Navigating Pumping During the Holidays

I am still not sure how we are week into December, but here we are. Breastfeeding can be such a gift during the holidays. If you are an exclusively nursing mother, it can be so nice to have your baby’s food already packed. No bottles, no need to clean, no concerns about running our of formula.

The holidays, however, can provide some situations that we are not accustomed to though. If you are an exclusive nursing mother, you might find that the holidays is when you are presented with the need to pump. If you are an exclusive pumper, you may find yourself packing an entire suitcase of supplies in order to conveniently pump while away from home. So I wanted to provide some tips for pumping during the holidays.

1. Planning & Communication: Here I am, being annoying again. I am not sure I will ever have a tips & advice blog, which does not begin with a discussion around planning & communicating.
   
   If you are a nursing mom, you may find yourself needing to pump for various holiday events when you are away from baby. Commonly, this might be a work event. In this case, it will be important to review the location of the party, so you can determine if there is a private space for you to pump milk. I enjoy the Mamava App, which has includes Mamava pods & other private nursing spaces.
   
   If you are an exclusive pumping mom, you are likely a little more used to pumping in public. However, your family might not be as aware of your needs. I always recommend to let family/friends know that you are going to need to pump during your visit/stay. Ask if there can be a private space prepared in their home and ensure that when plans are being made to consider your pumping schedule too.

2. Pack EVERYTHING!: When you are traveling for an extended amount of time, don’t skimp. Pack all your parts, the spare parts, extra freezer bags, maybe even a back-up manual pump.
   
   First, you will already be uncomfortable, because you will not be in your environment, so do not skimp on your pump parts. Bring your accessories & enough supplies so that you are as comfortable as possible. When you are uncomfortable is when you have a likelihood to cut pump sessions.
   
   Secondly, you never know what will go wrong. Parts break, things get lost. Do not risk your supply or even your health (mastitis is no joke), because you decided to skimp on packing your pump supplies.

   *Pro Tip: Do NOT check your pumping luggage. You never know if flights will be delayed nor if you bag(s) will be lost. Simply pack a carryon with all of your pumping supplies. These are all medical necessities and you should not be charged for this carryon luggage.

3. Adhere to Your Schedule-ishly: It is important to adhere to your schedule. It’s especially important to maintain the amount of pumps per day. If you are typically pumping 8x/day, but then reduce that to 6x/day over the holidays - your supply will take a hit. With that said, the times you pump are flexible. You should arrange your schedule around your day.
   
   For example, if your schedule is typically a 6:00 AM, 9:00 AM, and 12:00 PM pump schedule, but your relatives are planning to have a 12:00PM lunch - then be flexible. That might look like 6:00 AM, 8:30 AM, and then 11:30 AM on the way to your lunch. Moving your pump sessions up or down by 30 minutes to an hour, will not negatively affect your supply - skipping a session completely definitely can though.
   
   In the scenario above, I suggested an 11:30 AM pump on the way to your lunch. I highly recommend pumping on your way to a destination for an event. For example, if you are headed to a holiday party or the Nutcracker, then pump on your way to the event. This way you will have 3 hours to enjoy the event before you will need to pump. Often times, these events do not even last 3 hours, so you will not need to pump while at the event anyways.

4. Storage Options!: Storing your milk has a lot of caveats, which really are dependent on how long you will need to store the milk. So here are some examples on how I would proceed:
   
   If I was headed to a holiday party, which was going to be less than 4 hours. I really would not worry about cooling storage for my milk. I would bring screw tops for my bottles to safely store after pumping. Breastmilk can very, very safely be stored at room temperature for 4 hours. So there is not reason to worry about bringing supplies to cool your milk.
   
   If I was going to leave my baby at home while I went Christmas shopping all day long, so I would be gone for 8-10 hours. I likely would simply bring an insulated lunchbox with a freezer pack. The milk needs to just be chilled for a short amount of time and the weather is cold in the winter anyways. I do not need anything fancy to keep my milk safe for this short time away.
   
   If, however, I was going to be traveling I would consider a breastmilk chiller like a Cereschill. This will keep your milk cold for hours and all it needs to be replenished is some ice. This is a great way to bring pre-pumped milk, to stored freshly pumped milk, or even milk that was frozen that will be prepared for a bottle. If I plan to have milk away from a fridge for greater than 8+ hours, the Cereschill is my immediate go-to.
   
   Not sure on the storage rules for breastmilk? Find my table here.

5. Change Your Mindset: It is very easy to begrudgingly feel like pumping will negatively affect your holidays. However, remember that literally the best gift you can give your infant this season is your breastmilk. Be happy & blessed with the opportunity you have to serve your baby.
   
   In a less baby-focused theory, remember that a pump session can be a great time for YOU to escape the chaos. Is your aunt annoying you? Do your kids have you spinning out in over drive?
   Grab you pump and kindly tell your family, “Well, mom needs to go pump. I’ll be back in 30 minutes.” Scroll Instagram, make last minute Christmas purchases, or my favorite close your eyes and take a 30-minute nap. Pumping sessions can grant you some serenity this holiday season.

I hope that this holiday season only brings you smiles & joy. I pray that your breastfeeding journey has brought you the ability to have peace knowing your are providing your infant with so much nourishment and you have learned how to manage it.

If, however, you find yourself still struggling - never hesitate to reach out to us. Schedule a free-15 minute strategy call, so you can be setup for a most successful journey.

With much love,

Antoinette C., CLC