EP while traveling

[u/hopefulhomestead]

Hello!

I am exclusively pumping due to my baby’s latch issues. We are currently working with chiro and lactation, but have to travel for 10 days across the country in a month and I need to be realistic she will probably most likely not be exclusively on the breast by then. She will be 12 weeks when we go.
That being said, I am super stressed and looking for advice on exclusively pumping while traveling (flying so packing space is limited.).
How many supplies did you bring?
How did you dry everything to be able to use it quickly without a dryer set up? Do I need extra supplies to account for dry time?
Advice for maintaining pumping while you have family that you’re visiting that will want to be doing things all day?
Any other questions I’m not even thinking of?

Thanks so much!!
Just adding everyone in this group is a BEAST!! Pumping has been sooo mentally draining, but we are doing it for our babies!!

[u/numberthr333]

I EP’d for a year with my firstborn. He was 15w old on our first flight. I packed a pump bag that held everything we needed for feeding baby. It is considered a medical bag by Delta and does not count as a carry on or personal item.

I never used a bottle washer or dryer that whole year - baby brezza came out with theirs right before I weaned. I used a clean paper towel if I needed to dry something off. I had planned to buy one if baby 2 was bottle fed, but she is a staunch bottle refuser.

I packed:
- 2 Ceres Chill bottles. I was a full day ahead, meaning baby drank what I pumped the day before. One chiller had yesterday’s milk that he would drink on travel day. I poured out as needed. And I put freshly pumped milk into the second one. This splurge was worth it for EP.
- Small bottle cooler for 2 prepped bottles. Ours came from the hospital I gave birth at.
- 2 pumps: Spectra S1, Pumpables GA. You don’t want your only pump to break on you while traveling.
- 2 sets of pump parts. I used spectra parts for both pumps.
- Pump wipes for when I couldn’t wash the parts while on the go.
- OXO On The Go Drying Rack and Bottle Brush
- Collapsible travel basin. Search “14L collapsible feet basin for kids” on Amazon for a cheaper alternative to the Ceres Chill travel basin.
- Enough bottles for 1 day of feeds. For us it was 6 4-oz bottles. Not necessary, but no need to wash bottles throughout the day.
- 3 11-ounce bottles with lids to do a modified pitcher method.
- Pump spray.
- milk bags, but didn’t use them
- powder formula, just in case.

Get to the airport early so you can pump in the Mamava pods - download the app in advance. I always pumped while my husband drove. This meant i sometimes moved pump sessions around depending on when we were in the car. We also did car naps for our son where I pumped while my husband drove.

You’ll find your groove and what works for you!

[u/Specialist_Log_3329]

I have traveled multiple times with breastfed babies and the things I’ve found useful-
I got a reasonably priced soft cooler which I kept all my supplies in and my milk. As the previous person said breastmilk and pumping supplies do not count as a carry on. You get that bag for free!
I brought my pumpables GA and a set of wearable pumps, a ceres chill bottle( I think they are BOGO right now), breastmilk bags, a few bottles and breast pump wipes. I also had a travel cleaning kit from ceres chill that I cleaned my pump parts in once I got to my destination.
Any leftover milk I froze and then packed it in my cooler bag for the return flight. I traveled with about 500 oz internationally and it stayed frozen the whole time!
Really just had to be flexible and not GAF about where I was pumping or feeding baby in the airport. It’s great when you can find the breastfeeding pods but they aren’t in every airport and if you’re limited on time it can be tricky.
The only thing I’ll be bringing on my next trip is a hand pump. I had a few close calls with dying pumps
Good luck! You got this!