Pumping on Business Trip

ludali · June 2014

Hey ladies - so I'm traveling next week for work (cue the tears)...I've been able to avoid our quarterly trips since DD arrived, but finally giving in...I really want to be with my coworkers (we all work from home) and need to have that interaction with them vs. sitting on the phone during the 2-day meeting.

Why am I being such a wuss telling my boss that I'll need to sneak out to pump 3 times during each day?? Working from home, I can hide behind my computer and no one knows what's up - why at 34 am I nervous to tell him that I need boob time??? LOL. I literally should just email him and let him know the times I need to be away from the room to pump, right???

Also, any tips on airport pumping? I'll be going to Chicago (O'Hare) - my coworker that I'm driving with is arriving about a 1/2 hour after I do, so I have some time then. And then I can get to the airport early enough to pump before my flight out. Anyone have to pump at O'Hare? For any airport, did the family bathroom suffice?

Ugh I hate the idea of traveling with all this milk! I was planning to bring milk storage bags since they take up less room than the bottles, make sense? Any words of advice? TIA!

catskitch · June 2014

I think @vg101808 travelled and pumped. She had to send all her milk home I think

catskitch · June 2014

V&G101808

vulpini · June 2014

I didn't go through O'Hare, but I pumped in the airport. I used the family/single-stall bathrooms. Some of them were nicer and had counter space to set my pump on. Others just had a toilet and sink and I set the pump on the floor by the plug and assembled my parts on the sink and paper towel dispenser. But they all had an outlet and a lock on the door, which is all I really needed. The airports I flew through didn't have nursing/baby rooms, but some do so you should check. Bring a battery pack and extra batteries for your pump and a cover in case you need to pump in a regular bathroom or empty gate instead or on the plane. Also bring some zip-lock baggies so you can get ice from the flight attendants or airport restaurants.

ludali · June 2014

Thanks @vulpini! Ice on the plane is a great idea! Do they consider your pump as medical equipment when it comes to carry-ons? Cause then I could still have my cooler bag and laptop bag, right?? I hate the thought of having to check a bag for 2 nights...

vulpini · June 2014

Yes, the pump counts as medical equipment. Security might inspect it for an extra minute. You'll also need to declare any milk you bring on the return flight.

I also ended up pumping twice on the plane. I was just sitting with my husband and LO though, so no stranger was close enough to me to notice. I sat by the window with a nursing cover on and had purposely dressed in clothes that would give me easy access for pumping under the cover. The sound of the plane engine completely drowned out the sound of the pump.

nittanygirl28 · June 2014

I pumped a lot when traveling. Airport bathrooms gross me out so I pumped covered up at empty gates. Of course I also couldn't master the manual pump which is why I preferred an outlet at an empty gate. I never pumped on a plane but I did on the train many times and in cars. TSA did inspect my pump and milk and no TSA agents had an issue with my cool packs. Once through security I found that the food places would give me extra ice if I gave them zip lock bags. As for your boss-I get it and my role in my company is basically that of a consultant so I had to quickly get comfortable having weekly conversations with men in the company that I would need to excuse myself at times to pump and they provided a fridge for me to store my milk during the visits. I think it made them more uncomfortable than me which made my laugh on the inside.

ludali · June 2014

Thanks ladies! This is all helpful information. Thankfully the flight is just from CT to Chicago, so I don't think I'll need to pump on the plane... Would I be crazy to pack my pump in my suitcase? I would have my manual in my carry-on...hmmmmmmmmmm... I would hate for it to break, but I'll keep it in the big Medela case and I'll have clothes, etc. in the suitcase too. And thanks for the reminder - I'll definitely bring my nursing cover!

Bunnyfer · June 2014

Do not pack your pump in the suitcase....carry it on....I have seen the scary things that happen to bags...plus the pump in your bag is a 100% gurantee you bag will be hand searched by TSA..

ludali · June 2014

Thanks @Bunnyfer - this is going to be a balancing act for sure!!

Suitcase

Pump

Cooler

Laptop bag

I'll bring a wristlet instead of a purse...

I may for the first time ever put my laptop in my suitcase, hmmmmmmm...

Bunnyfer · June 2014

Do not put anything valuable in a suitcase....Airports have in the baggage system what is called a pusher....Its a giant hydraulic mechanism...It will break whats inside of the bag. Try to find a way to get it all in a carry on...Plus, why risk the bag getting lost, tossed, dropped, ran over, and any other bad things baggage handlers do...

ludali · June 2014

Gah, you have forced me to lose my faith in the system @Bunnyfer! LOL

catskitch · June 2014

do you have a backpack that can double as a purse and laptop bag?

ludali · June 2014

catskitch said:

do you have a backpack that can double as a purse and laptop bag?

If I'm carrying all on, I'm thinking... Purse in laptop bag (I actually use a backpack...are you spying on me?) :-) I have a soft sided cooler, pump and suitcase. I'll need my smallest suitcase and can put the cooler in there on the way to Chicago, but it'll be too full coming back. Maybe coming back I'll suck it up and check my luggage - with only clothes, shoes and cosmetics. Hmmmmmmmmmmm...

nittanygirl28 · June 2014

For me-I carried on my suitcase & an oversized rolling laptop bag. The Medela pump was in my suitcase but I was in control of it since I carried it on. I collapsed an insulated lunch bag for my milk and kept it in the suitcase too. On the way home I checked my suitcase and carried my cooler full of milk and had my pump in my rolling laptop briefcase. It was a pain but it worked for me. Good luck!

ludali · June 2014

Great plan @nittanygirl28 - that sounds very similar to what I'll try to pull off! Thanks again for your info!

V&G101808 · June 2014

If the milk is not frozen, whether in a bag or bottle it will get checked by TSA.
I do agree that bags are easier than bottles - my last trip I used all bags, way easier and takes up much less space.

Airport pumping sucks. I found that most airports have faulty outlets and the bathrooms generally STINK big time so I would make a little fort with my luggage and pump at the only functioning outlets I could find. At LAX I pumped in the middle of the Delta terminal because the only working outlets were in these little "charging stations" so I threw my nursing cover on and made it work.

My second time at LAX I pumped on the floor of the AA "help room". It was all glass and the only working outlet was right in front of the glass where everyone walked by. Made my fort, threw on my cover and pumped away. It sucks, big time, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I would really advise you to buy the battery pack to help make pumping easier.

I put my pump in my rolling laptop bag, mine has an "overnight" space so the pump went there, laptop in the little laptop sleeve. I carried my purse and for the flight home I had a collapsed insulted lunchbox in my checked luggage that I carried on with me as well.

Once you're at your destination make sure to ask for any help from the hotel. Ask for extra ice for your lunchbox, ask for a better mini fridge, etc. When I had to check out early but wouldn't be flying out right away I'd ask the hotel to put my lunch box in their freezer to try and freeze up the milk before I left so it stayed cool longer. I'd also refill my ice during any layover.

If you have any questions let me know - I've had to do this 4 times for work now (going on 5 next week, yay - not!).

ludali · June 2014

Thanks V&G! I knew you were an expert at this.

Thankfully our meeting is just in one of our field office's conference rooms...and they have a comfort room that I booked!

Refrigerator and all - I was worried because I have to check out in the AM before the meeting and not get home til midnight. My hotel room has a fridge too, but I'll be sure to request a new one if its not sufficient.

I'm relieved that the flight is just one direct leg...hopefully no complications!!

V&G101808 · June 2014

I'll warn you that so far I haven't found any great mini fridges. The freezers on those SUCK so the best I could do was keep the milk refrigerated. I did ask for a new fridge when I felt one wasn't getting cold enough but they'll never get cold enough to freeze unfortunately

I stayed at a really shitty extended stay hotel once. The hotel itself was AWFUL but it had a full sized fridge with a regular top freezer and it was awesome!! The EPer in me was so excited! hahaha.

ludali · June 2014

Ugh that sounds awful V&G! Thankfully I'll only be gone 2 nights...so if I can't freeze it, just gotta be sure the ice/ice packs stay very cold.

nittanygirl28 · June 2014

I've had those tiny fridge/freezer combos and I tuck my milk bags in the corner and barricade it with my ice packs. I've had luck with that. I always make it home with all frozen milk except that day's supply

kmr333 · June 2014

I just flew through O'Hare and they did not ask me to remove my pump or milk at security. In Philadelphia they did scan it, however. Really try to pack light and squeeze the cooler in your suitcase (as long as you're not checking it) if you can. I used my pump bag as my purse and brought a wristlet for use at my destination, but I have the medela tote, which works well for that.

ludali · June 2014

Thanks for the info @kmr333!

J&Jaggies06 · June 2014

I recently traveled and pumped. I pumped once in the family bathroom, then figured out it was much easier to pump in the plane. I had my cover with me so it was easiest to me.

I also used storage bags then bagged them together by day. Getting the milk through security was actually really painless. I was stressed out before the trip but all of it turned our fine.

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