5 Tips for Pumping and Traveling

Have we ever mentioned that Doulas of Raleigh has the best clients? It’s true. We do. Recently one of our clients, Claire Caffarel, offered to share her best tips for pumping while traveling away from her baby. And we know firsthand how organized and efficient Claire is, so we jumped at the opportunity to share her best tips and tricks with you. If you find yourself having to pump breastmilk while away from your baby for an extended period of time, you’ll want to pay attention to what Claire has to say.

When an important family event came up out of state, I decided I didn’t want to bring my three-month old baby girl with me for a long plane ride, a busy day around a lot of people, and two nights in a hotel. Instead, I started researching the best ways to pump, store, and transport milk. I followed these tips, and even though my travel was delayed and rearranged, not a single ounce of breastmilk was wasted. Given the state of air travel right now, that’s a pretty impressive feat.

So without further ado, here are my top 5 tips for pumping while traveling away from my baby.

Choose a Wireless, Wearable Pump

For my trip, I used the Elvie wearable pump while traveling and attending events and the Spectra S9 at the hotel. The Elvie was incredibly helpful when I needed to pump in the airport or on the plane. I had the ability to place my pump right in my bra, so I didn’t have to worry about attaching traditional flanges. I like the Elvie because there are no additional tubes or wires, but there are many other wearable pumps available with various price points and features.

I had originally planned to pump at the airport in between my connecting flights. However, airport delays derailed my plans, and I ended up needing to pump in my seat on the plane and in the terminal at my gate. If time allows and you prefer the additional privacy, many airports now have a nursing/pumping space called a “Mamava Pod”. You can find where they are located by downloading their app here. 

Pack Extra Parts 

Although my original itinerary only required me to pump twice on the go, missed connections and delays left me on the go for 14 hours. Fortunately, I had brought three sets of Elvie bottles and two sets of breast shields, so was able to keep pumping and avoid a lot of washing. When I was done with a pump session, I just wiped the used breast shields with pump wipes and put them in my wet/dry bag to air dry.  I used the clean set to assemble my Elvie and stage everything for my next pump session. 

Pack Supplies in Your Bag

Parents today are lucky to have a variety of bags to choose from for every type of pump and style option. I purchased a hardshell case for my Elvie which I put into a backpack along with all my parts and supplies. Just like at home, you will want to keep everything clean so it’s very helpful to have a few supplies on hand in your pump bag: pump wipes, like these Breast Pump Wipes by Dapple Baby will help ensure you’re not trying to hand wash your parts in a germy public restroom. I also found it was helpful to carry a few extra duckbill valves/silicon membranes just in case I dropped one while setting up to pump. If you need breast pads, sticking with the disposable ones like these Lansinoh Stay Dry Disposable Nursing Pads will make for quick changes on the go. 

Store Your Milk Properly 

One of the most challenging parts of pumping on the go is figuring out how to store your milk properly without a refrigerator. It’s important to remember that breastmilk can only be stored at room temperature for 4-6 hours. Most likely, during your trip, you’re going to either need a cooler bag or a chiller bottle to keep your milk cold until you reach a fridge or freezer. For short trips around town, I often use the Sarah Wells Cold Gold Breastmilk Cooler Bag with Ice Pack and stash my Elvie bottles right on top of the ice pack. For a full day on the go, I needed a larger capacity and a colder temperature, the Ceres Chill Breastmilk Chiller was phenomenal. After each pump session, I was able to pour the milk right into my chiller and it stayed ice cold until I reached my destination. Each evening, I transferred the milk into storage bags in my hotel fridge so the chiller was ready for the next day. Another critical piece for this trip was having access to a freezer at a relative’s home. It is significantly easier to keep breastmilk cold during transport if it starts from frozen. 

Know Your Options for Transporting Your Milk Hom

The policies for transporting breastmilk through security at domestic airports can be found here. The policy specifically states that breastmilk doesn’t count towards restrictions on liquid volumes and your child does not need to be present. I would recommend printing a copy of the policy, just in case you have any pushback. If you are planning to carry all your pumped milk back through the airport, be sure your ice packs are frozen solid and your cooler is sufficient to maintain the temperature throughout the trip. 

When I went through Security, I used my Ceres chill to transport some of my pumped milk back home on the plane. When I went through security, I alerted the TSA agent that I was traveling with breastmilk and he pulled it aside to screen separately. I requested that he use clean gloves and he used a test strip to hold over the open container of milk. By following the policy and being confident of my rights to transport the milk, I didn’t run into any issues. 

Instead of carrying all my milk home I decided to try out a breastmilk freeze-drying service.  I selected Milkify, based on a friend’s experience of freeze drying her entire freezer stash for a cross country move. To facilitate this process, I had the shipping kit from Milkify shipped to a relative’s home prior to my arrival. As I bagged my pumped milk, I was able to freeze the bags in her freezer. Once all of my bags were frozen solid, Milify provided simple instructions on how to pack their shipping container and ship it to their processing site in Houston. After my milk arrived, I received a confirmation email that my milk had arrived at a chilly 25 degrees. About 2 weeks after my trip, I received my freeze dried breastmilk at my doorstep. This is a convenient option for many parents, who need the convenience of room temperature breastmilk powder. Just be sure to fully understand the cost breakdown before purchasing a kit. 

With some careful planning and the right gear, it’s possible to travel away from your baby and protect all of your liquid gold on-the-go. Bon voyage, friends!