Words from the Wise: Traveling for Work While Breastfeeding

I've been thinking about doing this post for a while as this was one of the things that gave me the most anxiety about going back to work. As with my other post about breastfeeding, I felt a bit awkward posting this; but since it was something I worried a lot about, I figured posting about my experiences might be helpful for others.

As I shared in another post, I was never someone who had particular goals around breastfeeding; actually, I thought I would basically hate it (more here). However, I gave it a try, and found that it was something that worked well for me - especially during my maternity leave. In preparing to come back to work -- especially as someone who travels a lot for work or often works at client sites, I was very worried what it would be like breastfeeding and having to pump while traveling or at a client site. Would it be awful? Would I be able to do it? Would it be awkward? Where would I pump? How would I get out of meetings?

To be honest, I basically thought I would quit right when going back to work because I thought it would be too hard. So far though, it has been really manageable... and I am starting to feel like I've hit my stride.

Over the past 8 weeks, I have traveled at least once per week, sometimes twice, trying to focus my travel to day trips where I go somewhere and back in the same day. I have also done 4 weekend trips - so I'm becoming very experienced at traveling while pumping and/or breastfeeding. The week before I came back to work, I probably read 50 or so blogs (not an exaggeration) to try to understand what and how to travel and pump -- and have expanded on my knowledge / started to get in a routine now that I am doing it weekly.

1. The rules (in the US) are with you! TSA actually has great rules for breastfeeding -- and gives you more leeway than I would've thought. My sparknotes are: you can carry-on as much breastmilk as you like and you can travel with ice packs (with or without breastmilk). I have always been super lucky and have had great experiences with TSA - everyone has been really, really nice. 
1. Plan some extra time - I have found that it usually takes 5-10 more minutes to get through security with the ice packs / milk -- I think that it is because there are specific TSA agents who can test the milk, and so sometimes you have to wait a couple of minutes for someone to come get your bag 
2. Notify TSA - When they pull my bag, I notify the TSA agent that I am traveling with breastmilk / that I am breastfeeding and traveling with ice packs, and let them know where in my bag the ice packs / milk is
3. You can skip the tests! - One thing that several TSA agents have told me recently is that if you are pumping while traveling and going to have liquid breast milk (as opposed to frozen breast milk), they do not need to test the milk if it's under 3.1 oz per bag. If it is more than 3.1oz, they are supposed to test the milk. I store my milk in 6 oz bags though - so I've never been able to take advantage of this
4. Milk testing - The milk testing is less horrible / intrusive than I thought; you just open up the container, they hold a strip above the milk and then you close the container. Nothing gets inserted into the milk (which is originally how I imagined it).
5. Ice packs - be careful about what kind you bring, the ones that have gel in the middle count as a liquid and TSA is supposed to throw them away. Bring the ones that can be frozen solid. This and Not This
6. Note - I have only traveled within the US (and to the Bahamas) but I know the rules in the EU are less friendly -- especially if you aren't traveling with your child. 
2. Carry-Ons: Everything is heavy.
1. Day Trips: I generally have a little small roller bag that I put my equipment (see below) into and then also bring a work bag / tote bag with my computer and other equipment
2. Overnight Trips: I stuff everything into a big tote bag and my roller bag... it's definitely a slog. I think it may be a bit against the rules -- but when I am doing an overnight trip, I have a tote bag, a cooler, and my carry-on bag and have never had any issues with having 3 bags. I read on one of the blogs that if the airline questions having 3 bags, to say that you are traveling with medical equipment.
3. Coolers:
1. Freeze it! If your breastmilk and ice packs are frozen solid, you will not have to have them go through additional testing - this is definitely the easiest way to go (this works great if you are staying with family / friends, at an AirBNB, or at a Hyatt House or equivalent hotel with a freezer; this doesn't work as well if you are staying at a normal hotel that just gives you a refrigerator). Obviously, this is not possible if you are doing a day-trip. 
1. I know there are rules about the milk defrosting / use of it; however, my milk has stayed totally solid on every flight where I have been able to freeze it (even on a 5 hour flight!), so I haven't had an issue with this.
2. Bring the right size. I travel with a lunch box size for day trips (or going into the office) and/or a medium size cooler for weekend trips. You want to store your milk with the smallest cooler appropriate into as it keeps things colder. 
4. Pumping in the airport: I have generally used the family bathroom in the airport or the mamava pods. 
1. Family Bathroom: This is my preferred place to pump (thought I have friends who feel the opposite and really prefer the Mamava). The big pro of the family bathroom is counter space and sinks -- I always feel so gross when I travel, so I like to be able to wash my hands and rinse out my pump parts.
2. Mamava: I will pump in these but prefer the family bathrooms. The big pro of the mamava's is that you have a nice place to sit and they are really clean. 
3. Airline Lounges: this is a no go (for me at least!). I initially thought pumping in the lounges would be more luxurious, and so tried this on my first couple of trips. The reality is that they don't really have the same facilities / facilities that are meant to do this. So -- my suggestion: stick with the public facilities that are meant to be used for pumping / breastfeeding.
5. Pumping on the plane: I generally haven't needed to do this -- but had to on my first time away from home - on a flight to California. It sucks but is do-able. On my outbound leg, I ended up in a seat without a plug nor did the bathrooms didn't have plugs, and the plug to my pump didn't fit in the socket in the galley of the plane. So this brings me to my tips:
• Bring a hand pump. Just in case.
• Check whether your seat has an outlet before you get on the plane; if not, make sure to bring an extension cord as the outlets in the back of the plane don't allow the big pump plugs (and this ended in a bit of hilarity of me using the hand pump while standing in the back of the plane... and, of course, we hit turbulence...)
• Try for a window seat. If you have to pump in your seat, you will have much more privacy as you can turn toward the window.
• Wear a pumping tank top under your shirt and wear a scarf. This allows for the most discreet pumping, especially if you are pumping at your seat. When I flew cross-country, I wore this shirt which just looks like a black shirt, but made it really easy
• If you are going to the bathroom / the galley - tell the flight attendant
• Cleaning. I use the Medela Quick Clean Wipes for on the plane (I actually stick the wipe in my cooler and re-use throughout the day). 
6. My gear:
• Pump - Medela Pump In Style Pump
• Hand Pump - Ameda Hand Pump
• Storage Bags - Kiinde Twist Collection, Storage, and Feeding system - we use all of this stuff from the bags to the freezer organizer to the bottle warmer to the bottles
• Wipes & Sanitization - Medela Quick Clean Wipes & Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags
• Sharpie - To mark the bags
• Hand Towel - I always travel with a hand towel or a kitchen towel to clean up spills, wipe up the bottles / pump parts, or put things on in gross places
• Hand Sanitizer - Because traveling is gross
• Carry-On bag  - For day trips, I pack all of my pumping gear in a bag like this so that there is less weight on my shoulder.
7. Other blogs:
1. https://medium.com/moms-in-tech/pumping-on-a-business-trip-ec8d227bb531
2. https://momlovesbest.com/feeding/breast-pumps/pumping-while-traveling
3. https://lactationmatters.org/2013/05/01/traveling-as-a-pumping-mother/
4. http://breastfeedingtoday-llli.org/traveling-breast-milk/ 
5. https://www.breastfeedingincombatboots.com/faq/deployments/shipping-traveling-breast-milk/
6. https://womenshealthtoday.blog/2018/01/16/flying-with-breast-milk/