Prepping for Take-Off!

Back in October, I was nervous as we prepared to take our preschooler and kindergartner on an 8 hour flight to Germany. I was reminded of the fear of traveling with small children.  I longed for the days when I could just quietly put them to breast and all would be well in the world.  So in honor of my jealousy, I am devoting this blog post to how to continue your breastfeeding journey while traveling with or without your baby. 

Travel is NOT a reason to stop breastfeeding. In fact, breastfeeding an infant while traveling is probably easier than bottle feeding.  You don't have to look for places to get safe, clean water and you don't have to carry around ample amounts of formula to prepare.  Not to mention you won't need to worry about cleaning bottles and nipples in order to prepare the formula safely.  I'll hop off my soap box now. 

Travel is not only stressful on parents, but the baby or child as well.  If you are traveling with an infant who is less than 6 months of age, preparation is key! Remember:
- You are your child's source of comfort
- Lots of skin to skin, when possible
- Bring an infant carrier or sling to keep baby close and give the use of two hands
- Allow for baby to nurse whenever they need to, even if for comfort only
- IBCLC's and CLC's are located worldwide, and you may want to find one in your destination location
- You can bring your electric pump if you believe that you will need it, but for most mothers, who are exclusively breastfeeding, a hand pump as back up, will do the trick for short trips (to relieve engorgement, a dinner away from baby, etc.) with baby in tow
- You have rights as a nursing mother- never forget that and don't be afraid to state them

If baby is staying home on this trip, you can prepare in other ways to make sure that your milk supply is protected and your baby is adequately fed while you're away.  Again, preparation is the key to success and less stress while away from your baby!  Remember:
- Determine how long you will be away from baby and estimate how many ounces/day baby will need
- Reach out to an IBCLC or CLC to aid in determining an estimate if you are unsure
- Begin pumping at least four weeks prior to travel and pump appropriately to "stash" milk for while you are away
- Pack a double electric breast pump for your trip, and all necessary accessories:
      - tubing, flanges, valves, membranes, storage bottles or bags, ice packs, freezer
        bags, permanent marker to date/time bags or bottles, cleaning wipes
- KEY: while you are away from baby, you will have to pump on the same schedule as you would typically nurse/pump, in order to protect and maintain supply!
- Again, know that you have rights as a breastfeeding mother! 
- If air travel is required, breast pumps are considered "personal items" and can go as a "carry on" item, just as a purse or small suitcase
      - You CAN travel with breast milk that has already been expressed, check with your airline for their specific policies related to this

Keep in mind your pumping to-do list:
- Clean all pump parts and accessories with warm, soapy water and let them air dry 
- Storage: freshly expressed milk: 4 hours on counter-top, 4 days in the refrigerator, 6-12 months in the freezer. 
- If you won't be using milk within 4 hours, put it immediately in the fridge
- If milk is frozen, it must be used within 1-2 hours out on the counter-top and 1 day if it is in the refrigerator.  You can never re-freeze breast milk that has been thawed!
- Use cooler bag for travel with ice packs

Even though this all seems like a lot of work and stress, if you prepare in advance, your travel will be smooth sailing.  After all, seeing the world is what we should be doing and if we can bring our babies along, even better! Never hesitate to reach out for help when you don't know something or you're just needing some reassurance.  You got this.