6 Tips For Traveling Without Baby While Breastfeeding

My husband and I love to travel. Before parenthood and covid, we were constantly on the go. But with a baby, traveling has become a little more strenuous. Traveling without our baby while breastfeeding can be tough and certainly requires some planning in advance so here are a few tips to make your get away while nursing a smooth one.

1. Travel In Small Increments

For your very first trip away from baby, I suggest maybe 2-3 nights away. If you're anything like me, you can't stand to be away from your baby for more than a few seconds. Of course I enjoy a break but I also immediately start to miss my precious baby. So for my anniversary my husband and I flew to Chicago from Houston for 3 nights to enjoy some mommy daddy time. I didn't want to go too far away since this would be my first time away from my baby so going out of the country was out of the question for me. This was the perfect little getaway for us to spend some quality time together.

2. Stock Your Freezer

Before you can leave, you'll need to stock up your freezer so baby can eat while you're away. I'll suggest you start planning 1 to 2 months in advance for your freezer stash. You will likely need to add a few pumping sessions to your pre-trip prep work. One thing i noticed was it's always easiest to express milk in the morning, so this may be the best time to add a little milk to your stash. Be sure to track how many feeding your baby has each day and make sure you stock your freezer with enough milk to cover each feeding. I would also suggest added an extra 2 milks per day to your freezer storage because you never know what could happen. Sometimes storage bags can leak or milk can be spilled during transfer from bag to bottle. This will ensure you have more than enough milk for your baby.

3. Choose A Breast Pump That Travels Well

When traveling, it's extremely important to pack a breast pump that travels well. You want to get something light weight, easy to clean, and rechargeable. My go to travel pump is the IKARE Hospital Grade Double Electric Breast Pumps Free-Style. It has 6 Modes, Touchscreen LED Display, and it's not the noisiest. Wearable breast pumps are also ideal because you can be more discreet during public transportation. I personally do not like wearable breast pumps because I spilled a lot of my milk while trying to use them and yes I most certainly will cry over spilled milk.

4. Invest In A Hand Pump As Backup.

It's always better to stay ready so you don't have to get ready. When traveling, you should always have a back up pump just in case your electric pump has a malfunction. I have had several incidents where my breast pump has malfunctioned and I've had to use a back up option. A manual pump could definitely be a life saver. My go to manual pump is the Lansinoh Manual Breast Pump. It's super efficient and easy to use and is also inexpensive.

5. Don't Miss A Session!

Don’t miss a pumping session! I know you're on vacation but we all know a mother's job is NEVER done! If you have to, set reminders to help you keep track of your pumping routine. To protect your milk supply, you must express your milk at least as often as you do back home. If you're planning to drink remember it is recommended to wait at least 2 hours per drink before you express milk. It is recommended to have up to 1 standard drink per day, but should you surpass this amount consecutively, you may notice a decrease in milk supply if you do not pump and dump. So be sure to drink responsibly.

6. Create A Plan To Store/Transport Milk.

The most important key to traveling without baby while breastfeeding is making sure you have a plan to store and transport your milk. Here are some options you can use to transport your milk. Freshly expressed breastmilk can last up to to 4 hours at room temperature, up to 4 days when refrigerated at 40 degrees F, & within 6 months is best; but up to 12 months is acceptable when frozen. Thawed & previously frozen breastmilk can last up to 1-2 hours at room temperature, up to 1 day refrigerated at 40 degrees F, and should never be refrozen. So here's some tips you can use to get your baby's milk back home safe and sound.

1. Bring a cooler for breast milk. Most breast pumps come with a cooler but if yours doesn't or you'd like a more stylish/convenient cooler this Breast Pump Backpack is perfect for travel.

2. Be sure not to forget the ice packs! Those are going to ensure your milk stays cool for a longer period of time.

3. Be sure to make sure your hotel room has a refrigerator, this will make your vacation/trip a little more stress free. If your room doesn't have a refrigeration call your hotel and make sure they would be ok with storing your breast milk in their refrigerator for you before booking.

4. If you plan to bring your unfrozen breastmilk back via plane, you will need to fill your milk storage bags to 3.4oz to pass through TSA.

5. If you plan to bring your frozen breastmilk back via plane, you will need to make sure your milk is completely frozen to pass through TSA. Frozen milk does not require a specific weight to pass through TSA.

My personal favorite way to travel with my breast milk is to purchase dry ice the day before my flight leaves, and dry ice all of my milk which should keep milk frozen for 18hrs once dry ice has melted.

Being a first time mom I was extremely nervous about being away from my baby boy, but following these tips most certainly alleviated some of my stress. If you have some traveling advice leave a comment to let me know some of your tips to travel without baby while breastfeeding.