It is tough enough to pump every day at work, but that's a walk in the park compared to pumping while traveling or when out all day in meetings. At work I can lock myself in my office and do my business whenever I need to. If i'm just on the computer it is not a big deal to stop working for 20 minutes to pump. On the go is a whole other ball of wax.
There are many stories online about how women can feel humiliated when they find themselves leaking or having to pump in relatively public places. For instance this incident TSA breast pump blunder just fills me with rage. Unfortunately society has put women in these positions where we have to expect to feel humiliated at times, or like me, just develop a thick skin and do whatever it takes to do what needs to be done.
On my first trip outside the country after giving birth I was very anxious about pumping and how I would fit it into all the moving around I had to do. In the end it turned out fine, I just had to suck it up and improvise as I went from point A to point B. My first piece of advice to traveling moms is to bring a manual pump, not an electric one, so much easier to sit somewhere and pump indiscreetly. Second, bring a nursing cover with you along with extra pads and tissues. Here's a hierarchy of options for places to pump in airports:
1. If available look for a lounge or a nursing/breastfeeding room. Odds not high you'll find one but you might.
2. A bathroom for the disabled. In Philippine airports these are typically separate rooms altogether that have a big enough space to lay out your luggage and set up. Just tell the bathroom attendant you will need it for a few minutes to pump and odds are they will even stand there to guard the door for you. Women, we protect each other. Men, they are afraid of us, so even if the attendant is a man go ahead and tell him, he will stand there with his mouth hanging open just agreeing to do whatever you tell him to.
3. The largest bathroom stall in a public bathroom. Or the one in the far end usually, the one that doesn't get a lot of traffic. I also decided to tell the attendant what I will be doing in there so she can tell people waiting in line that it won't be available.
4. In some corner somewhere. When I was left with no other choice, I just plopped myself down on a row of seats in an uncrowded area, put my rolling luggage beside me so I occupied the whole row, and put on a nursing cover. This was quite a success surprisingly, more comfortable for me than th ebathrooms, but if you're squeamish about pumping in public them perhaps not for you.
5. During the flight of course you'd have to use the lavatory. Do it during the time that food is being served so most people are trapped in their seats and you won't be holding up a long line of people desperate to pee. On my return flight the plane was not full, I transferred to an area where I didn't have to sit next to anyone, and again hid under my nursing cover and just pumped in my seat.
*extra tip, when I ran out of milk storage bags I just bought a bottle of water and emptied it out then put the milk in there.
**extra extra tip, ALWAYS consider the ability pump when selecting clothes to wear. Not a good idea to trap yourself in a one-piece dress that doesn't open or pull down the front when you find yourself having to pump outdoors.
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| Photo credit: http://www.nursingfreedom.org/2010/12/pumping-in-bathroom-is-like-putting.html |
Working in pumping sessions can also be tough when you are having a hectic moving-around day of meetings and errands in various places. When this happens to me I would park my car in the most secluded slot I can find and cover up with a nursing cover then pump in the car before heading to a meeting.
I am fortunate enough to have cars to hide out in and to be able to afford an extra pump to bring with me. Many women don't have that, so all you out there judging moms for ceasing breastfeeding when they return to work, back off, it is incredibly hard.
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