Have Pump Will Travel

For the last year, I have spent 36 to72 hours a month travelling back and forth to DC to the Charles G Koch Foundation Headquarters. I love to travel, but I picked the worst time to spend so much time on a plane. From June to October, I was huge. Trying to fit my over sized belly into the tiny little seats-not to mention being asked by every flight attendant not to go into labor-was hilarious.





Once I got rid of the belly, I gained a pump. Awww, the pump--my new best friend. I have become an extremely efficient packer--you have to be when the pump takes up half of your carry on. I have also become very resourceful when it comes to pumping in the airport. Here are a few tips I have learned...



1. Take your pump and milk out before you send your bag through security; it will save you time and headaches.

2. Store your milk in bottles; they will make you open all of your milk containers for tests and the bags sometimes make a mess.

3. Your best option when pumping in an airport is a family bathroom, but don't be surprised if you get dirty looks when you come out of the family bathroom alone. Seriously, I wanted to walk out holding my milk in the air a few times.

4. Your second best option is a bathroom with an outlet in a secluded area--hard to find, but worth it to look.

5. The worst option, but usually the only one available is to pump at the sink. Bring a cardigan; you can put it on backwards to cover the pumps, but everyone will still know what you are doing. Also, surprisingly enough, people will talk to you more while you are half naked, producing food than if you were to run straight into them.