Q for Working Moms/Pumping on the Road

northport6 · April 2014

So, my first business trip post-baby is at the end of May. I'll be gone about 2 and a half days. DD will be exactly six months old -- she's a bit of a late bloomer, though, and hasn't shown any interest whatsoever in solid foods, so I won't be starting her on anything until after I get back, meaning she'll still be EBF.

I'll obviously be pumping there, and there's a minifridge in the room at the hotel. My question is this: do I pump and dump or try to transport it back with me? What would you do? The flight is about 2 hours 15 minutes, plus 2 hours drive time home.

If there are products that would help me to save the milk I pump while I'm there -- shout 'em out! I will literally buy anything to avoid wasting that much milk.

Baby North appreciates your help.

stacers33 · April 2014

Get a small freezer chest and get ziplock bags. Put the milk you pump in the freezer chest and load ice from the hotel into the ziplock backs. FWIW, I pump directly into Dr Brown bottles because the hold more and I use the travel caps on them for transportation. Then as you go into the TSA area at the airport tell them you have breastmilk that you do to want xrayed. There recently was a court case against TSA by a mom who had trouble with TSA - you can google it, but here is another TSA link: https://www.tsa.gov/traveling-formula-breast-milk-and-juice

northport6 · April 2014

stacers33 said:
Get a small freezer chest and get ziplock bags. Put the milk you pump in the freezer chest and load ice from the hotel into the ziplock backs. FWIW, I pump directly into Dr Brown bottles because the hold more and I use the travel caps on them for transportation. Then as you go into the TSA area at the airport tell them you have breastmilk that you do to want xrayed. There recently was a court case against TSA by a mom who had trouble with TSA - you can google it, but here is another TSA link: https://www.tsa.gov/traveling-formula-breast-milk-and-juice

Enormously helpful -- thank you!

thesportsgal · April 2014

I'll be following this too! We're leaving Thursday - Sunday and wasn't sure what I was going to do yet. But I'm going to a wedding so pump and dump might be needed a couple times

.

I heart baby northport so much! She's a doll.

kmommy07 · April 2014

I would second the ice chest and maybe even use the frozen ice packs that way you don't have the liquid spilling, or freeze some of the bags themselves, as long as they are still a little frozen you can re freeze them. I personally have not traveled by plane with them but have done 6 hr car rides.

BootsOrHearts · April 2014

I just got back from a two day work trip and was able to bring all the milk home. Used cooler bags and hotel mini fridge. Will type more when not on mobile!

northport6 · April 2014

@GWeiners Thanks for the link! OMG I will be so sad when she outgrows these -- why, WHY didn't I buy them in more sizes?

stacers33 · April 2014

I suggested the ziplock because a lot of mini-fridges don't have a freezer for the ice packs to go in. I have left them at the front desk and had them put them in a freezer for me, but then you have to remember them each day or upon checkout. My mom brain doesn't always work that well, so I usually do ziplock bags (also double bag it and you can wrap it in newspaper) because I can use the ice at the hotel.

Luckily I have an amazing employer that for trips over 1 night duration, they will pay for dry ice and overnight shipping for BM. Not normal but amazingly appreciated.

BootsOrHearts · April 2014

So here's my story from last week. It was just a 2 day trip, 2 hour flight each way. I packed 8 of the large medela bottles in 2 square cooler bags (the ones they came with) each with their own freezer pack. I left with the freezer packs frozen. I put both the cooler packs in a larger cooler bag that sorta looked like a purse, I found it at BB&B. I meant to put some extra small freezer packs in the bag but forgot.

I pumped into smaller bottles then poured into the larger bottles when I was traveling. I got some hassles from TSA on the way there, they did some extra inspection and took out the bottles but they never opened them thank goodness. I pumped full blown out in the open at the airport gate (with a nursing cover) and nobody seemed to notice or care which was interesting.

As soon as i got to the hotel, I put the milk bottles in the fridge and put the freezer packs into the ice bucket and covered them with ice and left them like that the whole time. They stayed frozen that way. When I was at the hotel, I pumped into smaller bottles and let them get cold in the fridge before combining the milk with cold milk, but when I was at the airport or in a car I just added warm milk to cold and it was fine.

During the next day, I was at the office and I put the cooler packs in the fridge in the nursing mother's room all day. I didn't do the ice trick, but I had some big gallon storage bags, had the freezer packs not stayed cold I was prepared to fill those bags with ice from the break room.

Similar hassles on the way back from TSA, turns out the square cooler bags when full with 4 bottles kinda look like a bomb. :-|

The flight was somewhat bumpy on the way back but not too bad. The milk never froze, just stayed chilled.

All in all, brought 40 ounces or so back with me. All the new milk I made over the next two days went in the freezer and the milk I brought home took two days to use up in the fridge. It was all fine! I was mentally prepared that all or some of the milk might be bad and I told myself that would be ok because the goal was just to keep up my supply and if the milk made it home that was a bonus.

Hope that helps, good luck!

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