Storing Breastmilk - Helena,MT

I understand what you are going through trying to make this decision. I went on a business trip when my eldest was 5 mos. The trip was M-F, but I choose to stay in the area to see my sister who just had a baby. My whole trip was much longer (almost 2 weeks) Being away from my baby was too much. I lost my milk. Even though I pumped several times a day. Questions to consider: How well overall is pumping while at work going? (it never went well for me, so I was already loosing my milk before the trip). How long will I be gone? (really going more than a day without feeding baby directly can be detrimental to milk supply). Is there anyway someone can join me on the trip so baby can go?

Good luck in making this decision.

Start pumping at 3-4 weeks, after your milk has come in and you've gotten ove the engorgement (I started when I was still engorged, just to relieve it, and I was something of a milk factory :) ). Get the bags that go inside a bottle, fill them about 2/3 full, clip them closed and label them with the date. They'll be good in the freezer for about 6 months. You can even have some to mix into his cereal when he's old enough to start that.

If you can, I'd rent a good electric double pump for your trip (maybe work would help with that?). It'll take a lot less time than hand pumping - 5 to 10 minutes instead of 30!

I worked full time and nursed. I supplemented with formula while I was at work. Before I went back to work, I pumped way more then I needed. My freezer was full of milk. It end up going down the drain, Because, milk only stays good for 24 hours once you pull it out of the freezer (that is what I was told). It took almost that just to defrost it and then the baby wouldn't be hungry at the time, or I was home and so I would just nurse. I would suggest you pump and store before your trip, but also keep an open mind about formula.
I would also pump during my lunch, which later on I stopped and I still was producing a lot. I breastfed my kid until he was 1 year and 8 months. I planned on nursing until he was 2. However, he got his teeth in and liked to bite me, and it hurt so bad, I had to wing him.

WOW, 2 months is REALLY young to leave your baby for 4 days. Are you sure that's what you want to do? Start pumping and freezing right away if that is what you want, but man, that's gonna be really hard for everyone involved.

J.,

I had a conference shortly after my first was born. My work allowed me to bring her (and my husband) with me to my conference. It was tough to juggle both but I honestly don't think my husband would have survived that whole time alone with our daughter without me (she didn't take bottles very well and needed to nurse to fall asleep at night). I would recommend taking your baby with you (along with someone to take care of her/ him) and take your pump with you during the day at the conference to pump each day (it is difficult to pump a lot when you are first breastfeeding). If you company is supportive of you being a Mom take advantage of that. Not all companies are like that.

If you do decide to go without your baby, best of luck. You may find the sepearation difficult (I know that I did) and your husband may be at his wits end when you return.

M.

First, you can absolutely take breastmilk on the flights! I just did it last week, and without a baby with me. As long as the amount is in proportion to the amount of time you are gone. I took some bottles, and some freezing bags (if I had too much for the bottles) I put a bag of ice in my insulated bag, and threw it out before the airport (you can bring a ziploc and get more ice inside security). Just make sure you double or triple bag the ice for possible leakage. When I went through the airport I just told them that I had breastmilk (I think I had like 45 ounces). One of the times, they did ask me to open it, and ran a test to ensure that it is breastmilk. So, do yourself a favor and do NOT pump and dump that liquid gold. If you are working, you will want it later.

I started pumping about 2-3 weeks before going back to work. My pumping usually isn't as much as he eats, so the frozen supply is priceless. You are the fullest in the morning, so I started by pumping after feeding him in the mornings, and pumping before going to bed at night. As far as the bottle, I again started this 2-3 weeks before going back to work. They don't recommend giving a bottle before 6 weeks so that there isn't nipple confusion. BTW, I still pump morning and night for the extra ounces to freeze to supplement the few bad pumpings during the day.

Enjoy the time with your son. You have to pump for work anyway, but don't put extra pressure on yourself, or the stress can lower your supply. If you need more milk, try Fenugreek - 3, 3 times a day.

I would also suggest taking the baby with you. I did my first trip when my son was 6 months and it was only 48 hours to start with. While the pump is great, it couldn't get out nearly enough, and I ended up engorged. I couldn't wait to get my hands on that baby and FEED HIM.

Just my experience.

I wish every mom could understand how wonderful it is to be home with your baby. If at all possible, skip the trip--quit your job--stay at home and enjoy your sweet baby. Just nurse and enjoy that little one! Time goes by SOOOO fast, before you know it you will be 40 and the childbirth years will be drawing to a close. Have no regrets!!

What has helped me with breast feeding the most is a book I bought, which has been able to answer all my questions. The Nursing Mothers Companion, by Kathleen Huggins, RN MS.

Hi J.! Congratulations on the upcoming birth of your baby boy! I have two daughters and have breastfed both. My youngest is 10 months old, so I am still doing so. I work full time and have had to travel. What I recommend is that you start pumping once to twice daily about 3 weeks after your baby boy is born. You can start sooner if you wish, it will help build up your supply. Then start storing immediately. If you pump twice a day, in addition to the feedings, you should have enoough to last. If not, you can use formula as a back up. Good luck and congrats again!

You should be able to pump enough for four days. They sell great freezer bags for breastmilk and you can label it with the date, etc. Then, it can be thawed in lukewarm water and given to baby in the bottle. I think you can store frozen breastmilk for 6 months or more.

If I were you, I would wait a couple of weeks before freezing your breastmilk. You are just not going to be producing enough volume at that point. But, after that you can either just pump an extra time between feedings or give a bottle of formula at one feeding and pump and freeze that. I am no breastfeeding expert as I pumped with all three of my kids for 4 months, and my husband would feed them a bottle of formula every night. I always ended up with several months worth of breastmilk in my freezer once I quit pumping. So, I know that you can accumulate 4 days worth by two months.

I also do not think it's a bad thing to give your baby a bottle of formula every now and then if you plan on going back to work. If you baby never gets used to the taste early, there's a chance that he/she will refuse it in daycare if for some reason they run out of your breastmilk during the day. It will also help you not have to pump so much. Good luck, and it will all turn out fine!

Just FYI- you will still need to pump on your trip. If I were you I would pump and dump and not worry about storing it. What a pain. As long as you have enough for your trip and you keep pumping when you're gone, you can go back to your regular schedule when you get back. With no good place to wash the bottles and the pump parts, I'd be nervous about something getting contaminated. So, take the opportunity to enjoy yourself on your trip!

I had a similar dilemma- only I will be gone for just three days. What I did was start pumping pretty much as soon after I brought baby home as I could. I think once DS was 2 weeks, I would have him eat, then pump immediately after. At first you dont get much (not even an ounce total) but eventually you just start producing more milk. Once that happened I started storing milk in 3 or 4 ounce bags in the freezer. DS was born at the end of November, my trip is next week, and I have more than enough milk stored away. Its also good because I never worry now...there is plenty stored for child care, or other needs, so its good peace of mind, in addition to having to store milk for the trip. Good luck with your baby boy!

take the baby with you if they are offering it to you! as long as you have help while you are there. i was amazed at what an emotional bond i had at that point (hormones ARE a powerful thing) and couldnt imagine being apart for that long, let alone the pumping! however, if you do plan to pump, you can ask the hotel to store the milk in the freezer, its just travelling back home with it making sure it doesnt thaw. you can use icepacks but with flight delays etc, its a gamble and you might have to throw out the milk. if that's the case, you have to pump enough reserves so they can last the four days without any new supply.

just make sure to get a good electric pump, like the Medela Pump in Style. it is expensive, but a manual pump won't allow you to pump enough milk to store, and you will be frustrated.

you shouldn't have a problem once your milk come in... personally i liked having back up milk, so I pumped frequently and stord quite a bit, I always had at least a couple weeks worth of milk. how much you will need will depend on how much of an eater your son is... you'll get a feel for it. my daughter would only nurse on one side at a time.. so I would pump the other side... depends on the kid.

but I would just suggest you remember that any pumping/feeding schedule you set up you'll need to stick to fairly closely while you are away... to keep your supply up. anyway, if the convention is at the hotel you are staying at, probably not so much of a problem... but just make sure you plan for pumping... you can skip a "turn" every now and then, but at only 3 mos, you'll still get engorged and uncomfortable if you don't pump... and can have leaking issues. (some people do, some don't). Pumping doesn't take forever, but it does take time... I could never do it in less than 30 mins, so just plan for the time.

I highly recommend lilypadz instead of the disposible breast pads btw... they don't show as much through your clothes and help with leaks better (at least for me.. I'd leak pretty bad otherwise, particularly when I was getting close to pumping or feeding time).

and lastly, once you've established breastfeeding after a couple weeks, have your husband give your baby some milk in a bottle once a day.. that way when your trip comes, your husband will be comfortable with feedig (and so will your son).

First off let me start by saying I was a full time breast feeder up until my daughter was 9 months old and I got pregnant again. I loved it and plan on doing it again with this next baby! However I know the advise I will give is not popular among the crazy dedicated breast feeders out there...

I went on a trip to run a half marathon when my daughter was 4 months old. While on that trip I pumped whenever I could, but for sure just pumped and dumped. Too hard to store and make sure I was keeping at the right temp. If you don't pump while gone, your milk will decrease for your baby when you get home. I also did not leave breast milk for my husband to use. He used formula for the 2 days I was gone... that is the unpopular part. :)

We started at 4 weeks giving her ONE formula bottle a day. Usually the one right before we put her to bed at night. It seemed to help hold her a bit longer and we could get a bit of sleep. We also did this (upon the recommendation of my lactation consultant) because I needed to know that if I HAD to leave in an emergency or someone needed to care for her she would be used to the taste of formula as well as a bottle nipple. I am SO glad we did this!!!! She didn't like the bottle nipple at first, but we started off with breastmilk and in a day or so she was cool with breast or bottle. Then the next week we moved to formula and again she did just fine.

You will see that as much as breastfeeding is the best thing you will ever do it is also the hardest! Babies don't get it right away and we certainly don't know what we are doing. But stick with it and it WILL get better! However knowing my daughter could take a formula bottle took a burden off my shoulders, in a sense, allowing me to know she would be fine if I had to leave... I know it was more mental for sure, but it sure put me at ease. And although we breastfeed ALL the time (I was a feed on demand mom) and even out in public, it was just nice to know a bottle could be used if need be. Plus my husband could have his time to bond with her as well....

So if you choose to use some formula here and there please don't worry about it and if for some reason breast feeding doesn't work for you at all, please know your baby will be just fine on full time formula. So many moms are made to feel bad about this choice, but sometimes it is better to be a happy mom then a miserable breast feeder. So many of my friends were made to feel shameful for the fact it didn't work for them and those mothers that did that to them should be ashamed of themselves...

Anyhow good luck on the trip... no matter what you do it will all work out. Funny thing is that what you plan on doing now will most likely change once that baby is born. Funny how they tend to alter our brain and make us change up everything we thought we knew! :)

When my daughter was 10 months I took a weekend trip. Pumped the whole time, stored the milk in the cooler with dry ice. Two things important to know:
>figure out where to buy dry ice ahead of time.
>since breastmilk can carry blood borne pathogens, they won't let you carry it on a flight (if you drive, no worries) it has to be checked into baggage.

I've a Medela Pump in Style, came with a nice small cooler that luckily fit into my check-bag. Otherwise I would've lost my mind after all that effort to pump all weekend, then being denied bringing it home with me!

Good job mommin'!

Hi -
I started pumping about 3 weeks after my little girl was born. I stored the milk in storage bags in the freezer in 2-4 ounce packages. I would try and pump about 20 minutes after I fed her and sometimes I would get more than others - but save anything.
I would highly encourage you to give your baby a bottle about 3-4 weeks after birth if not sooner. My little girl wasn't given a bottle until she was a month old and after her first one she started to refuse it and now she won't take a bottle at all, which made the return to work hard!
If you're worried about running out of milk while you are gone, consider pumping while on the trip and send the milk home via overnight FedEx - wrapped in freezer packs to keep cold. I've done this and it works. Also you can milk formula and breastmilk 1/2 and 1/2 if you start to run low.

I had my son 2 months early and still breast feed him. I thought he would never catch up with my milk and he did! I'm giving you this history so you know alittle about me and how my milk was stored.
The Hospital stored it in the freezer until my son caught up to a larger amounts of milk. The hospital stored it in plastic bags for later use. You could do the same while your out of town. Usually you have more then enough milk to pump enough for your baby. Give this a try when you travel later. All the success in the world! You are giving your child a gift that will help him or her be healthier and not get sick as much. I know my nurses were so excited when I said I was going to nurse even though Michael was a premature baby. God bless and enjoy everyday with your soon to be new baby!!!
Hope this helps-
L.

Hi!
It has been a while for me but it was a fantastic experience to breastfeed. However, getting the baby to take a hard, plastic nipple was not easy for me. With my first daughter, I was going to be supermom and breastfeed and pump for the times when I was not there. Never worked! I took all the advice from the doctor books and froze the milk and labeled it. It did not happen for me as I had planned. I eventually gave up. I kept breastfeeding her until she bit me. I have had two other children since and breastfed both of them. I just never took time out to pump since I knew that it would not work out for either of us. You sound so excited to be a mommy and I can tell that you want to do the best for the baby. Please don't get frustrated if it does not work for you! I know that there is a certain stigma placed on us by society to be the best mom that there is and breastfeed. For some ladies it just does not happen and that is fine. Bonding can take place either way. Babies love mommies! Formula is getting so advanced nowadays. I see that it has DHA (a hormone that is needed for proper brain development) and that is wonderful. Either way works just fine. It is your call! Just remember to enjoy your sweet boy to the fullest extent.

I wish I would have had a sight to go to like this when my babies were young because being a first-time mom can be overwhelming. Best of luck to you and I want you to enjoy each experience.

I wish you all the best. I would have loved to leave my baby for a trip but he just would not take a bottle at all by the time I tried to introduce it. He would have starved rather than put a plastic nipple in his mouth so start when they are young, like 2-3 weeks with a bottle. Get a good electric pump and pump at least twice a day and you shouldn't have any problems getting a good supply. With my daughter I could feed her in the morning and still get a good 4oz.-6oz. I would also have a plan to take the baby with you just in case instead of making it a not an option at all. You will have to pump at every feeding time anyway while you are gone so if the baby can go with you it will be just as easy for someone to meet you and feed him instead. If you really want to go alone I would pump and dump but you will need a backup supply for more than just the time you are gone because you will not be saving the milk you pump while you are gone. Also you will need a lot of milk and be prepared for a nursing binge on your return.

Congratulations on your upcoming arrival! I would recommend taking your baby if possible! The baby will be much more efficient at getting milk out and keeping your supply up, plus you won't have to worry about transporting all that milk home. If that's not an option, I know that many women do travel for work and pump. If you start pumping around 4 weeks you will probably be able to store up enough milk for your trip. You will need to pump a lot on your trip to keep up your supply. Know that it is totally normal to get very little from the pump at first (1/2 - 2 oz total), if you are feeding full time too, but you may be one of the lucky ones that can pump a lot. Also, you can carry breast milk on the plane. You just have to tell them you have it at secureity and they open the bottles and wave a strip over the top to check for something (explosive gas?).

Good luck to you!

J.,
Congratulations! I would recommend that you take the baby (and your husband if at all possible) with you to the convention. I was in a similar situation when my daughter was about 6 months old and I took them both with me. I wasn't a good pumper (only every got about 4oz total each time I pumped) and I was concerned whether she would have enough milk if I left her (didn't want to have to resort to formula), if I would still be able to produce milk, pumping at a convention isn't any fun, and you'd have to do that to keep up you milk supply. And I was concerned that such a break from the breast would prematurely wean us from this amazing relationship/experience. Besides it was a nice break to run back up to my room between seminars/meetings for a little while and nurse.
I'm sure what whatever you decide now, you'll have a totally different perspective once your little guy gets here, just set expectations of what you think you want to do with your work and your husband and play it by ear until closer to the convention.
Good luck and best wishes!

If you have a good pump, you should have no problem if your milk supply is fine. Once my milk came in, I would sit down for the first feeding of the day when your supply is greatest. I would put the pump on one side, and latch the baby onto the other. When your milk lets down, it will give you quite a bit! I used bottles that came with plastic liners, and would fill one of them with however much I got at that feeding and fold the liner down several times. I would actually put a paper clip on it to keep it closed, then pop it in the freezer. It's been a while, but if I remember correctly, you can safely store it in the freezer for about a month. Depending on how much you have in each bag, your husband may have to defrost more than one per feeding. They are easily defrosted by placing the bag into a glass of very warm water until the desired temp. is reached. It's not as warm as you think. Since it should be the temperature of your body, when its drippped on your wrist you almost can't feel it except for the wetness. It really shouldn't register warmer or cooler than your skin. You should be able to get plenty if you start pumping about a month before you go. If you feel you need more, you can pump in the same mannr at other feedings as well. You just won't get s much. Oh, and don't forget to take your pump on your trip and try to pump at your regular feeding times as much as possible to keep your milk supply from diminishing- just pump and dump. Good luck, and congratulations on the upcoming birth of your son! P.S. You might consider some trial feedings, with your husband giving him bottles of pumped milk before the trip, to get your son familiar with the rubber nipple. This can be tough for some babies. Also, it will give you a rough idea of how many ounces he'll take per feeding.