Tips and Tricks for Traveling Breastfeeding Moms

Aug 16, 2024

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Submitted by Rachel Livingston, BSN, RN, Obstetrics Manager at William Newton Hospital

As the summer is winding down and thoughts start to transition to school and the (hopeful) cooling weather, you may begin thinking of and planning your holiday travels. For the mother who is breastfeeding her young child, traveling may seem like an impossible scenario. To make sure you don’t miss grandma’s famous apple pie this holiday season and as a way to celebrate August as National Breastfeeding Month, here are some tips and tricks to make traveling while breastfeeding easier.

If you are traveling and your baby is with you:

• If flying, nurse your baby during takeoff and landing to protect your child from ear pain related to cabin pressure changes.
• Feed your baby on demand.
• Pack or wear a light shawl or scarf for coverage if desired if breastfeeding in public.
• When driving, map out your route to coordinate your stops with nursing.
• Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.
• Consider driving at night so baby may sleep more and decrease the need for stops.

If you are traveling and your baby is not with you:

• Prior to travel, make sure there is enough milk stocked up at home and make sure your baby will take a bottle from another caregiver.
• If you plan to express milk and store it to take home, pump or hand express your milk as often as you would normally feed your baby.
• Make sure you are washing your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer prior to pumping. Also, plan ahead on how and when you will clean your breast pump parts.
• If using an electric breast pump, make sure there will be electrical outlets available where you are going or that you have an adapter/converter if needed.
• Plan for a backup option such as hand expression or a portable manual pump just in case.
• Ensure you have plenty of milk storage bags or bottles and a cooler to store expressed milk. Call ahead to where you are staying to request a compact refrigerator for your room if possible.
• If you do not want to worry about storing expressed milk but want to keep your supply up, you can “pump and dump.”
• Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.

Other considerations:

• In the US, expressed milk and related items are exempt from the TSA regulations limiting quantities of liquids.
• You can carry expressed milk, ice packs, pump/kits, and other required items through security checkpoints and onboard flights. These items will most likely be X-rayed for security measures.
• Make sure you give yourself extra time to get through airport security checkpoints.

Hopefully, these travel tips can help relieve some of the chaos of traveling while breastfeeding and give you more time to plan your trip’s adventures instead of stressing over them.

Editorial Notes: This article was submitted for the "Weekend Check-Up," a regular health column in the Cowley CourierTraveler penned by employees and friends of William Newton Hospital. Contributor Rachel Livingston, BSN, RN, is the obstetrics manager at the William Newton Hospital Family Birthing Center in Winfield offering labor and delivery services along with prepared childbirth classes and breastfeeding education. The WNH Family Birthing Center is a High 5 for Mom & Baby Premier Facility. The nursing staff is committed to implementing initiatives set forth by the High 5 program in support of breastfeeding mothers and their infants.