good as a baby, so if you take a hand pump to use for an entire week and already feel there is a drop in your supply, then you should be prepared for the consequences.

I traveled to Mexico and had no issues with the water for cleaning my pump parts. If you really want to continue BF, then I suggest you bring your PISA and simply pack batteries. It's really not that big of a deal, nor is bringing the milk back. I've traveled 3 times this year and successfully pumped and returned home with all my milk each time.

NicoleWI · August 2009

Hey, I'm in Mke, too. Anyway, no advice, just wanted to say that unlike PP I'm totally impressed you're even trying it. I think pumping is hard even without travel, much less international travel. Kudos to you.

michelcreek · September 2009

Personally, I would take your electric pump and see if you can carry it on as a special item (I used to do this with my cooler of breastmilk). Reason is for me, the electric pump was much stronger and helped keep my supply up. I only use the hand pump as a back up - perhaps if you have to check the electric one, your hand held can go into your purse.

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(long) Int'l business trip - take electric pump or hand pump?

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