Navigating International Work Travel: 5 Nursing Tips for Moms
Nursing your baby after returning to an executive career can be a real challenge, especially where international travel is involved.
I met an amazing woman, Amy (not her real name) who against all odds continued nursing for 12 months despite being back at work for five months.
As someone who after returning to work but while still nursing used to hide in my office hoping no one would hear my extra loud breast pump, Amy is truly an inspiration. And if you are breastfeeding post-work return, has some excellent advice from her recent first-hand experience.
How To Keep Up With Breastfeeding After Returning To Work
Amy is a director-level executive at a F500 company. She needs to travel about twice per month, which makes keeping up her milk supply a real challenge. With courage, grit, and persistence, she has persevered in breastfeeding her baby for many months after returning to work. Something I personally struggled with.
Here are some tips from Amy for keeping up breastfeeding after returning to work:
#1 Ditch The Shame
Any breastfeeding mom who has returned to work knows how hard it is to keep up a healthy milk supply by being away from your baby for so many hours per day. If you want the ability to nurse your baby after coming back to work, it’s essential that you ditch the shame and be more open about what you need.
“Think about it, if someone needed extra time or accommodation for say an injured foot or a broken arm, there is no discussion. But when it comes to breastfeeding, we feel we have to hide or pretend we can work in exactly the same way as if we weren’t a nursing mother.” – Amy
Amy is unapologetic for any concessions or accommodations she needs to continue breastfeeding while at work and even on travel. Last summer, She was traveling with a Vice President who was male. She simply told him she needed extra time at the airport to make sure she could get her pumped breast milk through security. He was happy to leave early to go with her to the airport.
#2 Don’t Accommodate Someone Else’s Discomfort
Similar to “Ditch the shame,” we also don’t want to fall into the trap of delaying pumping to accommodate someone else’s discomfort.
For example, Amy was on a transatlantic flight and found herself needing to pump while elbow to elbow with two men traveling on business. “…as soon as they dozed off, I put the cover over myself while at the same time negotiating elbows while trying not to spill the milk or knock anything over.”
I honestly didn’t care if they woke up, and got squeamish with a nursing woman beside them, I had to put my baby first and I refused to go in the airplane bathroom – between the germs and tying it up making the other passengers irritated, I can live with making a couple of guys uncomfortable for a while.”
#3 Make Arrangements With Your Hotel Before Traveling
When traveling, definitely contact (or even better have your assistant contact) the hotel in advance. Often they can arrange for fridges and freezers in your room, which is super handy for milk storage. “I learned that lesson the hard way. There is trouble when trying to store milk in the minibar fridges. They are not cold enough and the last time I stuffed a bottle of pumped milk in between the vodka and the tequila, it triggered the automatic purchasing sensors and I ended with a $20 ‘bar tab.’”
#4 Use Milk Stork If You Can
There is this amazing service called Milk Stork (milkstork.com) and if your company does not yet have a contract with them, I highly recommend you contact your HR department.
“My company has a contract with them and I use the service when I travel internationally. Basically, the milk stork provides special shipping containers for you to ship your breast milk back home, which provides your baby with a supply even before you get home and you can avoid ‘pump and dump – which makes me cry,’ potential spoiling and the nuisance of explaining to airport security that your breast milk is not hazardous or a threat to national security in any way.”
#5 Ensure Your Schedule Allows For Ample Pumping Opportunities
Here is an area where I have personally failed but Amy has succeeded. She has her admin block times throughout the day to pump.
Amy sticks to the schedule even if that means pumping during a conference call. “ I stay on mute unless I need to say something and I just explain that the noise in the background is my breast pump.” Remember tip #2 don’t feel like you have to accommodate someone else’s discomfort.
Bonus Tip
If you have either a nanny or any other way to get to your baby or your baby gets to you during the day (in-laws?); make it happen. Feeding your baby directly whenever you can always win over the pump.
Wrapping It Up The 5 Nursing Tips
If you are a nursing working mom or thinking about having kiddos, take these tips to heart. The more of us who don’t hide in the closet when it comes to breastfeeding the better it will be for all of us. Here’s to healthier moms, babies, and families!
