Hello Dear Boobjuicers and Friends!
Ah, yes, the long-awaited (by me anyway) travel post! So this will have to be more than one post, because I asked some mamas for their travel stories, and got so much good info that it's going to be too long, even by my gregarious standards, to put all into one post. So I shall begin with my own traveling and boobjuicing experience, while I am seeking permission to use their amazing stories.
I want to begin with a quick disclaimer. Please do not think that you have to be as elaborate and convoluted as I have chosen to be in order to keep breastfeeding while traveling for work. Most of the other mamas I have talked to have done much more sensible things, like bringing the breastpump along and transporting the milk home or FedExing it if need be. I always had sort of barely enough milk in the fridge for Kiddo for the day, and was worried about supply, and so completely against formula for my kiddo, that these were the right choices for me. While the amount of dollars we have dedicated to traveling this way is manageable for us, it did mean making sacrifices in other ways (we had to turn down a wedding invitation recently because the extra trip just wasn't going to work) and frankly a financial planner would probably do some serious facepalm looking at my mint.com account. We made the choices that felt right to us. Or shall I say, we made the choices I felt like I could tolerate and my sweet, patient husband didn't argue. But there are more practical and less expensive ways to do it.
That said, I think a lot of mamas feel self conscious about making choices like mine, which may look wasteful and impractical, but which were important for us. Sometimes we just aren't ready to be away from our kiddos for a whole night, or longer. Well, I say that's okay. I say you can be a fancy (insert chosen profession involving travel here) in your fancy suit/uniform/lab coat, AND be a breastfeeding mama who isn't willing to be away from her little one yet. I'm no big Sarah Palin fan but I will say that I liked her willingness to schlep her kids with her on trips. I say you can do it as long as your family and pocketbook will put up with it. AND I say you can actually make it fairly easy on your pocket book. I mean, who doesn't have a facebook friend or six in most major cities these days? I bet some of them would help you with housing/childcare/transportation. You would do it for them, right?
So, for example, I took Kiddo with me on a three day business trip after he was already down to nursing like twice a day. I was worried about my supply, but even more I was worried that if he went that long without nursing he would wean. (Unfortunately I have no useful data on this - ladies?) But in each case of elaborate, hauling the kid and often husband along business trips, we have made it work. In the three days with just me and Kiddo case, Hubby used the time "off" to shoot the rest of a music video. The awesomest friends in Minnesota took turns looking after Kiddo for me during my meetings, and a very nice flight attendant watched him on the flight home for three minutes so I could go pee without rousing him from his slumber. Perhaps the most pleasant passenger request of her evening, "Here, watch this kid sleep while your colleagues are cleaning the galley," but certainly very appreciated by me anyway.
The other trips so far were multi-purpose, including reunion, family visits, etc. that would have involved the whole family anyway. So one could argue that I didn't add cost to the business trip by hauling the family along. Although I have learned a difficult lesson about business travel with family - it is HARD. In the line of work I'm in, and probably a lot of other lines of work too, I think I really need the time after the "end of the day" until bed time to write up the meetings I took. I'm still trying to catch up from that trip, which is super frustrating. I have one more combo wedding and business trip after that, and then I'm sort of hoping to avoid traveling until Kiddo has turned two (February) and I'm a little more willing to risk him weaning by taking a night or two away from him.
I sort of thought last night might be the end of it actually - he wasn't very interested at bed time, so we sat and looked at the rain for a bit (ahhh, I love my soggy little boobjuice friendly town) and then he was more interested. Surprisingly, I actually felt a bit more happy than upset at the thought that he might be saying, "Nah, thanks Mom, I'm done." Besides which we are thinking about getting that second bun a-baking soon (not quiiiiite yet though) and I think I will feel a little better if Kiddo weans himself than if I have to cut him off because my breasts hurt too much. Not that there is anything wrong with that decision of course. Just seems like setting the stage for sibling rivalry... paranoid much? Who, me?
One other note on my own travel experiences. We all seem to be worried about being That Mom on the plane, with the kid who cries the whole way and all the other eyeballs present trying to bore holes in our heads. Well, I have news for you. You will very likely have to take a turn being That Mom. Poor Kiddo had a really rough flight once (he has already been on, like, six, I'm sort of shocked to say) and I was doing all I could for him but it wasn't cutting it. I think the eyeballs boring the hottest holes in my head were my own, though, remembering being That Passenger who was soooo put out (chuckle) by the noisy baby and sat judging the parents from afar. The only looks or comments I received were sympathetic, or mercifully brief. And really, think about it - what kind of karma is that person earning for him or herself, sitting quietly with no demands being placed on them by a tiny, very uncomfortable person, passing judgement on some poor tired mama doing the best she can? They suck. You rock. You can tell them I said so.
Happy Boobjuicing all!
Much love,
Suzi
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