Breastpump, Milk & Cruising!!!

[RoadTripFanatic]

I thought of something else I want to throw in!! Please if you are drinking on the cruise make sure you hydrate like crazy to make sure you don't dehydrate yourself and lower you supply. :)

[MandyGirl]

There is nothing better than Mommas milk. I would contribute your healthy kids and not getting sick alot would be keeping them home and away from all the Day Care germs, proven studies show that.

Dr. McCoy MD.

 

Mommas Milk is definitely the BEST! We have traveled to some remote locations prior to DD1 turning two, and when visiting with our pedi and pharmacist regarding what first aid kit to pack (knowing we were traveling lightly), they each reminded us of the multiple uses of the milk. Start of pink eye? A small cut or scrape? I know I've had friends and family think I'm crazy, but I just tell them to google it for themselves and see what the research states.

 

Now that I am not teaching and have finished grad school, the most we get our new baby out is for church on Sunday, and luckily I serve in the nursery. :) But it is soooo nice to know that when we travel, my milk provides so much benefit that is readily available, safe, and not contaminated.

[kandjrolls2]

Wow. I seriously cannot believe some of the judgy comments here. I, too, am a bf mother and I just got back from business (was gone 2 days). I am away at least one night a week. My baby and I are 'tight as thieves.' She is suffered no ill effect. The OP did not ask for advice if she should go or not. She asked about her milk safety. OP-like others have said, you should pump and dump. The fridge won't keep it cold enough. Also, even though you didn't ask, you should go on your vaca without guilt. You need to keep the spark alive between you and your mister. Also, avoid the LLL breast ****s at all cost. BF is important but they act like it is your only role as a mother and every thing else should be neglected such as your happiness and the relationship with your H. Just do what is right for your family and everyone else can shove it.

[rin1]

We took our DD (8 mo) but it was a very different experience. I honestly think not bringing her would have traumatized me more than her. If the OP is okay with doing that, I think her baby will be, too. Kids are resilient.

 

I am with the Pump and Dump crew. The minifridges are only moderately cold. Build your stash at home now and try to salvage the last day or two's worth of milk if you can. Here's a helpful link re: storage: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkstorage.html

 

One thing to consider: if you aren't used to pumping or used to pumping that much you may be at increased risk for plugged ducts (ugh) so be vigilant. Take some Advil and set a timer to remind you to pump if you need to. Enjoy! :)

[SummerW]

Regarding supply tapering while away, one thing you could do upon your return or just before would be to take a combination of fenugreek and blessed thistle. You may want to check with a lactation consultant for the correct dosage for you.

 

I've got a 22 lb 6-mo-old who has been ebf up to this point. We've been on a knife edge with my supply for him at times, particularly during some of his growth spurts, and the fenugreek/blessed thistle helped to give me a boost when I needed it.

 

Also, some supply inhibitors are sage, walnut and alcohol. So you may want to enjoy those in moderation. :)

[Iggipolka]

I totally agree with the pump and dump advice you've been given. There's just no way to keep that much milk safely frozen on the ship.

 

I found that pumping with a hospital grade pump to be essential to keeping up my supply when I was only pumping. It was $60 for a month and totally worth it.

 

Have a wonderful trip, sleep lots and enjoy yourself. Your baby will be just fine and you will be a well rested, happy mama when you return.

[SummerW]

Oh, good point about the hospital grade pump. I've got one of each and can really tell the difference with the better pump.

 

In addition to renting them, I actually found that they are regularly for sale on eBay. I picked up a used Medela Symphony for $700, which is about half what it would be rock-bottom retail for a new one. Since it's a completely sealed system, unlike home pumps, there is no risk of or concern about contamination from a previous user. My Symphony works great, and, I found out, is even still under warranty.

 

We plan to have two kids, and I plan to nurse at least a year or two (however long they want to go), so buying it was definitely the less expensive option for us. Plus, I could resell it when finished with it.

 

The only hitch is that the Symphony is bulky. So be sure you've got a good amount of luggage capacity for it.

[Baxter]

If you plan to store for when you go home, this may help: when we sailed I was pumping (and our dd was with us). Any pumped milk was kept in the fridge at the purser's desk -- it was colder and more stable than the little fridges. That is an option that will allow you to transport your milk home safely, and not tie up the fridge in the room.

[MrsZee]

It depends on the person, but you may not have to pump that often while you are gone. Once or twice a day and then you can "re-lactate" when you get home (there are several ways to do that, herbs, teas, etc). Either way, if you aren't actually breastfeeding that week, your supply will drop with pumping only. So, enjoy your week and just plan for some hard work when you get home.

[cruiseman40]

I'd personally take baby instead of leaving it at home. DW did the breastpumpthing and also waited til lunch time or waited til DW went home for the day. I'd personally either wait til baby is old enough if that's an option or take baby on the cruise.....my opinion

[tanzanite]

Inursed my twins night and day one on each side i got a pump but could not pump as i was constantly nursing 2 yrs and half every one saidthat i was crazy but they never get sick they are 9 now it did exhaust me as they didnt sleep at night for that time i slept with them .Iremember nursing them on flight to London from LA 3 days after Sept 11 plus my older son was with me i brought extra seats for their car seats .Iwould pump and throw it to keep up supply my first son i took to Canada still remember customs asking me what the pump i took was so funnyhave a good time .

[khm1]

I'd personally take baby instead of leaving it at home. DW did the breastpumpthing and also waited til lunch time or waited til DW went home for the day. I'd personally either wait til baby is old enough if that's an option or take baby on the cruise.....my opinion

Really??? This response is not helpful, nor does it answer the OP's question. She did not ask for opinions on if she should take the baby or not.

[rin1]

It depends on the person, but you may not have to pump that often while you are gone. Once or twice a day and then you can "re-lactate" when you get home (there are several ways to do that, herbs, teas, etc). Either way, if you aren't actually breastfeeding that week, your supply will drop with pumping only. So, enjoy your week and just plan for some hard work when you get home.

 

I wouldn't recommend this route because re-lactation is not a given and you could really mess up your supply permanently (you won't know if you're one of those lucky "some people" that can do so seamlessly in advance) and you could spend your vacation with a nasty case of plugged ducts/mastitis. Doesn't sounds like fun to me.

[newbiecruiser09]

Congrats on your plan to breastfeed!! :) Please do not listen to all the "know it alls" who tell you to not go if you can't take your little one. You know what is best for your family--any most medical docs will tell you any time nursing is better and beneficial. When my 2nd was about 5 months old, I had to have surgery and could not breastfeed while on meds afterwards. I had to pump and dump for about 10 days. She reacclimated just fine afterwards and nursed til 14 months (I did add baby cereal & foods after about 11 months). Each of my kids weaned themselves shortly after a year old (I had planned to nurse as long as they requested it)

[LostShakerofSalt]

OP here! I thank everyone for their input. I put my business on a message board, so I expected unsolicited opinions. We obviously thought long and hard before we made the decision to leave my child at home. He will be well loved and with Grandma and Grandpa, who he adores.

 

I appreciate the advice, it seems I will be emailing Carnival to see if they recommend any way to store the milk. If not, I will be tossing it. I have a Medela PumpInstyle, not the best pump, but not the worst. I was thinking of buying a hand pump to throw in my bag so I can pump and dump in bathrooms if I'm ashore, and then using the electric pump in the mornings/at night. If I can find a decent hand pump, I won't be chained to the room all day/all night.

 

I know my supply may dwindle, but it dropped before when I had mastitis (I was in a wedding when our baby was 6 weeks old and only nursed 3 times in 24 hours-- ouch!). I was able to get my supply back up with frequent pumping and nursing. I'm definitely hoping to avoid mastitis!

 

Regarding supply tapering while away, one thing you could do upon your return or just before would be to take a combination of fenugreek and blessed thistle. You may want to check with a lactation consultant for the correct dosage for you.

 

Also, some supply inhibitors are sage, walnut and alcohol. So you may want to enjoy those in moderation. :)

I never knew walnut was an inhibitor!

[MMoore1851]

I went on a five night trip to Disney and Universal Studios without my daughter when she was six months old and exclusively breastfeeding. I had been renting a Medela Symphony from the hospital I worked at, so I took it, and I also took along my Medela manual pump. I was upset about having to throw away all that milk, but as soon as I knew I was going on that trip, I had started stockpiling milk. I added a couple of extra pumping sessions a day and even pumped at night after my daughter fell asleep.

 

On the trip, I would use the electric pump right when I got up, again before we left the hotel, and any time we were back in the room and one or two more times at night. I took the manual pump into the theme parks with me and pumped when I felt like I needed to in the bathrooms. Yes, it took a little planning and effort, but it was worth it to come home and still be able to nurse my munchkin. I had entertained the notion of trying to save the milk from the last day or two and bring it home, but I honestly didn't want to lug a cooler through security. Enjoy your cruise, and some fruity umbrella drinks for a change!

[jules1121]

Congrats on making it BF this long and hopefully you can continue after you return. :)

 

Here is a great link to info on travelling and pumping. http://mother-2-mother.com/bfandtraveling.htm

 

In order to keep up your supply and keep away plugged ducts, I encourage you to pump as many times a day as your LO usually nurses. I also encourage you to take along some lecithin (should be able to get it at a health food store) to take while you are gone since this will help ward off plugged ducts.

 

Based on my experience and the experience of moms I know about the length of trips, is there any way you could take a shorter cruise? You def deserve a break but it might be easier on both you and your baby if you take a shorter trip. Yep, there are people here who don't agree with me posting that question BUT I post it based on knowing the experience a friend had when she left her baby for a week recently.

[kateymwf]

I didn't see that anyone else addressed this. I have transported milk back from the Dominican and Washington DC and the TSA was nice about it both times. They ran a test strip on the outside of the bag to test for explosives and just asked me where my baby was. I explained that I was on vacation/business trip and the baby was with Grandma. That was it, pretty easy. I think LLL is great, but I also believe in living your own life and sometimes you have to be away from your baby for a little while to recoop. I breastfed until my DD was 2 and had to go on a few trips during that time. I personally would not pump and dump, I would store it somewhere on the ship and transport it home on ice. Good luck.

[6rugrats]

I personally would not pump and dump, I would store it somewhere on the ship and transport it home on ice. Good luck.

 

But, there is no place to store it.

[LostShakerofSalt]

I didn't see that anyone else addressed this. I have transported milk back from the Dominican and Washington DC and the TSA was nice about it both times. They ran a test strip on the outside of the bag to test for explosives and just asked me where my baby was. I explained that I was on vacation/business trip and the baby was with Grandma. That was it, pretty easy. I think LLL is great, but I also believe in living your own life and sometimes you have to be away from your baby for a little while to recoop. I breastfed until my DD was 2 and had to go on a few trips during that time. I personally would not pump and dump, I would store it somewhere on the ship and transport it home on ice. Good luck.

 

Thank you for clarifying the transportation of breast milk. I spoke with Carnival and they said I can store it with room service. I'm a bit nervous about ensuring that it stays cool, so I may simply pump and dump for the first few days of the cruise. The last few days of the cruise, I'd like to keep it on ice (in a cooler) and take it home.

[kateymwf]

Thank you for clarifying the transportation of breast milk. I spoke with Carnival and they said I can store it with room service. I'm a bit nervous about ensuring that it stays cool, so I may simply pump and dump for the first few days of the cruise. The last few days of the cruise, I'd like to keep it on ice (in a cooler) and take it home.

 

I would do the same thing. For the first you nights you can have a drink if you wanted also. My daughter was allergic to dairy (when I ate it, she got sick) so the only time I pumped and dumped was when I was in the Dominican and wanted to eat tons of cheese and dairy products, it was hard to dump, but worth it for a few days. Good luck, and have a great time on your cruise!

[HexMermaid]

I haven't done this on a cruise but I had to go on a week long business trip when my son was 11 months old. I too hated the thought of pumping and dumping so this is what I did:

Asked the hotel for a mini fridge with a freezer in it (they actually gave me 2)

Pumped 4-5 times every day and then split it and froze 5oz bags flat in the freezer

brought ice packs and big cooler and checked it at the airport

 

I ended up bringing over 100oz back with me! My baby got bm the whole time I was gone (I stashed bm for months ahead of time to make sure he had enough) and he was able to have 1 bottle of bm at daycare for months after I stopped pumping. He's 16 months now and we are still nursing!

I would call the cruise line and see if they can help you with an in room freezer or a freezer you can store the milk in.

Good luck!

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Don't worry about leaving the baby for heaven sake. They will have no recollection of your being gone. I left my 18month old son for 10 days and we have an exceptionally close relationship. He has no memory of my absense and was in the loving hands of my sister.

 

Dump and pump as others have said. You certainly don't want to stop with the milk abruptly because you will have swollen breasts and hormonal changes.