Pride and breastfeeding?

Any breastfeeding mom's cruised on the Pride that did not bring your LO's? We're cruising in September to the Bahamas and I'll be needing to pump. I'm looking for tips/tricks and If you did any excursions, how did you manage? Ty in advance

Id think buying a small handheld pump would be great in addition to your electric one. Then you could just take that off the boat with you. I'm guessing you'll just dump it? I'm wondering if it'd be a huge pain to try to get it back on board

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

The family board should have good ideas.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I have only ever travelled w my Little but I'll give my two cents...

1st. I don't think you can plan on keeping any of the milk, maybe stuff from the last 2 days, but nothing older. This is because the fridges aren't especially good at keeping stuff actually cold. So it may be pump and dump for the whole trip.

2nd. How often are you pumping now? Maybe plan your session around shore excursions. Pump before and again as soon as you get back. If you have a really long excursion, perhaps take a cover up along and pump during a meal or take a quiet moment to do so.

3rd. Bring extra back up supplies for your pump. If you get a tear in one of the plastic valves you'll have a devil of a time getting a new one in port. Better to bring extra. As some one else suggested maybe also take a hand pump as a back up.

Lastly... Take along some aids. Pics of your babe and maybe one of their sleepers so you can smell them.

Have a fantastic time.

Breastfeeding on a cruise is no different than breastfeeding in public in the USA. It can't be banned but people (not crew or officers) may ask you to find a private spot (a corner of the lounge, the library instead of the coffee shop).

Shore excursions on the other hand will be dependant on the laws of the island. Some allow it, while others still barbarically tell you to go to a restroom or your hotel room.

Now pumping is completely different. Even in the USA and Canada there are very few laws protecting a women from charges of public lewdness if only pumping. Be prepared that on both the ship an islands to be told go behind a lockable door with the pump.

As others have said those little coolers in the cabin won't keep pasteurized milk good for 2 days, so any reserves you pumped will need to be dumped. If pumping to just keep up production during separation consult your pediatrician or OB/GYN's recommended lactation expert. You may be surprised to learn that depending on time vs. volume you might be able to schedule the interval between pumping differently for the vacation.

Also DON'T forget to bring plenty of lactation pads. Separation anxiety can cause overproduction leading to leakage. And on the islands these are hard to find and never available on the ship.

Sent from my STV100-2 using Forums mobile app

how old will your LO be? That could make a huge difference in the amount of times you need to pump. I went to Hawaii when my little was 7 months old. I pumped roughly every 3 hours and once in the middle of the night. We did a bike ride down a volcano so I had to stop midway and pump. The view was amazing haha. Pumping on the flight from the east coast was lots of fun too haha. I agree though, it'll probably be a pump and dump situation only because you have nowhere to freeze it and those mini fridges in the stateroom are a joke. We went on a cruise when my first was 2.5 Brought some milk back to the room from breakfast for bedtime...it was spoiled by that point.

Basically, stick to some kind of a schedule to keep your production up. If you have an excursion planned pump right before and right after. again, if you need to stretch a pump it's not going to kill you. You could also power pump if your worried about production slowing.

Breastfeeding on a cruise is no different than breastfeeding in public in the USA. It can't be banned but people (not crew or officers) may ask you to find a private spot (a corner of the lounge, the library instead of the coffee shop).

 

Shore excursions on the other hand will be dependant on the laws of the island. Some allow it, while others still barbarically tell you to go to a restroom or your hotel room.

 

Although I have no issues with Breastfeeding, the word Barbaric is misused. The time of history this comes from, the only way to feed a child is breast feeding. They didn't exactly have pumps, bottles, and powder. The other item to point out, when visiting other countries, they have the right to create laws for their countries, regardless of what we think is right or wrong.

 

Now pumping is completely different. Even in the USA and Canada there are very few laws protecting a women from charges of public lewdness if only pumping. Be prepared that on both the ship an islands to be told go behind a lockable door with the pump.

As others have said those little coolers in the cabin won't keep pasteurized milk good for 2 days, so any reserves you pumped will need to be dumped. If pumping to just keep up production during separation consult your pediatrician or OB/GYN's recommended lactation expert. You may be surprised to learn that depending on time vs. volume you might be able to schedule the interval between pumping differently for the vacation.

Also DON'T forget to bring plenty of lactation pads. Separation anxiety can cause overproduction leading to leakage. And on the islands these are hard to find and never available on the ship.

 

Sent from my STV100-2 using Forums mobile app

There is a difference between making a statement, and doing what is logical. On a ship, you are steps away from privacy. However, I have known many that would rather make the statement.

There is a difference between making a statement, and doing what is logical. On a ship, you are steps away from privacy. However, I have known many that would rather make the statement.

Agree

Some of you need to read the original post again. She is asking suggestion for pumping because she is NOT TAKING her child (LO's=Little ones).

my mistake, makes a lot more sense now that I know what LO means.

Why pump? Feed directly...so much easier! You will have ample time in your cabin to pump, if you are storing some for hubby to feed the baby!

Yes I have done this and some of the information above is quite misguided

I brought a handheld pump, soft-sided small cooler, ice packs and tons of breast storage bags.

Arrived with the ice packs still frozen in the cooler, and asked the room steward for a tub for ice-explained what it was for. Not only did he bring the tub, but he supplied me with 2 more tubs of larger size and refilled the ice throughout the entire cruise. Right before we left we transferred the bags of milk to the soft sided cooler and then topped with ice packs and loose ice.

We had an 8 hour drive and flight home, and arrived back with only about 3 bags(out of 40?) starting to melt-the rest of the milk was still solid ice; and good to use.

Honestly, the most difficult part was dealing with TSA and having to dump water and get more ice at all the cafes in the airport. The cruise was the easy part.

Oh I pumped in the cabin. Simplest this way, not only for privacy but then you can wash the pump easily. Took the pump to each of the ports, but ended up not needing to use it at those times. Probably would've tried to get ice to save the milk if I had pumped on excursions.

Have a great cruise, worse case scenario is you pump and dump. But I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the supply you'll bring home ;)