Traveling with a Breast Pump: Essential Gear and Tips for Convenient Pumping
This past weekend my husband and I went to an out-of-town wedding without the kids! It was so nice to get away for a weekend and have two nights of uninterrupted sleep. But let me tell you, as an exclusively breastfeeding mama, traveling isn't as simple as it used to be. I now need to take my breast pump with me and all the supplies for pumping on the go.
As this is my second kiddo, I’ve done my fair share of traveling where I needed to rely on a breast pump. Over time, I've experimented with various gadgets and gear to make things easier and more efficient. This past trip was the first one where I really felt like pumping and storing the milk didn’t cut into my quality vacation time. Practice definitely played a role, but a big part of it was the supplies I now swear by.
To save you the time and effort I've put in with two little ones, I want to share a list of all the essentials I use for traveling with a breast pump. Keep in mind that I also use these supplies as a work-from-home mama, but it's definitely easier when you have a fridge and some privacy at your disposal.
These supplies are also airport and TSA-friendly! In an upcoming post, I'll share my process for pumping, storing, and transporting breast milk while traveling.
Wherever possible, I've included direct shopping links for my favorite products. Just a heads up, as an Amazon Associate, I do earn a small commission when you make a purchase through my links. I appreciate your ongoing support!
Everything I Packed for a Weekend Away While Pumping
With my second baby, I invested in the Elvie Breast Pump which is completely portable. You can simply slip them into your bra, and they start collecting milk. The best part is that they are completely hands-free and can be controlled through an app on your phone. They are discreet too! During this trip alone, I pumped in the back of Ubers, on the airplane, out to dinner, and at the wedding itself. It really made pumping on the go so much easier. However, I also own the Spectra S1 from my first baby, which I've traveled with countless times. It has better suction and is more secure than the portable options, so there's no chance of any spillage. But I have to admit, it's bulkier to carry around and not discreet at all. I often found myself seeking out breastfeeding rooms or private areas while using it on the go. Either way, don’t forget your breast pump charger!
Extra Pump Parts
When traveling, I like to pack an extra set of all the pumping parts. It's mainly for peace of mind in case I lose anything or something breaks. But having extra parts also means I don't have to do as much washing on the go, which is great. For my Elvie, I brought two extra breast shields, storage bottles, pump valve and spout, and seals.
I love my wet/dry bag for storing my used pump parts after pumping. It's a convenient way to transport the wet parts until I can get to a sink to properly wash everything. The wet/dry bag I have also doubles as a staging mat, providing a clean workspace to transfer milk to bottles or bags after pumping. Plus, it's reusable and easy to clean.
This is my must-have product for pumping on the go. It has two compartments in the bottle: one for breastmilk and the other for ice. When I pump, I simply put my pumped milk into one compartment and add some ice to the other. The Ceres Chill then keeps the milk chilled for 20+ hours. It looks like a water bottle and is compact enough to travel with. I swear by it when I don't have time to get my milk back into a fridge. The chiller is multi-functional too. It can be used as a bottle warmer, requires no cords, chargers, or fridge, and you can even pump directly into it. It's airport-friendly as well. If you use my referral link, you can get 15% off your purchase with the code “MCKENZIE” .
Wipes are essential for on-the-go when you don’t have access to a sink for proper washing of pump parts. I use my pump wipes to wipe everything down before storing in my wet/dry bag until I’m back at a location with a refrigerator.
I recently purchased this backpack to carry my pumping supplies, and I love it! It's the perfect size to fit everything I need, and it looks cute like a purse. Having a backpack is great for transporting my supplies, especially when they can get heavy depending on how much milk I've pumped. My favorite part about this particular backpack is that the zipper is on the back, so there's no need to worry about anything falling out or someone opening it while I'm wearing it. I bought a neutral color, and my husband is even happy to help carry it!
Once I'm back in my hotel room or a place with a sink, I use travel bottle soap to wash all my pump parts, my wet/dry bag, and the Ceres Chill. This ensures that everything is nice and clean after only using the pump wipes on the go. I love my travel bottle drying rack because it's compact and provides a designated space near the sink to keep my pumping supplies organized and out of the way. The drying rack comes with a sponge for washing everything, and the travel soap fits right inside the drying rack for easy transport.
I can't emphasize enough how much I use these storage bottles. When I travel, I bring one with me to help measure out the breastmilk to transfer it from my Ceres Chill or breast pump into storage bags. Although my breast pump storage bottles have measurements on them, I find these bottles much easier to use.
If you're going to be away for more than a night, you'll likely need some breastmilk storage bags to transfer your milk into after pumping. I use these bags at home to freeze milk, so it makes for an easy transition once I'm back to my own refrigerator. Storing milk in breastmilk storage bags also saves space in the often small hotel refrigerator and makes it easy to transport the milk back home.
Optional: Microwave Steam Sterilizer Bags
Regularly sterilizing your pumping parts is recommended, but it can be quite difficult when you're on the go. If I know I'll have access to a microwave, I bring along one of these steam sterilizer bags. They simply need water and a microwave to sterilize everything. Each bag can be used up to 30 times, so you likely only need to pack one! I find sterilizing especially important when traveling since I don't necessarily wash after every pumping session, and I often use a hotel sink when I do wash my pump parts. Sterilizing ensures that everything gets nice and clean.
Finally, for transporting my breastmilk back home, I pack all the milk that's now in storage bags into a cooler. This cooler is the perfect size to store a weekend's worth of breastmilk. I've gone through TSA with this bag without any issues, and it easily fits under the seat in front of you on the airplane if you want to keep it close by. If I have access to a freezer, I bring ice blocks to freeze and transport in the cooler. If not, I simply use plastic bags filled with ice to keep everything cold.
There you have it, my complete list of what I packed for pumping on my recent trip. I hope some of these products will make pumping on the go more convenient and enjoyable. Talk to you next time! xxx McKenzie