First Business Trip Since Having Baby

Hi Noelle,
The same thing happened to me with my first daughter. She was 5 months old when I left for a 4-day business conference. I froze enough milk, and a little extra, for those four days while I was gone. I took both the hospital-grade electric pump and a regular hand pump with me on my trip, since I wasn't sure which would work better for me -- I wound up using the electric one because it was SO much faster. I just pumped at whatever time I would have normally fed my baby. After I pumped, I just poured the milk out (I didn't have a way to keep it frozen at all times), but it definitely kept my milk supply up. Once I got home, my daughter took to nursing like I had never been gone. It worked out beautifully.
I now have a 2-month old, and I'll be going to another business conference in January, and I'll be doing the same thing.
There's also a supplement you can take to boost your milk supply -- it's called Fenugreek. At one time, I needed to take those to increase my milk. That might be an option for you while you're traveling. My daughter's pediatrician told me about it. I can't remember the dosage, but I remember taking it three times a day. Ask your son's pediatrician about how much to take. It works, but it does make you smell like maple syrup! :)
I hope that helps!

My twins didn't really breastfeed directly for very long so I don't know about the issue with getting him back to the breast.

As far as the pump and Dump, you don't need to dump as long as you can keep the milk really cold. Ask for a hotel with full kitchen and research what you can do about getting breastmilk through security at the airport. Its easy with a baby, but without a baby I'm afraid they may not let you bring it. If not you could always check a cooler filled with ice packs empty on the way there and full on the way home. It would seem a shame to dump it since its like liquid gold. If you freeze the milk you can use it anytime. If it thaws but stays cold on the way home, you should be able to feed it to your son on the day or two after you get home at

Hi. I'm a mother of a 4 year old boy who is strong, fit and healthy. I had to pause as well in nursing my child and he was only a month old! due to having to be hospitalized and also because I was on medication that I did not want to pass to my son I had to wait a week to begin nursing again! He took back to nursing without a problem. Three days is not a long time but I do want to let you know I had to stop nursing after he was three months old because of my medical condition. My daughters quit nursing at 9 months on their own and they are strong and healthy and it was their decision. Don't fret too much if he decides he doesn't want to continue. I was a little distraught about having to stop nursing my son after three months but he is sturdy, running around, eats well, healthy and tough - and I was worried!!

I will have to admit that I was in the same situation and I brought my child with me and had my husband watch him while I was working. I couldn't leave her. Good luck with this!

Check your hotel for a mini fridge w/ freezer and pump and save! Don't lose that "White gold"! Pack it up in a cooler lunchbag and carry- on your plane.

Noelle,
I posted this to Lindsey's question as well, but I modified to respond to some of the others with "helpful" advice.

I took my Medela briefcase looking ELECTRIC pump on the plane with me. I had no problem going through security with it. They seemed to have been trained on what it was, and only asked a couple of questions, but didn't really make me open it. My bag has a place for ice packs, but I really don't remember if I kept it or not. On another trip, I had taken my breastmilk bags through security, no problem.

I did pump in-flight in the lavatory, and I must say that it started out awkward, b/c I was trying to be discreet (more commonly read embarrassed), and find a time that there wasn't a line waiting. I finally couldn't wait any longer, b/c I had already waited too long. I got situated, and was fretting about taking so long, and the noise it was making, but kept reminding myself this was for my baby. Then, to top it all off, I must not have latched the lock very well, b/c the door moved inward, and a guy was trying to get in. I think he was more shocked than I was. Of course, now I was very uncomfortable, trying to finish up with one foot propped keeping the door closed, trying to stay balanced on those little plastics seats, and trying to keep my pumps attached, all the while thinking no one but my husband has had that view before.

I look back at it now, and see it as another funny tale for the wanna-be big-time traveling executive, but in the end still just the small-town farm girl. I'm laughing now, but even to this day, I don't think I've even told my husband the story.

Best of luck to you, Noelle!

J.

I've taken two day tips and saved the milk in my hotel room mini-bar fridge. Everyone is suggesting you freeze the milk, but I think refrigerating is easier and perhaps safer. Refrigerated breastmilk stays fresh for 7-10 days, whereas frozen milk has to be consumed within 24 hours if it thaws. No amount of ice packs will keep your milk truly frozen on the plane, so you risk partially thawing and having to consume it ASAP. Re-freezing it when you get home is not recommended, but you could freeze fresh milk and remember it has a shorter shelf-life (based on how long ago you pumped it). My frozen milk gets the lipase rancid odor, so I'm not a fan of freezing anyway. I was on a pumping listserve once and learned about moms in Iraq FedExing their milk home in coolers with dry ice. If you have the budget for it, maybe you can FedEx the milk of the first 2 days for your baby to consume, and bring home the rest on the plane?
When I traveled last month, I could not carry on the milk since I had no baby with me, so I placed my insulated milk bag with ice packs in my checked luggage and it was fine.

I am guessing that by eight months he has the whole nursing thing down. I wouldn't think he would stop after three days w/a bottle. I would definately pump while you are gone to keep your supply. I don't know how well milk will travel though. Can you freeze and keep it frozen till you get home? If not you probably shouldn't risk it. good luck, I hope this helped.

HI I am a mom of 4 and breastfed all of them between 13 months and 2 years. I would suggest pumping and freezing some milk for your son to be given from the bottle when your gone and pump and freeze when your away. You should not have any problem bringing the milk back on a flight from Orlando if you have one of those cold storage carriers.
This way your milk supply will stay up and you'll have some extra to give him if you take another trip. As long as you make sure to write the date on the bag the day you froze it, I think it is good for 1 month ( but double check that, online) you should be good.
Good luck and happy travels.

Well, I'd say presuming there's a freezer you can use in the hotel you can keep it. Make sure you've got a box of freezer bags, a good size cooler, and some freezer packs and you can keep them cold on the plane ride home.

Hi Noelle,

It's so hard to figure out what to do in these situations! I was trying to remember if I ever had to travel while nursing, and I think all I ever had were several really long work days during that time. You son must be on the bottle now, or you must work from home. If so, does he have any issues at the end of the day going back to nursing? I would think that would be your biggest indicator. I don't think he'll stop wanting to nurse when you return, although I'm not an expert.

It would be hard to travel with the milk you've pumped, unless you have the means to keep it temperature controlled (under 40 degrees the whole time). If you have a refrigerator in your hotel room, then carry a small cooler on the plane, you can keep what you've pumped, but I would think it would be a big inconvenience. You may also want to start stockpiling breast milk now as well, in preparation for your trip.

I'm not sure that I've answered your question. Hope it helps in some way. Good luck.

L.

I took my first trip when my son was about the same age and I didn't have any problems. I made sure that the hotel had a fridge in my room and they were good about storing my cooler in a kitchen fridge after I had checked out. The airlines have relaxed their standards about traveling with breast milk, even if you don't have a baby. You just need to declare it when you go through security. They will examine it and the pump but I didn't have any trouble. I printed out a copy of the TSA website saying that it was okay just in case anyone gave me any problems but I didn't need it. It takes a lot of coordination but it was worth it to me to have the supply when I got back. Good luck.

I've done both - keep it and dump it - but it is easiest to just dump the milk since hotel rooms aren't convenient for storage of breast milk.
ask the concierge when you get in if they have a mother's room or similar place where you can pump before/ after you check out of the room. most hotels will accommodate so you won't have to use the public restroom.

Hi Noelle. I guess it really depends how "attached" he is to nursing (no pun, really, intended). I had to go on an overnight trip when my daughter was a few weeks old, and then for 2 weeks when she was a few months old. Both times were without trouble. The issue really is that he's at an age where the interest sometimes starts to wain and he'll be old enough to really tell the difference. If he still nurses for comfort and enjoys it - I don't think you'll have a problem. If he does it out of practice - - a ritual you keep going - - he may well decide he's done with it.

As far as keeping your milk, will you be going on a plane? If so, and you have a pump, and the 3 oz bottles (starter bottles), you can just ask for a fridge in your room at the hotel and bring them back with an ice pack in your pump bag.

All the way around - you've done a phenominal job of continuing nursing this long and still working. I made it as long as 7 months and then the travel just got in the way.

Good luck to you!

T. Olsen (mother of 7 and 5 year old girls in Lansdowne, VA)

I had a wedding to go to in Cali. It was my best friends and I was the maid of honor so I couldn't back out but I was also nursing. I pumped and froze the milk bringing it back on the plane in a little cooler full of ice packs. By the time I got home from the 6 hour flight it was still mostly frozen. I just used it before I used any of the other milk I had and kept it the amount of time I would have in the refridgerator. It was fine, not spoiled or anything like that. I figured if they can transplant organs on planes in coolers, why not milk?

Hi Noelle,

I had a similar situation a few weeks ago. I had to be away for a week; my daughter was 8 months old at the time. When I got back, she continued nursing with no problems. She has been switching between bottle and breast since birth, so I think that probably made it easier for her. Being a working Mom yourself, I'm sure your son is used to utilizing a bottle during the day. So, hopefully he'll have no issues taking the bottle while you’re gone and coming back to Mom when you return.

I personally pumped and dumped, but if you really want to store, I'm sure your hotel will freeze it for you if you have a storage container. On a side note, make sure you talk to whoever is in charge of the conference as soon as you arrive, or before if you can, to assure there is a place where you can pump during the day. From personal experience, pumping in a public restroom is not ideal. :)

6 weeks after I had a baby, my husband and I had a little trip (four days) to Boston, just two of us. I still was breastfeeding, and I was dedicated to continue to do that. So, I pumped, and after much thinking, I dumped all of it. I felt horrible doing that, seriously, like I was involved in a crime.
Ironically I had to do it mostly in bathrooms of museums and other places of interest. It took me sometimes 20-35 min at the time, and no one tried to kick me out!:) I took with me a lot of batteries to keep my pump on. I can’t say that this is something I want to repeat again, but definitely my trip was something out of the ordinary. Good luck with yours!

I'll just address one quick thing, I stayed overnight away from my 6 month old. Took the breast pump and planned to dump all the milk I collected. Fortunately, the hotel I was staying at delivered a mini fridge to my room so I could keep all the milk! Doesn't hurt to ask if that is possible at the hotel where you will be staying.
My son had already taken a bottle starting at 4 months when I returned to work, and only nursed from me in morning and evening. Taking the bottle and returning to nursing when I got back wasn't a problem for him, but maybe your situation is different.
good luck!

on my first business trip i took my baby and my sister. she watched my daughter while i was business-ing and she got to play in a new city on my dime! i know this isn't an option for everyone but i thought i'd share my experience.

I've had to leave my son twice for 8 days at a time before his first birthday. I pumped and froze it. I was so nutty about him having breastmilk that three days into my time away, I overnighted the frozen breastmilk (with dry ice) to my mom who was keeping him while I was away. I felt like an absolute nut running around a city I knew nothing about searching for dry ice. But in the end, it gave me great peace of mind to know that my son was getting the best. When I returned after 8 days, he resumed nursing with no problems. It took him all of 5 minutes to latch on again. Some of the delay can be accredited to the excitement of our reunion. I tell ya, working mom's have trials, but we make it through. The best of luck to you!

First you can pump and dump and go back to nursing, by this age, he won't get nipple confusions or anything like that. Secondly, unless you're traveling with the baby, TSA won't let you bring breastmilk onto the airplane in your carry one, but you can put it in your checked bags, which I've done before. I brought the freezer case thing from my pump with me and kept the milk in the freezer part of the mini-fridge. Then I put all the milk (I store in bags to make it easier) into the insulated bags and fill the bag with ice (from the ice machine). It stays cold/frozen the whole way home, perfectly ready for the back up at daycare!!

Noelle,
You should not have to dump it, he hotel room you are staying in should have a frig. with a small freezer in it so you can freeze it and take a small cooler bag with ice packs and you will be able to transport it home! Good luck.

I would think that your son will go back to nursing when you return from your 3 day business trip. I would also say that you wouldn't necessarily have to dump your milk while you are away. I would recommend freezing your milk as soon as you can and as long as you can keep it frozen, you could bring it back with no issues.
Good Luck!

agree with some of the other responses, I would definitely try and find a little cooler with some ice packs and freeze the milk. maybe your room will also have a fridge (or if they want you to go, can you request one?). Pump whenever you can while your away to keep that supply going!! I'm sure three days will be just fine to keep the milk.

If you can keep the milk frozen you should be able to take it back with you. You would have to make sure you have a good thermal bag or something to take with you on your journey back to keep it frozen en route to home. The milk will stay good frozen for 3 to 5 days if your freezer is within your refridgerator and up to 3 months if your freezer has its own door. If you have a long trip home or you think the milk won't stay good then I would go ahead and throw it away. On the same note though you can start expressing milk and freezing it at home for your child to use while you are away.

I had to go on a business trip when my third child was about 4 months old. Luckily, my mom is a teacher and since the trip was in July, she was able to come with me and keep my son while I was at work. I pumped during the day and just fed him at night when I was in the hotel with him. I would think you would be allowed to carry your milk onto a plane too - I would check the most updated TSA guidelines though! If you can't make arrangements for him to go with you, it would probably depend on how interestd he is in nursing. My daughter nursed for 15 months and both of my sons stopped around the 9 month mark on their own :). Good luck!

I would be miserable if I were in your shoes. I would miss my baby so much I don't think I could concentrate on the work at hand. Your baby may miss you too. Hopefully he will nurse again when you get home. No guarantees but probably he will. AF

If you are planning on traveling with the milk, you might want to check with the airline. They might have issue with you bringing milk, and no baby.

I took a 3-4 day trip when my daughter was about 6months old & managed to pump & bring the milk back. Just ask for a fridge in the hotel room. They shouldn't even charge you for it since it's essentially a medical necessity (same as having to keep insulin cold etc). You can either store the milk in the fridge or freeze it if the compartment is big enough & take everything back in a cooler with lots of ice packs. Also, don't try to carry on an electrical breast-pump - TSA had major issues with me when I tried it because they had no idea what it was. I recommend the Avent Isis manual pump - it was very efficient & fast (just don't use the silicon cushion since it interferes with the suction you need).
Hope that helps!

Hi Noelle,

I am a mother of 4 and also have job that requires I travel often. I have never had a problem going back to nursing when I get back home and being that you will only be gone for 3 days you should be fine. Be prepared to nurse a lot when you get home though, I do think they miss it!! As for your supply while you are gone I have always kept my milk supply. Most hotels if asked will be sure you have a fridge in your room and I have also been where they will allow me to use their freezer you just have to ask. Be sure if you do that you have a box and label it clearly! I also have never had issues bringing it back on the plane. They do check your bags and most of them ask lots of questions but you should be fine, I just traveled 2 weeks ago with no problem :) Good Luck and let us know how it goes!!

He should go back to nursing. I wouldn't anticipate it to be a problem. And don't Pump and dump!!! Pump and keep. I kept on week's worth of milk while I was on the road touring europe but just keeping it in a cooler and going to the hotel and packing it with ice every few hours. I wouldn't do it any longer than that because of spoilage, but if your hotel has an ice box and you have a small cooler, you can use bags, put ice in it, you should be ok as long as you're diligent.

If your little one does stop nursing, which most likely will not, you can still pump your breast milk and put it in a bottle. I stopped nursing at 8.5 months because she wanted to stop(she kept biting me and I yelped a little too much) and I just pumped for the next 3 months which allowed me to slowly wean myself with no significant problems, and she had primarily breast milk until her 1st b-day.

Good luck!
A.

Has your son already been taking to both the bottle and the breast without any problems? If so, it shouldn't be an issue for him to continue to do so.

Check airline regulations but I believe you will be able to transport the milk in 3 oz increments and if you put it in a lunchbox with an icepack it should be fine. You might have to get a dr note or something as proof, but I know you can take it with you in 3 oz increments if the baby is traveling with you.

I've left several nursing babies for 2 to 7 days and had them resume nursing when I returned. Be intent on spending a few days nursing quite a bit when you return to re-establish your production which will likely fall of some while you're gone. (I throw away the milk I pump while I'm away. However, if you're dedicated enough to it and have a freezer available, you may be able to preserve it.)

I went out of town when my son was a year old, with plenty breast milk in the freezer for him. I was gone for a week and pumped to keep my supply up and when I got back he would not nurse or drink the frozen milk. He now gets his calcium from yogurt as he wont drink cow, or soy milk either.

Pump it and freeze it, or don't freeze it if you don't want to. TSA's rules are below

link to the site: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/formula.shtm

TSA is also modifying the rules associated with carrying breast milk through security checkpoints. Mothers flying with, and now without, their child will be permitted to bring breast milk in quantities greater than three ounces as long as it is declared for inspection at the security checkpoint.

Breast milk is in the same category as liquid medications.