If you’re a pumping Mama planning a trip, you’ll quickly realize there’s a lot to think about with pumping while traveling. Will you have a place to wash your parts? Plug in your pump? Store your breast milk? Or have a convenient place to pump in private?
As an experienced Mom of 3, I’ve pumped on planes, on the beach, at restaurants, in the car, on a bus, on a road trip, the list goes on. I’ll share my comprehensive packing list and my best tips and hacks.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
Travel breast pump
First things first, let’s dig into your pump options. You most likely already have chosen a breast pump. But I wanted to talk about the pumps I’ve used and my favorites specifically when pumping while traveling.
Medela breast pump
For my first two babies I used a Medela electric breast pump. I liked that it was small and compact. It can come with a bag, but I bought a separate large backpack to fit all of my pumping supplies and gear in one place. This pump package in particular comes with a travel battery pack.
Spectra S 1
For my third baby, I used a Spectra S 1. It had a rechargeable battery (which I loved) but it was slightly bulky and the buttons were easy to accidentally push. One trip, I found my pump, pumping away by itself because it accidently got turned on. Obviously this could drain your battery without you even knowing it, which would leave you unable to use it when you need it most. I used this pump more on shorter trips or if I wasn’t pumping en route a lot. If I was flying or riding in car, I usually packed my Medal pumps.
Wearable breast pump
When I was pumping, the wearable pumps they have now weren’t as accessible or affordable. If I were to travel again while pumping, I’d think about investing in a more affordable one like the one linked above. However, if I was traveling for more than a day, I’d probably still pack my regular pump.
In general, I’ve read that the wearable pumps can tend to not be as effective and not empty your breasts as well as the standard pump. I wouldn’t want to go on a several day vacation and risk my breast milk supply decreasing or have complications from my breast not emptying completely. But to use a discreet wearable pump a few times while out and about, or while on a plane, would have been nice.
Now, if you already have a wearable pump that you love and are happy with how it works, then pack it along! I’d love to hear in the comments your favorite brands!
Hand pump
The one thing I’ve learned about pumping while traveling, is it’s always a good idea to have a back up plan. What if for some crazy reason I was unable to pump with my electric pump? What if it broke and I couldn’t replace it right away?
I always tucked along my manual breast pump for these reasons. I actually had two. This is the one I really loved. It worked really well. Do yourself a favor and get one, even if you’re not going to travel much while you’re pumping. It was great to have even when we would occasionally go out for dinner without the kids. I would quickly use a hand pump instead of getting everything out.
Pump parts
When you pack your pump parts for traveling, be sure to pack extra pump parts of all your pieces. Just in case some go missing or breaks, you’ll have extras along. Save yourself the stress and always pack extra!
Power cords
If your pump uses a power cord, I recommend having two. On a trip to Jamaica, I burned out one of my cords. I was so glad I had packed a spare. You can also get a plugin with a car adapter. I had one that was always in my bag.
Battery pack
On top of two power cords, I always packed a battery pack power cord. That way, if I were unable to be next to an outlet and wasn’t using my Spectra S 1 (which was chargable), I could still pump.
Don’t forget to pack extra batteries!
Cleaning pump parts while traveling
Soap and water
If you’ll have regular access to running water while you travel, it makes this part a little easier. For washing with soap and water, I recommend having an ice cream bucket with a lid. Buy a small travel soap bottle and fill it with your breast pump parts soap.
Use the bucket to wash your pump parts when you’re done pumping. I recommend using an ice cream bucket, because I wouldn’t want to put my pump parts directly into something like a hotel room sink. No matter how clean a sink looks, there can still be bacteria you wouldn’t want your pump parts coming into contact with. Don’t forget a small bottle brush to scrub your parts!
Wipes and sprays
If you don’t have running water available, then breast pump sanitizing wipes or spay, are your next options. With both of these options, you don’t have to rinse the parts either before or after. It’s really convenient when flying, or if you’ll be in a car for longer periods of time. If possible, I would wash my pump parts with water and soap at the end of the day. Sometimes I would use bottled water if I had to. You really only need a small amount of water.
Wet bag for pump parts
When not using my parts, I used a wet bag for my pump parts. You could also use a Ziploc bag, but I particularly liked a wet bag because I could reuse it. I bought two and rotated them between washings. For trips where I didn’t have laundry or longer trips, I did use gallon size Ziploc bags for my pump parts. Pack extra! I would change them out at the end of the day or if they got wet/milky from my parts.
Pumping Cover
Some Mama’s don’t mind pumping without a cover. For me, I liked a cover. Some people feel more comfortable pumping in a bathroom, but that’s not something I wanted to do. I didn’t mind people knowing I was pumping but I did want a cover to feel more comfortable.
I’ve tried several covers and with my third baby, I finally found one I loved. I was actually sad I didn’t have it for my others. This nursing cover and pumping cover is stretchy and covers all the way around. It is light weight and not hot, which was nice for the beach/pool trips I took.
It was compact and didn’t take up much space. I could pull out the fabric far enough to see what I was doing, but didn’t expose anything while I did that. It was seriously my favorite! Ironically, I never used it for nursing, but loved it for pumping!
Pumping Bra
One of my all time favorite purchases for my third baby was a nursing and pumping bra. I couldn’t believe it took me three babies before I had one. This bra makes it possible to pump with the bra you already have on. It makes pumping while out in public SO much easier and less awkward. It provides easy access without having to do much adjusting. You don’t have to put on a separate pumping bar.
Do yourself a favor and invest in some sort of pumping and nursing bra combo. You won’t regret it. It’s the best way to pump comfortably and easily while in public. I loved the one I linked (the quality was awesome) but there are plenty on the market to choose from.
Travel disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer
I always had travel disinfectant wipes in my travel pumping bag to wipe down surfaces prior to pumping. This was more for if I was traveling on a bus or pumping while flying. I could wipe down the arm rests and tray table right before I pumped. I also packed hand sanitizer for obvious reasons.
Pumping while flying
Pumping and flying brings its own set of challenges. I will go into detail about flying with breast milk in an upcoming article. But for now, let’s go over how I pumped while flying specifically.
When flying, I would try to get a window seat for privacy. I never was a person who could pump in an airplane bathroom and was comfortable enough to pump with a cover in front of people. I usually was flying with my husband who would then sit in the middle seat.
Pumping schedule while flying
Pump on the way to the airport or just prior to leaving the airport. When leaving for my trip from home, I would either pump right before I left for the airport, or on the way. If I pumped before I left, I could then save that milk in the freezer and not have to think about what I was going to do with it.
If I pumped in the car on the way to the airport, I would either leave my milk in the trunk of the car in the Winter in a cooler (saved for breast milk soap or breast milk baths), or I would dump it if there was no other way to keep it. I always was very mindful of wasting my liquid gold and sometimes I just had to. But only if it was my last resort.
When talking about flying home, you can pump on the way to the airport and save your milk in a cooler to take with you through security. Again, I’ll go over this in so much more detail in an upcoming article. But for now, I’ll just focus on pumping while traveling.
After getting through airport security, I plan for extra time so I can pump at the gate just prior to boarding. You can get ice from restaurants at the airport prior to boarding too. This way any milk you pump at the airport, on the flight, or way to your destination will have plenty of ice.
Now depending on if it would be a long flight or not, I would either wait to pump until towards the end of the flight, or pump halfway through the flight and then again right before landing. This way, I had plenty of time to get off the plane, get my luggage and on my way to the destination before needing to pump again.
Storing breast milk while traveling
This is such a big topic that I covered it completely and fully in my traveling with breast milk post.
Complete packing list
- Pump bag
- Portable pump
- Back up pump (if taking two)
- Hand or manual pump
- Parts (including spare parts)
- Breast milk storage bags
- Power cord, plus a spare
- Battery powered cord
- Batteries
- Pumping cover
- Gallon size Ziploc plastic bags or Wet Bag
- Ice cream bucket with lid
- Pump parts soap
- Breast pump wipes or sanitizing spray for pump parts
- Hand sanitizer
- Travel disinfectant wipes (to wipe down surfaces before pumping)
- Travel tissues
- Portable cooler bag
- Ice Packs or ice
Resources
Breast milk storage guidelines
Pumping while traveling – My final thoughts!
Pumping while traveling without baby can make any new moms anxious. I hope my tips and sharing my experience can help alleviate some of that stress. If you have any questions specifically about how to pump while traveling, please reach out! I’d be more than happy to help! Good luck and happy travels Mama!
Leave a Reply