Traveling Sans Baby

I have now traveled/flown twice without Nathan (once for work, once for pleasure), so I thought maybe it was time to write a post on the topic. Oddly enough, I still haven't flown with Nathan. We've been on several road trips, but next month will be our first experience flying when we go to visit my parents. As far as traveling-without-the-baby-while-still-breastfeeding/pumping, I can offer the following suggestions and observations:

• Find a carry-on bag that is big enough to hold your pump, pump parts, a small stash of supplies (storage bags, quick-clean wipes), and a soft-sided cooler (lunch size is fine for a weekend trip) for transport. I use a backpack which seems to work well. I put the cooler and all my pumping stuff in the large pocket, and any other items I want to keep with me in the smaller pockets (magazines or books, wallet, keys, toiletry bag, etc). You will also need an ice pack for your cooler. I find that larger ones work well, as they stay frozen longer (if they're thawed too much, you can run into difficulty going through security).
• Bring different power adapters (if you have them) for different pumping scenarios: a traditional wall plug-in, a battery-pack, even one that plugs into the lighter in your car. Also bring a back-up manual/hand-pump if you have one. Keep at least one back-up power source and/or hand pump in your carry-on.
• Bring spare parts for your pump, such as extra tubing, valves, membranes, etc. These can probably go in your larger carry-on or checked bag, provided you don't have a long or complicated flight with lay-overs.
• Use storage bags instead of bottles. I usually bring 2 or 3 bottles to pump into and then pour off in bags. The bags take less room in the cooler and you can make note of the date and volume for each (bring a sharpie marker!).
• Pump just before leaving for the airport, or better yet, in the car on the way there. Depending on how old your baby is, how often you are nursing/pumping at home, and how long your flight is, you may be able to wait until you arrive at your final destination before needing pump again. If you do need to pump at the airport, look for a family-style restroom. Some airports even have lounges (or so I've heard). Worst case scenario, a nursing shawl or cover works well if you have to pump in the open by the sinks. One friend of mine even used the fold-down changing table on the wall as a working surface. You may end up having to stand, which isn't the most comfortable, but it will work in a pinch. In this instance, having a battery pack will help give you more flexibility as to where and how you can pump.
• Going through security, be prepared to have your cooler and bag inspected. Some airports like for you to take the cooler out of your bag and run it through the x-ray machine separately; others let you leave it in your bag. I usually just take it out and, if possible, mention to one of the nearby TSA officers that I'm traveling with breast-milk. If they do inspect it, they may remove some or all of the bags/bottles and scan them in a little machine. This won't damage the milk, and they shouldn't need to open anything. They may ask about your ice pack, but as long as it's still mostly frozen and relatively solid, it shouldn't be an issue.
• If you are staying at a hotel, try to get a room with a mini-fridge. You may have to pay slightly more for it than a regular room, but these days, several hotel chains actually do have them in every room. We've had good luck with Holiday Inn Express and any of the Hilton hotels. Most mini-fridges do not have a true freezer though, so you may want to ask the front desk to store your ice pack(s) in their kitchen freezer.
• Depending on the nature of your trip and schedule, you may not be able to pump as often as you would at home. When I was traveling for work, I was still pumping every 3 hours at home. Unfortunately, that wasn't really an option during the workshop I was attending at the NIH. To make up for it, I pumped first thing in the morning (even getting up a bit early to do so) and then again before I left the hotel for the day. I pumped during the lunch break, as soon as I got back to the hotel in the afternoon, and then one more time right before bed. I actually didn't notice any negative impact on my supply, even though my total number of sessions per day was lower than at home. 
• Going home can be tricky, especially if you have a late morning check-out from your hotel, but don't fly until later in the afternoon or evening. This happened to me both times, so I had to do a little strategic planning. I packed all my bags into my cooler and asked the hotel to keep it in their kitchen refrigerator during the day (I was leaving other luggage at the hotel as well). I also had them keep my ice pack in their freezer so it would stay frozen and solid. I didn't have any issues with this request either time, and in fact, one customer service woman said they do it all the time for pumping moms. I then planned my final day so that I could swing by the hotel right before heading to the airport. On my work trip I had extra time, so I asked the hotel staff if there was anywhere I could pump there. They were very helpful and gave me a key card to access a floor where there was a larger, single-stall bathroom next to the hotel gym. I spread paper towels all over the sink and had to stand, but it worked! This past weekend (on a girls' getaway trip with my friend B), we were at a mall on Sunday before heading back. Most department stores have women's lounges or at least a sitting area inside the bathroom. The one I used even had a separate area with chairs, tables, outlets, and a sink. You may not necessarily find lactation rooms everywhere you go, but battery packs, nursing covers, and the ability to pump while standing can go a long way towards finding a workable situation.

Some of the above tips are things I learned on my own through trial and error. Others I got from friends and co-workers who have been there before. The thing is, nursing in public is generally seen as normal and more or less widely accepted. Pumping is another story. When you're nursing, you have your baby right there, so it's obvious what you're doing and why. But with pumping-on-the-go, there's usually no baby. It may feel a little awkward at first, and I did worry about whether or not airport security would question me without a baby in sight. Fortunately, I think it is more common than I realized, and hardly anyone so much as batted an eye about it. Just last week, I was attending an off-campus conference in a facility that didn't offer much in the way of a lactation area. I ended up sitting on a bench in the women's restroom (right in front of the sinks), wearing my nursing cover and using my battery pack adapter to pump during the lunch break. You do what you have to do!