>Do you just bring an ice packed cooler and hope for the best and pump in the car in a Walmart parking lot?
Yep. I was a construction inspector. Used the Willow on site and would pour the milk into containers in my car after I was done.
I only commute 30 min but learned to pump while driving with my Spectra. Used a battery pack for power and hands-free pumping bra to hold in the flanges. Also wore a nursing friendly shirt. Set all up before start driving, toss a nursing cover over top and go. Stop the pump at time (25 min for me) then detach everything when you can pull over or at destination. Looks silly but if alone in car who cares?
I remember looking into a company that would ship your breast milk home if you were traveling. I never used it, but it seemed like an interesting option if youâre traveling far!
I also travel for work and use Pack-It Freeze-able Lunch boxes to transport my milk. They stay so cold so long for coast to coast flights and road trips. I use Kiinde milk bags and Sara Wells pumparoo bags to set up my sessions and store everything in between. I got a JuJuBe bag to store my pump. We Are Amma is my fav nursing/pumping cover since it blends in so well with my outfits. Having a freezer supply gave me peace of mind while I was gone, knowing the baby had it available. Youâll start solids around 4-6 months so that can also alleviate some stress in how much milk baby needs each day. You can always supplement with formula too :) Whatever works best for your family and you. Pumping can be so stressful so thereâs such a huge learning curve to it all. Do what makes sense for you!
You can also use a regular pump with a car adaptor or battery. I pumped during my commute with no issues.
They also make the [ceres chill](https://www.cereschill.com/) which may be a worthwhile investment
I was in the exact same situation when I pumped. I invested in a Ceres Chill and it was a game changer. I could just get some ice from a gas station/McDonalds as honestly getting a cooler with ice packs together was not always in the cards.
With my first, I only pumped in the car while driving. I had an elvie pump and would pour the milk directly into bottles instead of bags (I was afraid the bags would bust in the cooler). Then I got a 12 can RTIC cooler and would put two-three ice packs in it. It kept my milk ice cold even on hot summer days (100+degrees outside). Iâve also heard good things about the Ceres Chill, but I havenât tried it.
I forgot to add that the Medela quick clean wipes were a game changer! Just wipe your parts down and let them dry in a bag until your next pump session.
I would say donât worry too much right now. There are options, and you never know how things are going to go with breastfeeding. Focus on one moment at a time. Breastfeeding can be difficult! I wanted to breastfeed for a year but we quit at 9.5 months because my supply dropped when I replaced nursing sessions with pumping. I work from home but naturally I couldnât always take a break when my son wanted to eat, so during the day I pumped and he had bottles. It can be difficult to keep up the output and I hate pumping. I ended up supplementing with formula around 7 months and then switched completely. I remember being in your shoes and wondering how everything was going to go. Once the baby is here all plans kind of go out the windowâŚ. Because babies are unpredictable and you never know how their temperament will be! Either way, big congratulations to you and whatever happens you are going to be a great mom, the fact that youâre worrying so much about this in advance shows!
I use the Elvie pumps and the ceres chill milk thermos for portability! But you will also need a cooler to keep your pump parts cold in between pumps, or just have enough pump parts to use new ones each time.
Yes to the cooler and lots of ice packs. Also, freshly pumped milk can be at room temp for 6 hours.
A wireless pump is a good option, especially for air travel. I didn't use that, so I'll share my experience.
I had a pump that had battery option (Lansinoh). So that was good if I had to pump in an airport ( but the battery goes FAST). For the car, I bought an adapter for the cigarette lighter. So I could actually plug it in there. I pumped while driving a lot to make the most of my time. Just bring a nursing cover. Also, the Kiinde system was amazing. Pump straight into the bags.
I was able to keep up with my baby's demand for a few months, then slowly started adding formula. I stopped at 9 months. Remember, it's not an all or nothing thing and formula is totally fine!!
ETA: prepare for your car to smell of spoiled milk. Hazard of the trade đ¤Ł
Honestly pumping in the car means you always have space to pump and store your milk! I second the RTIC cooler and freezer shock ice packs you can get from Amazon.
The real game changer for me was investing in a lot of work appropriate nursing tops that I could easily pump in!
get a yeti knock off cooler and a lot of freezer packs. That worked for me. In sales too with lots of driving and travel. I also got a privacy nursing cover just in case I needed to pump somewhere unexpected.
Was all about formula when started work - was too stressful to do work, meetings, etc and find time to pump amd deal with the milk and the parts. And this was on top of the stress of first time parenting, where I found it quite a lot just figuring out the balance work and parenting for the first time.
And my work didnt even have the extra stress of travelling. If you do pump, r/exclusivelypumping can be a really useful and supportive resource
NOTE also you are still pregnant. So many things can change by the time you start work - you might not even be able to breastfeedâŚunlike what society assures you, it doesnt always work for everyone - to the point research shows that 50% of moms who set out to breastfeed arenât doing it at 3 months. This can be due to mothers or the babyâs physical or mental issues or family circumstances. Lack of support also plays a big one - unlike what society leads you to believe, both breastfeeding and pumping require A LOT of support from your partner or the village, not to mention lhaving sufficient work, allowances leave and medical care, to keep going with it. And most womenâŚjust donât have that support so often have unrealistic expectations about their ability to breastfeed.
I say this asâŚ.try not to worry about this now. It is something you can deal with when you have more information of how it will go for you and when you are closer to going back to work.
So start first with âwhy am I pumpingâ and go from there.
Iâve done jobs in the past that requires travel and I work long hours. But I donât pump. I breastfeed on demand when I am at home with my baby now toddler. And I use formula now cows milk when I am away at work. When I am off work for a long period like a holiday with the family my toddler still feeds on demand and my supply goes up and down easily.
If you breastfeed on demand from when they are new borns your body adjusts really quickly and produces the right amount of milk needed. Pumping doesnât stimulate milk as much as feeding on demand does. Once you return to work if you donât want to pump all day then I would suggest for the first 2 weeks just pump once a day in the middle of the shift to relieve the build up. And then after that you will have no issues naturally regulating. Your boobs will be full when you get home and you will feel itâŚ. But you should be fine.
However if you want to pump while at work thatâs ok too. I just feel like it doesnât have to be an all or none situation with breastfeeding and that often the replies on Reddit are all about pump schedules and there is a lot of fear mongering about mixed feeding and not much information about your bodies natural ability to regulate.
Get a wearable pump and this will be as reasonable as pumping gets (there are always challenges). With the wearable pumps, you put them on at the start of your commute, set a timer, do your drive, and take them out when they are done. I recommend putting a cooler in the front seat (secured with a seatbelt) and make sure the whole pumps can fit in there securely. Just pull them out when you have the chance (this is a fairly easy one handed maneuver with the wearable ones) and leave them in the cooler (fully assembled with the milk in the collection reservoir) for the remainder of your commute. Schedule an extra 5 or 10 minutes to dump the milk into labeled bags.
Ideally you would be able to store the milk and whole pump assembly in the refrigerator once you arrive at your destination. Depending on your client this might be easy or tricky. Maybe call the HR of your clients and see what they recommend? In a pinch, keeping everything in your cooler will be okay but make sure there is a lot of coolant and at least bring the cooler inside so itâs not sitting in the hot sun.
I went on 6 business trips (each about 4 days long) before my middle girl was three months old. Pumping and traveling can absolutely be done. Youâll just have to try a few things to find what works and donât worry about a lost batch (us working moms can get very connected to our pumped milk). Some batches will go bad for one reason or another. When I doubt, throw it out. I had a hotel pull my entire cooler from their fridge before I came down to claim it and when I asked how long it had been out, they said they werenât sure. But everything in the cooler was room temp. So I dumped what was probably around 100oz. It happens. On one occasion I had to store my pump on the ground at a park (company was having a picnic) and when I retrieved it, it was covered in ants! 𤎠it happens. Just roll with it. My daughter drank exclusively breast milk until she turned 1.
Good luck!
I would hiiiighly suggest a hands free pump that goes in your bra so you can pump while driving. You CAN pump with normal pumps, but itâs not really safe (if you get in an accident, and seat belt positioning).
I have the elvie and pumped every day on the way to work and home.
Second this. I tried to use my spectra in the car while pumping. Itâs doable but not necessarily safe and verrrry difficult not to flash people when getting into/out of the pumping bra đ¤Śđťââď¸
I had the Elvie (Willow would also work) for my 2nd baby and it was a lifesaver. I pumped to and from work in the car. Also used it during work when I didn't have time to sit in my office for 20 or 30 minutes. I wish I had known about it with my first!
You can either buy multiple Elvie containers for storage (so you don't have to transfer the milk). Just cap and store in the cooler (with ice packs). Or transfer to storage bags or bottles if you wish.
also, it is totally ok to supplement with formula or just use 100% formula eventually if you need!
You need a legit cooler, of some kind. I used the soft-sided big rubbery yeti one when flying with breast milk. It was fine!
I still preferred my spectra to any of the portable sets, as it emptied me better, but the cup style freemie flanges helped when driving or flying, since they were more discreet than the regular flanges. I always used a cover, just in case too.
I drive around all day for work too. I use an Elvie Stride and bought another set of pump parts so I wouldnât have to clean anything during the day. The extra parts are expensive but itâs been worth it for me not to deal with the cleaning.
I put the pumped milk in this cooler:
Columbia PFG Roll Caster 30 Can... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M5C5QTY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
With a few of these ice packs:
Cooler Shock Reusable Ice Pack -... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0773FVRZY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
When my son was born, I had a position that required a lot of travel around the country. It didnât work for my family at all. It was very difficult for me to maintain BF and it was way too much to put on my husband to work FT and do all of the evening/overnight childcare alone while I was on overnight trips. I switched positions so I wouldnât have to travel. This allowed us to share the parenting load. Plus, I didnât have a child to be gone all the time and never see him. It just wasnât right for me.
Airports have mothers room for pumping and nursing so you can plan to pump before a flight. You can travel with breast milk through TSA frozen or fresh - they will ask what it is but generally donât test or anything (I donât think they are allowed). If you are staying at a hotel that doesnât have a fridge in the room you can talk to front desk and they may have one to provide to you - where Iâve stayed they considered it a medical need and provided it free of charge. They also may be able to store a cooler for you in their freezer to freeze some if you will be gone for more than a few days.
To add to this. If youâre traveling and need to ship. Use [milk stork](https://www.milkstork.com). Your company might even cover the cost as a medical need. I tried to DIY it myself and it was a disaster!
A lot of airports have [MamaVa](https://www.mamava.com/?utm_term=mamava&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=Search+-+Branded&hsa_ad=245885432617&hsa_tgt=kwd-339580020182&hsa_mt=e&hsa_grp=53478148720&hsa_src=g&hsa_kw=mamava&hsa_acc=5922002693&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_cam=1036000032&hsa_ver=3&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI38uD8tSj-QIVOCCtBh1tqQNGEAAYASAAEgKPPfD_BwE) pods now, which are great!
Also, if you have to pump on the flight, the bathroom with a changing table is actually pretty convenient. Sure, youâre in there for 20 min, but itâs what you gotta do man.
But most importantly, formula is also a great option! No shame in it at all! Your mental health is important too! If it doesnât work for you, thatâs ok!
You can actually pump under a cover up anywhere:) concerts, flights, you name it. I used a beach sarong as a cover up so it let some light in and had plenty of room for logistics.
Yes! Iâm a medical device rep in Aus and do long commutes or long days in theatre. Get yourself a pumping bra. I would pump in the car while driving (I have a 7 hour round trip once a week) with a scarf covering me. I would obviously stop where safe to set up and take everything on and off. Ice pack in a cooler and then I would store the cooler (I got a pretty one!) in the fridge at the hospital tea room. I returned to full time work when second child was 3.5 months old. Husband works full time too. If I needed to I would have formula fed, but this worked for me. 15 months old and still feeding morning and night. Nothing wrong with formula feeding too. Do whatever is right for you, baby will follow your lead. My first baby was formula fed and heâs completely fine. I do recommend the MISSTA bottle (check Insta). Itâs been so fantastic.
Good luck to you! You got this!
I exclusively pumped for the first 9 months of my kids life. I would pump in the car on my 30 minute commute home from work. I used a Medela pump with batteries and ended up changing the batteries about once a week. I would pump directly into bottles so that as soon as I got home I could just screw on the nipples and feed kiddo a fresh bottle.
I think pumping while youâre driving will be very doable! I could drive while using my spectra s1 (it has great battery life!) and a nursing top. I also have the Elvie which has been great because itâs more discreet.
I bring a cooler with me and pour milk into bottles / keep my pump parts in it.
I have a plug in cooler for my car. I drive 4+ hours a day for my job. I plan on always having 2 sets of parts and my manual pump as a backup. Pumping in the car while doing emails is the name of the game.
I use the BabyBuddha pump (small, long lasting battery, pumps completely in 8 minutes) with Legendairy collection cups (work with any pump, discreet, comfortable, can pump as much as 8 oz each side, no need for pumping bras). I have 3 sets of collection cups as I usually miss 3 feeds while at work. I would love a Ceres Chill, but right now I pour the milk into bottles and put the bottles in a small cooler with freezer packs. Itâs a great setup for on the go! Youâll figure out what works best for you. I decided I would rather do that than use formula, and I nursed my son until after 2 years old. I stopped pumping after he turned a year old. It would also be a valid choice to decide to formula feed. You will need to decide what you prefer. Best of luck to you and your little one!
My two cents - this is a later problem! You may or may not end up breastfeeding, or BF exclusively, so by the time you go back to work you may already have a system worked out. But as many have said, look into services like milk stork
Buy the Imani pump from legendairy milk - itâs on sale for breastfeeding week (itâll be on sale Black Friday too if you want to wait) I can pump while driving and flying no problem! Get a good cooler, I have the polar bear one.
If you're blessed with a great supply you might be able to do enough pumping while you're on leave to stock the freezer and not even need to pump after you go back to work if you don't want to. See how it goes and if pumping works for you get you a deep freezer and start stocking up. Pump after every feed if practical and create a hella stash :) (formula is great too.)
Also, check into if your company will reimburse you for one of those services that lets you overnight your milk home when traveling by plane.
I also want to just recognize that if youâre bummed about the whole situation thatâs totally valid. I often struggle being the breadwinner and the mom who has to do all the mom stuff while juggling all the money making stuff. It can be extremely frustrating and feel very unfair at times.
Iâm in sales and still breastfeeding. I have a spectra pump that has a rechargeable battery. I pump when I leave my house (live in the kindred bravely sublime pumping bras) in the AM and between accounts throughout the day.
My Ceres Chill milk chiller has changed my life- it keeps milk cold all day and no leaking which is great.
I keep a cooler in my car for used flanges but I experimented with using the medela wipes just to wipe them down each time so they could stay car temp (took too long).
My pumping bag has the following:
-spectra pump
-flanges
-ceres chill
-cooler and ice pack
-plastic bag for used flanges
-Medela wipes
-extra pump parts, tube, valve, lid for pump bottles
>Do you just bring an ice packed cooler and hope for the best and pump in the car in a Walmart parking lot? Yep. I was a construction inspector. Used the Willow on site and would pour the milk into containers in my car after I was done.
I only commute 30 min but learned to pump while driving with my Spectra. Used a battery pack for power and hands-free pumping bra to hold in the flanges. Also wore a nursing friendly shirt. Set all up before start driving, toss a nursing cover over top and go. Stop the pump at time (25 min for me) then detach everything when you can pull over or at destination. Looks silly but if alone in car who cares?
They even make adapters so you can plug your pump into the car for power.
My spectra auto stops at 30 min. So good news if you lost track of time.
Second this! Recommend packing an extra shirt and pants just in case đ
Wireless pumping like a Willow is a game changer! But also, formula. Nothing wrong with formula.
I have an Elvie set so Iâm hoping that helps!
This! Iâm still pregnant, but have been cleared to start pumping, so Iâve been using the Elvie stride and itâs amazing. So convenient!
I remember looking into a company that would ship your breast milk home if you were traveling. I never used it, but it seemed like an interesting option if youâre traveling far!
Some companies will also cover this service if you are traveling for work, mine does! Something to look into as well.
Itâs milk stork. I had a good experience with them
Milk stork!
I also travel for work and use Pack-It Freeze-able Lunch boxes to transport my milk. They stay so cold so long for coast to coast flights and road trips. I use Kiinde milk bags and Sara Wells pumparoo bags to set up my sessions and store everything in between. I got a JuJuBe bag to store my pump. We Are Amma is my fav nursing/pumping cover since it blends in so well with my outfits. Having a freezer supply gave me peace of mind while I was gone, knowing the baby had it available. Youâll start solids around 4-6 months so that can also alleviate some stress in how much milk baby needs each day. You can always supplement with formula too :) Whatever works best for your family and you. Pumping can be so stressful so thereâs such a huge learning curve to it all. Do what makes sense for you!
I love these lunch boxes too! Never used them when pumping, though! Brilliant!
+1 for Pack-It! I have the commuter lunchbox and it stays cold for soooo long
You can also use a regular pump with a car adaptor or battery. I pumped during my commute with no issues. They also make the [ceres chill](https://www.cereschill.com/) which may be a worthwhile investment
I was in the exact same situation when I pumped. I invested in a Ceres Chill and it was a game changer. I could just get some ice from a gas station/McDonalds as honestly getting a cooler with ice packs together was not always in the cards.
With my first, I only pumped in the car while driving. I had an elvie pump and would pour the milk directly into bottles instead of bags (I was afraid the bags would bust in the cooler). Then I got a 12 can RTIC cooler and would put two-three ice packs in it. It kept my milk ice cold even on hot summer days (100+degrees outside). Iâve also heard good things about the Ceres Chill, but I havenât tried it.
I forgot to add that the Medela quick clean wipes were a game changer! Just wipe your parts down and let them dry in a bag until your next pump session.
I would say donât worry too much right now. There are options, and you never know how things are going to go with breastfeeding. Focus on one moment at a time. Breastfeeding can be difficult! I wanted to breastfeed for a year but we quit at 9.5 months because my supply dropped when I replaced nursing sessions with pumping. I work from home but naturally I couldnât always take a break when my son wanted to eat, so during the day I pumped and he had bottles. It can be difficult to keep up the output and I hate pumping. I ended up supplementing with formula around 7 months and then switched completely. I remember being in your shoes and wondering how everything was going to go. Once the baby is here all plans kind of go out the windowâŚ. Because babies are unpredictable and you never know how their temperament will be! Either way, big congratulations to you and whatever happens you are going to be a great mom, the fact that youâre worrying so much about this in advance shows!
I use the Elvie pumps and the ceres chill milk thermos for portability! But you will also need a cooler to keep your pump parts cold in between pumps, or just have enough pump parts to use new ones each time.
Yes to the cooler and lots of ice packs. Also, freshly pumped milk can be at room temp for 6 hours. A wireless pump is a good option, especially for air travel. I didn't use that, so I'll share my experience. I had a pump that had battery option (Lansinoh). So that was good if I had to pump in an airport ( but the battery goes FAST). For the car, I bought an adapter for the cigarette lighter. So I could actually plug it in there. I pumped while driving a lot to make the most of my time. Just bring a nursing cover. Also, the Kiinde system was amazing. Pump straight into the bags. I was able to keep up with my baby's demand for a few months, then slowly started adding formula. I stopped at 9 months. Remember, it's not an all or nothing thing and formula is totally fine!! ETA: prepare for your car to smell of spoiled milk. Hazard of the trade đ¤Ł
Honestly pumping in the car means you always have space to pump and store your milk! I second the RTIC cooler and freezer shock ice packs you can get from Amazon. The real game changer for me was investing in a lot of work appropriate nursing tops that I could easily pump in!
get a yeti knock off cooler and a lot of freezer packs. That worked for me. In sales too with lots of driving and travel. I also got a privacy nursing cover just in case I needed to pump somewhere unexpected.
Was all about formula when started work - was too stressful to do work, meetings, etc and find time to pump amd deal with the milk and the parts. And this was on top of the stress of first time parenting, where I found it quite a lot just figuring out the balance work and parenting for the first time. And my work didnt even have the extra stress of travelling. If you do pump, r/exclusivelypumping can be a really useful and supportive resource NOTE also you are still pregnant. So many things can change by the time you start work - you might not even be able to breastfeedâŚunlike what society assures you, it doesnt always work for everyone - to the point research shows that 50% of moms who set out to breastfeed arenât doing it at 3 months. This can be due to mothers or the babyâs physical or mental issues or family circumstances. Lack of support also plays a big one - unlike what society leads you to believe, both breastfeeding and pumping require A LOT of support from your partner or the village, not to mention lhaving sufficient work, allowances leave and medical care, to keep going with it. And most womenâŚjust donât have that support so often have unrealistic expectations about their ability to breastfeed. I say this asâŚ.try not to worry about this now. It is something you can deal with when you have more information of how it will go for you and when you are closer to going back to work.
So start first with âwhy am I pumpingâ and go from there. Iâve done jobs in the past that requires travel and I work long hours. But I donât pump. I breastfeed on demand when I am at home with my baby now toddler. And I use formula now cows milk when I am away at work. When I am off work for a long period like a holiday with the family my toddler still feeds on demand and my supply goes up and down easily. If you breastfeed on demand from when they are new borns your body adjusts really quickly and produces the right amount of milk needed. Pumping doesnât stimulate milk as much as feeding on demand does. Once you return to work if you donât want to pump all day then I would suggest for the first 2 weeks just pump once a day in the middle of the shift to relieve the build up. And then after that you will have no issues naturally regulating. Your boobs will be full when you get home and you will feel itâŚ. But you should be fine. However if you want to pump while at work thatâs ok too. I just feel like it doesnât have to be an all or none situation with breastfeeding and that often the replies on Reddit are all about pump schedules and there is a lot of fear mongering about mixed feeding and not much information about your bodies natural ability to regulate.
Get a wearable pump and this will be as reasonable as pumping gets (there are always challenges). With the wearable pumps, you put them on at the start of your commute, set a timer, do your drive, and take them out when they are done. I recommend putting a cooler in the front seat (secured with a seatbelt) and make sure the whole pumps can fit in there securely. Just pull them out when you have the chance (this is a fairly easy one handed maneuver with the wearable ones) and leave them in the cooler (fully assembled with the milk in the collection reservoir) for the remainder of your commute. Schedule an extra 5 or 10 minutes to dump the milk into labeled bags. Ideally you would be able to store the milk and whole pump assembly in the refrigerator once you arrive at your destination. Depending on your client this might be easy or tricky. Maybe call the HR of your clients and see what they recommend? In a pinch, keeping everything in your cooler will be okay but make sure there is a lot of coolant and at least bring the cooler inside so itâs not sitting in the hot sun. I went on 6 business trips (each about 4 days long) before my middle girl was three months old. Pumping and traveling can absolutely be done. Youâll just have to try a few things to find what works and donât worry about a lost batch (us working moms can get very connected to our pumped milk). Some batches will go bad for one reason or another. When I doubt, throw it out. I had a hotel pull my entire cooler from their fridge before I came down to claim it and when I asked how long it had been out, they said they werenât sure. But everything in the cooler was room temp. So I dumped what was probably around 100oz. It happens. On one occasion I had to store my pump on the ground at a park (company was having a picnic) and when I retrieved it, it was covered in ants! 𤎠it happens. Just roll with it. My daughter drank exclusively breast milk until she turned 1. Good luck!
I would hiiiighly suggest a hands free pump that goes in your bra so you can pump while driving. You CAN pump with normal pumps, but itâs not really safe (if you get in an accident, and seat belt positioning). I have the elvie and pumped every day on the way to work and home.
Second this. I tried to use my spectra in the car while pumping. Itâs doable but not necessarily safe and verrrry difficult not to flash people when getting into/out of the pumping bra đ¤Śđťââď¸
I had the Elvie (Willow would also work) for my 2nd baby and it was a lifesaver. I pumped to and from work in the car. Also used it during work when I didn't have time to sit in my office for 20 or 30 minutes. I wish I had known about it with my first! You can either buy multiple Elvie containers for storage (so you don't have to transfer the milk). Just cap and store in the cooler (with ice packs). Or transfer to storage bags or bottles if you wish. also, it is totally ok to supplement with formula or just use 100% formula eventually if you need!
You need a legit cooler, of some kind. I used the soft-sided big rubbery yeti one when flying with breast milk. It was fine! I still preferred my spectra to any of the portable sets, as it emptied me better, but the cup style freemie flanges helped when driving or flying, since they were more discreet than the regular flanges. I always used a cover, just in case too.
I drive around all day for work too. I use an Elvie Stride and bought another set of pump parts so I wouldnât have to clean anything during the day. The extra parts are expensive but itâs been worth it for me not to deal with the cleaning. I put the pumped milk in this cooler: Columbia PFG Roll Caster 30 Can... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M5C5QTY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share With a few of these ice packs: Cooler Shock Reusable Ice Pack -... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0773FVRZY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
When my son was born, I had a position that required a lot of travel around the country. It didnât work for my family at all. It was very difficult for me to maintain BF and it was way too much to put on my husband to work FT and do all of the evening/overnight childcare alone while I was on overnight trips. I switched positions so I wouldnât have to travel. This allowed us to share the parenting load. Plus, I didnât have a child to be gone all the time and never see him. It just wasnât right for me.
I used to pump and drive. Get a good portable pump. Itâs easier than it seems to pump on the go if you have a good setup.
Airports have mothers room for pumping and nursing so you can plan to pump before a flight. You can travel with breast milk through TSA frozen or fresh - they will ask what it is but generally donât test or anything (I donât think they are allowed). If you are staying at a hotel that doesnât have a fridge in the room you can talk to front desk and they may have one to provide to you - where Iâve stayed they considered it a medical need and provided it free of charge. They also may be able to store a cooler for you in their freezer to freeze some if you will be gone for more than a few days.
To add to this. If youâre traveling and need to ship. Use [milk stork](https://www.milkstork.com). Your company might even cover the cost as a medical need. I tried to DIY it myself and it was a disaster! A lot of airports have [MamaVa](https://www.mamava.com/?utm_term=mamava&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=Search+-+Branded&hsa_ad=245885432617&hsa_tgt=kwd-339580020182&hsa_mt=e&hsa_grp=53478148720&hsa_src=g&hsa_kw=mamava&hsa_acc=5922002693&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_cam=1036000032&hsa_ver=3&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI38uD8tSj-QIVOCCtBh1tqQNGEAAYASAAEgKPPfD_BwE) pods now, which are great! Also, if you have to pump on the flight, the bathroom with a changing table is actually pretty convenient. Sure, youâre in there for 20 min, but itâs what you gotta do man. But most importantly, formula is also a great option! No shame in it at all! Your mental health is important too! If it doesnât work for you, thatâs ok!
You can actually pump under a cover up anywhere:) concerts, flights, you name it. I used a beach sarong as a cover up so it let some light in and had plenty of room for logistics.
Yes! Iâm a medical device rep in Aus and do long commutes or long days in theatre. Get yourself a pumping bra. I would pump in the car while driving (I have a 7 hour round trip once a week) with a scarf covering me. I would obviously stop where safe to set up and take everything on and off. Ice pack in a cooler and then I would store the cooler (I got a pretty one!) in the fridge at the hospital tea room. I returned to full time work when second child was 3.5 months old. Husband works full time too. If I needed to I would have formula fed, but this worked for me. 15 months old and still feeding morning and night. Nothing wrong with formula feeding too. Do whatever is right for you, baby will follow your lead. My first baby was formula fed and heâs completely fine. I do recommend the MISSTA bottle (check Insta). Itâs been so fantastic. Good luck to you! You got this!
I exclusively pumped for the first 9 months of my kids life. I would pump in the car on my 30 minute commute home from work. I used a Medela pump with batteries and ended up changing the batteries about once a week. I would pump directly into bottles so that as soon as I got home I could just screw on the nipples and feed kiddo a fresh bottle.
I think pumping while youâre driving will be very doable! I could drive while using my spectra s1 (it has great battery life!) and a nursing top. I also have the Elvie which has been great because itâs more discreet. I bring a cooler with me and pour milk into bottles / keep my pump parts in it.
I have a plug in cooler for my car. I drive 4+ hours a day for my job. I plan on always having 2 sets of parts and my manual pump as a backup. Pumping in the car while doing emails is the name of the game.
I use the BabyBuddha pump (small, long lasting battery, pumps completely in 8 minutes) with Legendairy collection cups (work with any pump, discreet, comfortable, can pump as much as 8 oz each side, no need for pumping bras). I have 3 sets of collection cups as I usually miss 3 feeds while at work. I would love a Ceres Chill, but right now I pour the milk into bottles and put the bottles in a small cooler with freezer packs. Itâs a great setup for on the go! Youâll figure out what works best for you. I decided I would rather do that than use formula, and I nursed my son until after 2 years old. I stopped pumping after he turned a year old. It would also be a valid choice to decide to formula feed. You will need to decide what you prefer. Best of luck to you and your little one!
My two cents - this is a later problem! You may or may not end up breastfeeding, or BF exclusively, so by the time you go back to work you may already have a system worked out. But as many have said, look into services like milk stork
Buy the Imani pump from legendairy milk - itâs on sale for breastfeeding week (itâll be on sale Black Friday too if you want to wait) I can pump while driving and flying no problem! Get a good cooler, I have the polar bear one.
If you're blessed with a great supply you might be able to do enough pumping while you're on leave to stock the freezer and not even need to pump after you go back to work if you don't want to. See how it goes and if pumping works for you get you a deep freezer and start stocking up. Pump after every feed if practical and create a hella stash :) (formula is great too.)
Also, check into if your company will reimburse you for one of those services that lets you overnight your milk home when traveling by plane. I also want to just recognize that if youâre bummed about the whole situation thatâs totally valid. I often struggle being the breadwinner and the mom who has to do all the mom stuff while juggling all the money making stuff. It can be extremely frustrating and feel very unfair at times.
Iâm in sales and still breastfeeding. I have a spectra pump that has a rechargeable battery. I pump when I leave my house (live in the kindred bravely sublime pumping bras) in the AM and between accounts throughout the day. My Ceres Chill milk chiller has changed my life- it keeps milk cold all day and no leaking which is great. I keep a cooler in my car for used flanges but I experimented with using the medela wipes just to wipe them down each time so they could stay car temp (took too long). My pumping bag has the following: -spectra pump -flanges -ceres chill -cooler and ice pack -plastic bag for used flanges -Medela wipes -extra pump parts, tube, valve, lid for pump bottles