Traveling by plane with a baby can be an overwhelming experience for many. For our family, it has been an experience where travel has flowed smoothly, which we owe it largely to have been exclusively breastfed. The trip is made easier, because the baby is happy and makes the whole family too.
Of the advantages that we have enjoyed the most when breastfeeding our children, has been being able to travel by plane lightly. Without water, without milk, without bottles, without sterilizer and having the food always ready and at the perfect temperature. But above all, without having to give explanations while we cross the immigration controls.
By breastfeeding while we take off or land, we avoid one of the most frequent reasons for crying on airplanes, which is caused by the inconvenience of covering the ears in babies.
However, due to particular situations, sometimes it is time to travel leaving at home a breastfed baby. The mere fact of the separation generates a lot of anxiety for the mother, in addition to adding the ingredient of what will drink while we are not there and what will happen with our breastfeeding when returning from the trip.
A separation of the baby for a trip does not mean the end of breastfeeding. It only means more preparation before leaving a milk bank that covers the days we will be out. Of course, there are always exceptions and some babies strike when the mother returns and do not want to make contact again.
When separating from our baby, it would be advisable to make extractions every two or three hours, to maintain our production. This milk that we extract, if properly stored, can travel with us back home. The ideal is to freeze it at the time of extraction, to place it in a small cooler with dry ice or ice packs, to keep cold during the trip.
Breast milk is exempt from the restriction of liquids to be carried inside the cabin of the plane, whose amount is 3.4 ounces, you just have to take into account some considerations:
✔ It is always good to confirm the policies of the chosen airline, since each one has its own regulations. It is a good idea to keep the policies printed so that there are no surprises.
✔ Use dry ice or ice pack, and wrap the milk in newspapers to keep them frozen during the trip, in a small cooler that can go inside the carry-on or in the suitcase to be checked.
✔ Tell the security agent at the controls, that we carry breast milk and take it out of the carry-on before passing the x-rays. If you prefer not to go through x-rays, you have the right to say no.
✔ Take the extractor with you, in case the flight is long or there are delays and it is time to extract. In this way, we avoid blockages in the breasts.
✔ Confirm that the extractor has new batteries. In case of failing batteries, practice the manual extraction technique in advance.
✔ Take into account that the extractor is considered a medical item, so it does not count as part of the luggage. It is common to see debate about this issue, so it is advisable to previously investigate with the airline that you will be traveling.
✔ If the trip is international, confirm if an electric power adapter is needed to connect the extractor in the destination country.
Extractions while traveling may involve certain logistical adjustments to the trip, but it is not an impediment to carry it out. With patience, love and planning, you can continue breastfeeding while traveling without our babies.
