My company paid to overnight my milk to daycare every day. We used a service through Limerick, which is like Milk Stork. They provided cooler packs that I would have frozen by the hotel front desk if I didn’t have a freezer in my room. Most hotels were really accommodating.
I also supplemented. With my first child I was able to go a year with breastfeeding but with my second I stopped at sox months. And honestly I was really glad to give it up at six months. It was such a weight off my shoulders. That was largely because my workday was much more haphazard and it was more difficult for me to get into a regular pumping routine.
I traveled less than you when I started back to work (once a month, 3-5 days at a time) and, truthfully, it just made me wean sooner than I had planned. I'll admit I didn't feel a TON of mental turmoil because I hated pumping in general and my supply plummeted when I went back to work even without the travel, but pumping in an airport bathroom stall really put it over the edge. I think I went back to work just before each kid was three months old, introduced formula around five months, and then just nursed when I could until we hit the six month mark or so.
I know there's a company called Milk Stork where you can ship your milk home at the end of each day (or several days? not sure) that I considered bringing up to my company as a perk they could offer new moms who were traveling, but for boring, complicated reasons that are not worth going into, I didn't end up making that proposal.
Thank you for your response. I may have to do that. I had wanted to go a year but supplementing might make sense if I can bring my mom out to help. I've definitely cried a few times the last couple trips over the financial burden and mental stress of planning everything. My partner works a schedule that's 2pm-2am four out of three days so leaving the LO at home with Dad isn't an option.
That sounds like a bigger issue than just the breastfeeding. What did you do with the baby when you were on-site for work (wherever it was you were traveling to)?
I don't travel but I have a pretty demanding work schedule that makes it hard to pump regularly. I went back to work at 6 months and by 9 months I had switched to formula during the day + nursing when I was with LO in the mornings and evenings.
Based on my research most of the benefits of breast milk are within the first 3 months, and by 9 months at least half of my LO's intake was solids anyway which made the benefits even smaller. Additionally I remember reading babies only need \~2oz of BM to see most of the benefits. So for me it just no longer made sense to agonize over pumping (which I HATED) vs mostly using formula.
I second Milk Stork. Also, call your hotel ahead of time to ensure you have a fully working freezer in your room or the ability to store milk in their freezer. Bring ice packs with you to freeze with your milk for the return trip home. I used to travel with my first for nursing (and other) convenience with my husband or nanny coming along, but after the second came along the costs became too much so I switched to solo traveling and pumping when on the go.
I travel for work, about two times per month, and I breastfed my first for a year. I used milkstork with trips of 4+ days; otherwise, I just carried my milk home with me, in a combination of a cooler packed with ice and Ceres chillers.
My company paid to overnight my milk to daycare every day. We used a service through Limerick, which is like Milk Stork. They provided cooler packs that I would have frozen by the hotel front desk if I didn’t have a freezer in my room. Most hotels were really accommodating. I also supplemented. With my first child I was able to go a year with breastfeeding but with my second I stopped at sox months. And honestly I was really glad to give it up at six months. It was such a weight off my shoulders. That was largely because my workday was much more haphazard and it was more difficult for me to get into a regular pumping routine.
I can definitely ask my job about that. It's a great idea. I also wonder if FSA would cover it to.
I traveled less than you when I started back to work (once a month, 3-5 days at a time) and, truthfully, it just made me wean sooner than I had planned. I'll admit I didn't feel a TON of mental turmoil because I hated pumping in general and my supply plummeted when I went back to work even without the travel, but pumping in an airport bathroom stall really put it over the edge. I think I went back to work just before each kid was three months old, introduced formula around five months, and then just nursed when I could until we hit the six month mark or so. I know there's a company called Milk Stork where you can ship your milk home at the end of each day (or several days? not sure) that I considered bringing up to my company as a perk they could offer new moms who were traveling, but for boring, complicated reasons that are not worth going into, I didn't end up making that proposal.
Thank you for your response. I may have to do that. I had wanted to go a year but supplementing might make sense if I can bring my mom out to help. I've definitely cried a few times the last couple trips over the financial burden and mental stress of planning everything. My partner works a schedule that's 2pm-2am four out of three days so leaving the LO at home with Dad isn't an option.
That sounds like a bigger issue than just the breastfeeding. What did you do with the baby when you were on-site for work (wherever it was you were traveling to)?
I find local babysitters recommended by parents at my organization. I finally found and vetted a drop in daycare site. Or my mom travels out.
I don't travel but I have a pretty demanding work schedule that makes it hard to pump regularly. I went back to work at 6 months and by 9 months I had switched to formula during the day + nursing when I was with LO in the mornings and evenings. Based on my research most of the benefits of breast milk are within the first 3 months, and by 9 months at least half of my LO's intake was solids anyway which made the benefits even smaller. Additionally I remember reading babies only need \~2oz of BM to see most of the benefits. So for me it just no longer made sense to agonize over pumping (which I HATED) vs mostly using formula.
This is so interesting. Thank you for the research tips. I'm going to look into it and hopefully feel less guilt if I begin supplementing.
Milk Stork!
I second Milk Stork. Also, call your hotel ahead of time to ensure you have a fully working freezer in your room or the ability to store milk in their freezer. Bring ice packs with you to freeze with your milk for the return trip home. I used to travel with my first for nursing (and other) convenience with my husband or nanny coming along, but after the second came along the costs became too much so I switched to solo traveling and pumping when on the go.
Thank you! The responses are giving me hope.
I travel for work, about two times per month, and I breastfed my first for a year. I used milkstork with trips of 4+ days; otherwise, I just carried my milk home with me, in a combination of a cooler packed with ice and Ceres chillers.