Welcoming a new baby is an amazing feeling and journey. However, being a new mom is also tough and I didn’t want to stop enjoying life – including my love for travel. Saying yes to taking a trip without the babies can feel scary, but in my experience, it is so rewarding and worth it! Choosing to travel with your baby can also be challenging, but I encourage you to ALWAYS SAY YES! Through my own travel experiences, with and without the babe, I am offering my tips for traveling as a new mom while nursing. Let’s get to it!
Every airport has the same vague guidelines that leave you thinking and second-guessing. If you have the kids with, oftentimes, they will let you get through security pretty quickly and are more understanding. But, this is not guaranteed! Every airport is different.
My Tips:
At the Airport –
- Frozen is best.
- Make sure your ice packs are frozen solid. DO NOT use zip locks with ice cubes.
- They will not let you through many times with somewhat defrosted and soft ice packs. I have had one taken away before and been let through. It’s a toss-up.
- If your milk is solid frozen you get through security much faster. You will still get stopped regardless.
- Be prepared for them to check each bag of milk with a test strip.
- A breast pump is considered a medical device and we can take it as a carry on in addition to another carry on item.
- I filled my milk bags with 6oz and never had an issue getting them through security thawed or frozen.
On the plane –
- I recommend bringing a quieter cordless pump that allows you to pump on the plane (I used a Spectra S1)
- Bring a nursing cover that covers you. If you have a cooler bag you can put your pumped milk in there or it’s also good in room temp for a while.
- It’s a squishy ride so let the people next to you know. It’s just a polite gesture most people are very understanding.
While on your trip –
- Be mindful of the amount of time you are in a vehicle. Use that time to pump as much as possible. It’s much easier and an easy place to get a pump session in!
- Use your cover and as I mentioned having a cordless pump allows you to be so much more mobile and can still be active. If you get a pumping bra that can help keep your pump secure to you.
If you travel with your baby and are taking frozen milk with you the same advice goes for keeping things frozen. Also, find a good cooler backpack. Based on reviews I went with a Coleman backpack and it never leaked or sweated through.
The main things to remember –
- Frozen is best
- Bring a nursing cover
- Enjoy yourself and don’t let the fear of the hassle keep you from saying Yes!
Need more traveling-mom inspo? Read Why Moms Need a Vacation. We are here to help.
Happy #wildbumming!
