Traveling for work as a breastfeeding mom can be stressful – there is so much to think about when it comes to traveling with your breast milk, pumping on the plane, and managing your milk stash at your destination. Here is a complete guide to how to travel for work when breastfeeding!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click a link and purchase something, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I love! More information here.
Here’s everything you need to know about traveling for work when you’re a breastfeeding mom.
Packing for your trip
You’ll have to bring a lot of gear with you to pump, store your milk, and clean your pump parts. Here’s what you might need to pack, and some tips on the packing process.
What do you need to pack?
While everyone will have a different packing list, here are some things that you may want to consider.
1. Breast pump and power cords
You’ll obviously need your breast pump and power cord. Some people like to bring a manual pump as well as a backup.
Also, you may need an external battery pack if your pump does not have a rechargeable battery. Below are some examples.
Breast Pump Battery Packs
2. Pump parts
You’ll also need at least one, and preferably two or three, sets of breast pump parts (extra sets are helpful when you aren’t able to wash your gear and in the event of lost parts).
Other things that can be helpful include:
- Medela Quick-Clean Wipes
- A wet/dry bag to store your pump parts in
3. Washing gear
Some things that can be helpful for washing your pump parts on your trip include:
- A travel Boon rack for washing and drying your pump parts
- Collapsible wash basin
- A travel-sized container of dish soap
4. Milk Storage
Assuming you plan to take milk back with you, you’ll likely need a cooler for transporting it cold.
Extra bottles and milk bags can also come in handy.
Breast Milk Coolers
5. Misc
A few other things that you might need include:
- A nursing cover for pumping on the plane or in public, if you’d like to use one
- Breast pads
- Anything else you regularly use for pumping, such as a lactation massager
Here’s an awesome video of what one exclusive pumper includes in her pump bag when she travels for work, and how she packs it all up:
(Video Description: An exclusive pumper sits with her suitcase and carry-on bag and shows what she packed to pump breast milk for her baby on her work trip.)
Packing up your breast pump gear for a work trip
Forgetting something crucial when you travel for work, like a breast shield or a valve, is not fun. When you’re packing, you want to make absolutely sure that you have everything that you need.
Because different things work for different people, it’s a good idea to figure out what will work best for you when you’re packing to make sure you don’t forget anything. Some suggestions:
- Make a checklist of everything you need, and then make a fresh copy of it for each trip. Check off stuff as you pack it. You can get a free checklist for pumping and traveling here!
- Lay everything you need out so you can see all your gear before you start to put things in the bag.
- If you have anything that you can’t pack until the last minute, put it near your bag or put a sticky note on your suitcase to remind yourself.
Flying with your breast pump and breast milk
Going through security with your pump and milk can be stressful. Being prepared can make dealing TSA screening a lot easier.
On the flight out
Here’s what to consider when getting ready to leave for your trip.
Breast pump
Your breast pump is a medical device and may not count as a separate carry-on item. It’s a good idea to check with your airline, and if possible, print out your airline’s breastfeeding policy (here’s an example) and bring it with you in case there is any confusion with the gate agent.
Unless there is (for whatever reason) no other option, do not check your pump – if you have a long delay, you’ll need it, and it will be a huge hassle if it gets lost.
Milk and cooler
On your first flight, you probably won’t have any milk with you, so the process should be straightforward. You should be able to send your breast pump through the conveyor belt when going through security screening without issue.
If you’re bringing an ice pack on the plane to keep the breast milk you pump en route cold, make sure that it’s frozen solid.
On the return flight home
When you’re on your return flight, you’ll have breast milk with you that will need to be checked by TSA agents. In some cases, each bottle will be opened and checked.
Some suggestions for making this process as smooth as possible:
- Print out the TSA guidelines for traveling with breast milk and bring them with you, or have a screenshot of them on your phone.
- Tell the TSA staffer at the front of the conveyor belt that your bag contains breast milk and send the cooler bag through on its own.
- When the cooler bag gets pulled aside, claim it and tell the TSA agent that it’s breast milk so they know what process they need to do.
- In most cases, the TSA staffer will test each bottle (procedures can vary at different airports). The fewer bottles you have, the faster it will be (so it might make sense to invest in bottles that hold a larger quantity for travel).
Make sure to give yourself a cushion in terms of time, in case there’s a delay.
If you’re traveling with a great deal of breast milk and are nervous about going through security, you could consider utilizing TSA Cares.
Pumping on the plane and in the airport
Depending on the length of your flight and how frequently you pump, you might be able to get away with just pumping in the airport before you take off, or you might need to pump on the plane.
If you’re pumping in the airport, many airports now have mother’s rooms or Mamava pods that you can pump in. If that’s not an option, you may be able to use a family restroom, or I’ve also found a mostly empty gate with an outlet and pumped there while facing the window.
If you plan to pump on the plane and you have a choice of a window or an aisle seat, a window seat might work best for additional privacy.
Also, this way, you don’t need to stop pumping if your seat mate needs to use the restroom.
Because everyone is facing forward and the plane is so loud, most people won’t know or care that you’re pumping.
Storing breast milk when you’re staying at a hotel
When you book your hotel, ask for a mini-fridge to use in your room. Make sure to tell them what it’s for, and it’s possible they won’t charge you since breast milk is considered a “medical liquid.”
If you end up using the mini-bar fridge to store your milk, check the temperature of it if possible. They are often kept warmer than normal fridges. (Also, some mini-bars use sensors to charge for beverages, so if that’s the case be careful moving stuff around.)
Another option, if you have room in your luggage, is bringing a tiny fridge (that holds about 6 cans of soda) and keeping it in your hotel room.
Most airlines don’t allow these in carry-on luggage but do allow them to be checked. You should confirm with your airline before making plans.
You may want to label your bottles with a sticker or a dry erase marker so you know the day each was pumped.
Packing up your milk for the trip home
There are two ways you can get your milk home – bring it on the plane with you, or ship it.
Bringing milk on the plane
In most cases, with short trips, the best way to pack up the milk from your trip is in a breast milk cooler. Since each bottle may need to be checked by security, travel with as few bottles as you can (as noted above, that might mean using larger bottles for travel).
Some women prefer travel with milk in breast milk storage bags because they take up less room.
If you’re able to freeze your ice pack in the hotel you’re staying in, that’s ideal. Otherwise, you can keep the cooler cool with ice from the hotel, airport, and flight attendants on the plane. (Just bring a small plastic bag with you to put the ice in.)
Planning to travel? Make your trip so much easier – grab the Pumping Travel Planner for $9!
Shipping your milk
Some employers contract with Milk Stork to ship their employees’ breast milk home for them.
It may be worth checking to see if your company offers this benefit; if not, you may be able to work with them directly.
Making travel for work while breastfeeding less stressful
Melora, who is featured in the video above, recommended a few mindset shifts in the way you think about traveling and pumping to help manage the stress.
No wasted effort
Even if you were to lose ALL of the milk that you pumped during your trip for whatever reason – that time spent pumping wasn’t wasted.
Pumping still maintained your milk supply and helped you avoid clogged ducts and mastitis. Both of those things are really important!
When you think about it this way, all of the milk that you bring home is a bonus.
Remember people are focused on themselves
Remember that nobody cares all that much about what you’re doing.
Everyone is on their own trip, and while they might look at you out of curiosity, for the most part, other people don’t care what you do. Try to let go of anxiety about other people and go with the flow.
Trips will get easier as you figure things out
Look at the first few trips as learning trips that are going to have some trial and error while you figure out the best system for you.
Try and laugh off things that go wrong – in most cases, you’ll at least have a good story to tell.
Share your tips for how to travel for work while breastfeeding below!
Leave A Reply!