Airline travel & BF

Annie Marie · June 2010

We are traveling when LO is 5 weeks... I'm really not comfortable/good at BF in public & plan to bring bottles of pumped milk. I have questions & hope someone has some answers & advice!

1) Is there any discrete place to BF in an airport? How is trying to BF on a plane?

2) I'm going to bring the little cooler bag with the ice pack that came with my Medela pump. I know I can get the breast milk through security okay, but will I have any problems with the ice pack?

3) Should I pump in the airport? Where would I do this? I'm worried I'll get too engorged while we travel if I'm not able to BF my LO.

I'm a nervous wreck about this & need lots of advice/tips! Thanks!

trackchik6 · June 2010

i don't love NIP but when we're traveling I often don't have any other option so I find a quiet place (maybe a gate where there is no flight), use a cover up and other ppl just have to deal. then you don't have to deal with the huge hassle of bringing the pump, milk, and pumping.

- i bf on take off and landing. i take the window seat, use a cover, and no one can see.

GL.

laurasue · June 2010

I can't answer your other questions but my mom travels with her insulin in a cooler with an ice pack and has no problems. Hope that helps!

Coxity · June 2010

Ok. I've traveled three times. Once at 9 weeks with M, once without her, and once at 6 months with her again.

At 9 weeks I did not use the pump. I sat at the window and my mother sat in the middle seat. I breastfed on take off and landing. On one flight she was sleeping on landing and I chose not to wake her to nurse. This was a big mistake as she woke up as people were getting up to leave the plane and I did not feel comfortable nursing with all those people around. (So she screamed.)

When I traveled without her, I pumped in the car before I went into the airport. Then I pumped in the restroom on the layover. On the way back I had to run for the flight so I ended up pumping in the airplane bathroom with a battery pack. I HATED IT. The pump made it so hard! I would have much preferred to have nursed if M had been with me. You can nurse under a cover in the terminal or plane, but the pump...no way.

When I traveled at 6 months, I nursed the whole way. In the terminal at a quiet gate, on the plane, you name it. I used a cover and I was very discrete about it all. I also learned to bring the Moby wrap. It made holding her while she slept much easier and more comfortable. At 5 weeks you might be able to nurse in it, too.

Coxity · June 2010

I forgot to mention...I brought a bottle just in case both times. If I felt uncomfortable, I had it. If I didn't, I was just going to use it when I got there.

ncbelle · June 2010

If you are traveling with someone, just get a window seat and your partner can shield you while you nurse.

I've nursed kiddo on a plane at 5 months and just last week at 17 months - never was a problem.

Try not to stress! I would suggest nursing in front of a mirror so that you'll see that you really don't show that much when you nurse. I always wear a tank under a regular shirt so that very little of me is uncovered - your top shirt will cover you as you latch kiddo on. You might also practice somewhere public but quiet to practice before you try the airplane/airport.

My motivation would be how much easier it is to just pick up and go and to not have to worry about bottles and pumping and ice packs ;-)

bootcampbride · June 2010

I don't really have a lot to add except I would recommend practicing at home with your cover a few times to get the hang of it and then somewhere quiet in public. I NIP the first time at a mall but in a quiet section before I worked up to other bigger challenges!