Packing Checklist for Flying With Bottles and Breastmilk or Formula

I have written extensively in the past about breastfeeding or breastmilk pumping when you travel, but I've never written about what to pack if you intend to feed your baby expressed breastmilk or formula on your trip.

By Neeta Lind

Traveling With Expressed Breastmilk
As of this writing, mothers are able to clear security in US airports with expressed breastmilk even if they are not traveling with their baby. You may also bring ice packs to keep the milk cool. The milk must be declared at the security checkpoint. Rules change frequently, and if you are concerned about this issue, it is worth reading the latest guidelines and printing out a copy to bring with you:

• TSA's Guidelines for Flying with Breastmilk, Formula and Babyfood in the US
  
• UK guidelines for flying with children

Bottles on a Plane or Road Trip
If you plan to feed your baby from a bottle in flight, you will need to bring the following items on board:

• Enough clean bottles for your flight (I like Medela Breastmilk Storage and Feeding Set because the bottles are compact and because I can also use them with my Medela Breastpump. A bottle-liner system is also a good option if you don't mind waste. For older babies, Take and Toss Sippy Cups work well because they nest inside one another.
• A way to clean your bottles (airplane water is not considered safe). I like Medela Quick Clean Wipes
• Ice packs to keep expressed milk or formula cool. If there is space, a flight attendant will sometimes be willing to store your bottles in the galley, but make sure that your milk is clearly labeled and to make sure that it is stored properly. One one flight, a flight attendant stashed my expressed milk on a counter for a minute and another flight attendant "helpfully" heated it up. Baby E was asleep, so she'd just degraded the quality of 12 hard won ounces I'd prepared for the next bottle.
• An insulated bag to store expressed breastmilk or prepared formula

• Formula It's easiest to travel with powdered formula, it's lighter than liquid formula and you don't need to declare it at the security checkpoint. Pack extra in case your flight is delayed or your checked baggage is lost. I like pre-measured individual formula packets
because they are less likely to spill than a large container, and because your bag will get smaller and lighter as baby drinks.
• Water Bring your own water onboard. Airplane tap water is not safe for drinking, and bottled water supplies can be limited. Buy bottled water after security, or bring your own empty bottles and fill them once you've cleared security.

Filed Under: breastfeeding flying-with-kids packing packing-with-babies packing-with-kids

15 comments | Posted on August 11, 2009 | Save to del.icio.us

Giveaway - Medela Freestyle Breastpump ($380 Value)

Medela Freestyle Breast Pump

This Giveaway is now closed. To learn about new giveaways as they become available, please  Subscribe to our feed

Last week I reviewed the Medela Freestyle Breast Pump, and this week I have the pleasure of giving away a brand new pump to one of my readers!

How To Enter
I will be giving the Medela Freestyle away to one lucky reader. If you would like a chance to win, leave a comment before 11:59PM PST on Monday Aug 17 2009 and tell me what city or attraction you most want to visit with your kids. Please include your email address in the comment form (your email isn't shared with anyone, and I will not send you email unless you win).

1. Recommend a kid-friendly attraction, restaurant or hotel in our city guides to receive five additional entries. It takes only a few minutes, and it is a great way to share your favorite places with other parents. To make a recommendation, just Click Here
2. Subscribe to my RSS feed (either by reader or email) using the buttons on the top left-hand side of the page. Leave another comment telling me you did.
3. If you have a blog, write any article you enjoyed on DeliciousBaby, or write about the place you hope to visit, and link back to one of our kid friendly city guides. Leave a comment telling me you did so and show me the link where I can find it!

Winners
We will choose a winner randomly and announce the results here on Tuesday Aug 18 2009. Many thanks to Medela for generously sponsoring this giveaway.

Rules
Please, only one comment per person per giveaway post (except as outlined above where the comment is related to an extra entry). Duplicate comments and Anonymous comments will be discarded. Please make sure that the email address in your comment form is valid (email addresses are never public). Winners must claim their prize within three business days after the date of notification of such prize. A Sweepstakes winner's failure to respond to the prize notification within the specified three business days will be considered such Sweepstakes winner's forfeiture of the prize and an alternate winner may be selected from the pool of eligible entries. If an entrant is found to be ineligible, an alternate winner may also be selected from the pool of eligible entries. To enter, you must be a U.S. resident, age 18 or older. Employees, partners and vendors of DeliciousBaby and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter. We will disqualify any entries that we believe are generated by scripts and other automated technology. When applicable, the winner may be required to execute and return within five business days an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Liability and Publicity Release to be eligible for the prize or an alternate winner will be selected. All prizes will be awarded. No substitutions including for cash are permitted, except that DeliciousBaby reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater monetary value for any prize. Winners shall be responsible and liable for all federal, state and local taxes on the value of their prize.

Filed Under: giveaways

398 comments | Posted on August 10, 2009 | Save to del.icio.us

Answer to Mystery Photo Friday: Nasal Aspirator (aka Snot Sucker)

Several readers guessed that the mystery product I picked up in a Parisian pharmacy was a Nasal Aspirator, designed to remove mucus from a baby's nose. I've read that this type of "snot sucker" works much better than the bulb aspirators we use in the US. The parent inhales through the mouthpiece and mucus magically fills the device (a strategically placed cotton ball prevents things from going too far). Somehow, though, I've never gotten up the nerve to use it and it sat in its unopened box until I decided that it would make a fun Photo Friday post!

Bebisol French Nasal Aspirator

Filed Under: photo-friday

2 comments | Posted on August 9, 2009 | Save to del.icio.us

Mystery Photo Friday: Baby Product from Paris

How is this used?

Does anyone want to guess the purpose of this (possibly glamorous) baby-related product I picked up in Paris? I'll post the answer this weekend.

Photo Friday: Please Share Your Photos:
Share a favorite travel photo by adding your link below. First timers, here is more Information about Photo Friday

Filed Under: photo-friday

15 comments | Posted on August 6, 2009 | Save to del.icio.us

Product Review: Medela Freestyle™ Breastpump

This is an unpaid review of the Medela Freestyle breastpump. The product was given to me for review by Medela. My review policy dictates that I never keep samples valued at over $40, and because the Freestyle cannot be reused by another person, I returned this unit to the manufacturer.

Medela Freestyle Breast Pump

When Everest, my oldest, was born he was physically unable to nurse. It was a problem we never ironed out, and he thrived the milk I pumped using my Medela Pump In Style Advanced. I lugged the breastpump with me everywhere - on trains, planes, and in automobiles. I'm proud to say that he was exclusively breastmilk fed for the first six months of his life. I'm grateful that I was able to provide for him in that way, and yet I developed a love-hate relationship with the pump itself. Midnight pumping just isn't as cuddly as a midnight feeding, and the pump took up much-needed space in my carry-on bag on every single trip.

When I saw the new Medela Freestyle breastpump, I was intrigued. Not only does it fit in the palm of my hand, but it claimed to have a more comfortable fit and a memory feature that would mean less fiddling with the machine at each pumping session. My recent trip to Chicago for BlogHer and TBEX was the first time Eilan would be using a bottle, and seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it out. I was delighted that Medela agreed to send me a unit to review.

Medela Freestyle and Medela Pump In Style Advanced

• Both breast pumps seemed equally powerful, and pumping out a bottle took me about 15 to 20 minutes with each
• The Medela Freestyle weighs just under 13 ounces and has an internal battery (meaning that you don't have to carry a power adaptor). Removed from its case, the Pump In Style weighs 2lbs 5oz plus the weight of the whichever power source you choose (car adaptor, battery or electrical adaptor)
• The Freestyle Breastpump has a memory feature that lets you set different levels for each of the two phases of pumping. It also remembers how long it took for you to "let down." I still found myself fiddling with the settings during each use, but if I were pumping in a traditional office while I focused on email, I'd probably really appreciate the ability to put the pump on "autopilot"
• The Freestyle's new valves and membranes seem more sturdy than the ones that came with the Pump In Style. That's good, because it can be tricky to locate replacements in a strange city.
• The Pump In Style breastpump's tubing collected moisture over time, and it was difficult to clean our thoroughly or dry. I steam sterilized it periodically and replaced it once or twice. While I have not used it for very long, the Freestyle does not seem to have this problem, and the manufacturer's instructions say that you do not need to clean the Freestyle Breastpump's tubing.
• With the Pump In Style, if you need to grab a glass of water or help a child who needs something, it's easier to stop pumping than to get up and move with the pump. The Freestyle is lighter weight and can be clipped onto a waistband. I wouldn't want to chase after a rambunctious toddler while pumping, but at least I'm not immobilized for 20 minutes.

Medela Freestyle's Updated Pumping Accessories
Several of the Accessories that come with the Medela Freestyle had been upgraded since I bought my Pump In Style back in 2005. These new accessories are also available for separate purchase.

• I don't love the updated collection bottles - they're slightly bulkier than the old bottles and the numbers are printed on rather than raised. Luckily the old bottles are interchangeable with the new ones.
• The new, more comfortable SoftFit Breastshields would have been really nice back when I was pumping around the clock. The fittings are the same size as the fittings for the Pump in Style breastshield, and this might be a nice upgrade for someone who pumps frequently.
• The Freestyle comes with a special purse to carry it in. It is nice quality, but frankly, I've never understood why Medela feels the need to give me a new bag with my pump. I never used the backpack that came with my Pump In Style, instead stripping the pump down to its minimum size and carrying it in my regular carry-on bag.
• The Freestyle comes with hands-free bra adapters that let you connect the pumps to your nursing bra. It seems like they've simplified this since I purchased my Pump In Style, but I still find it easiest to slip on a Hands-Free Pumping Bustier instead.

My breastmilk pumping travel kit

Traveling With the Medela Freestyle
Things have changed a lot since I first started traveling with my breastpump. I no longer need to explain what the breastpump is at the security checkpoint, and the TSA has clarified its rules on traveling with Breastmilk. Furthermore, gel packs or freezer packs are now allowed through security when they are used to keep breastmilk cool.

It was easy to fit the Freestyle Breastpump, along with pumping bottles and everything else I needed in a small bag inside my suitcase. I like the fact that you can use the pumping collection bottles as baby bottles by putting a nipple on top instead of a cap. On trips where you need to pump more than one bottle at a time, you can save space by pumping directly into storage bags.

I'm perfectly happy cleaning my pumping accessories and bottles in a hotel sink. Most hotels have extremely hot tap water, or a coffee pot that can be used to heat water for cleaning your bottles and accessories. Be careful, though, to put everything away when you leave the room - I've had overzealous housekeepers re-clean the bottles themselves (who knows what strange chemicals they might have used?) or spray clean a mirror without moving my clean baby bottles.

Conclusion
If portability is important, or if you need to watch older kids while pumping (and therefore have a difficult time being stationary for 15-20 minutes) the Freestyle is a good choice. However the $70 lower cost of the Pump In Style makes it a great choice if you will use your pump mostly at home. For frequent pumpers, I wold recommend investing in the SoftFit breastshield regardless of which pump you choose.

Medela has generously given me a brand new Medela Freesytle to give away to one lucky reader in a giveaway that begins on Monday August 10. Check back on Monday to learn how to enter!

Filed Under: breastfeeding product-review travel-gear

17 comments | Posted on August 6, 2009 | Save to del.icio.us

Can You Keep an Infant Safe in Extreme Turbulence?

By now, you've probably heard about a recent Continental Airlines flight in which extreme turbulence injured 26 people and caused the flight to make an emergency landing.

By Pylon757

Continental Airlines 767

It's easy to ignore the dangers of turbulence. We have all experienced mild turbulence at some point, and injuries are rare. Most of us assume that there will be time to assume a brace position, or in the case of a lap infant, to hold them tight, as the turbulence begins. That's why I found these two quotes from the article particularly frightening.

... passenger, Fabio Ottolini, said some flight attendants who were standing in the aisles when the turbulence hit were thrown against the roof.

"People didn't have time to do anything," AP news agency quoted him as saying.

Without a doubt, the safest place for an infant or young child is properly secured in a car-seat or an FAA approved safety harness like CARES.

With the high cost of airfares, though, a separate seat for a child under two can seem like a luxury. The FAA allows parents to carry infants on their laps instead of requiring them to buy a seat because statistically it is safer than having them all drive to their destination. If you cannot purchase a separate seat for your child, I recommend flying at a time of day when flights are typically not full so that you can place the child (in their restraint) in an empty seat.

By Transport Canada

Bracing for Turbulence with an Infant

Adults holding infants should provide as uniform support as possible to the infant's head, neck, and body, and lean over the infant to minimize the possibility of injury due to flailing.

1. The infant should be held sitting upright (so that his/her back is in a "vertical" position) and face the adult. A larger infant may need to straddle the adult's hips.
2. The adult should place one arm around the infant's torso and head and place the other arm against the seat back ahead of the adult, and rest his/her head firmly on this arm.
3. The adult should then lean forward so the infant is held in the space formed between the adult and the forward seat back. It is very important for the adult to lean forward as much as possible to protect the infant; the closer the adult is to the seat back ahead, the better.

An infant should not be placed across the adult's lap (in a horizontal position); this could result in the infant's head impacting the arm rests during lateral aircarft movements.

Reader Question: Has the recent spate of emergency landings and crashes changed your mind about flying with a lap infant?

Filed Under: flying-with-kids safety

13 comments | Posted on August 5, 2009 | Save to del.icio.us

9 Tips for Traveling Alone with an Infant or Toddler

My trip to Chicago for BlogHer and TBEX was not only Eilan's first flight, but also the first time the two of us have flown alone together. Luckily Eilan slept through the flights themselves. Still - getting into and out of town was tricky. I thought I'd share some of my tips and tricks for traveling solo with a baby or young child.

God Bless America Statue by J. Steward Johnson in Chicago's Pioneer Court

Pack Light
I have always advocated packing light when you travel with kids, and that is even more important to pack light when you will be the only person carrying everything. For this trip, I packed a rolling bag and a laptop bag. The rolling bag contained our clothing and went in the overhead bin. The laptop bag had both my laptop and all the baby items I might need in flight.

I did not bring a carseat or stroller. Instead, Eilan snuggled up in a sling as I strode through the airport, onto the CTA train, and into town. That turned out to be a wise choice. Not only did I avoid having to push a stroller and pull a suitcase at the same time, but I also avoided the heavy Chicago traffic that ensnared almost everyone else as they headed to BlogHer.

Everything in its Place
Think carefully about what you will need en-route and when you will need it. You don't want to be digging around in the bottom of your carryon bag looking for wipes while your child is balanced on your lap with an about-to-explode diaper at 10,000 feet. I carried two diapers, a small pack of wipes, and a disposable changing pad in the pocket of my sling so that I would always have easy access to them. My ID, boarding passes, Kindle and itinerary information were all in the outside pocket of my carry-on bag.

Ask for Help
Certainly you don't want to be the person handing the flight attendant a dirty diaper while she's in the middle of meal service, but that doesn't mean that you can't ask for a little extra help. Most flight attendants are incredibly gracious when you are traveling alone with children. If you are nursing and need cup of water before takeoff or something else that's a little out of the usual routine, don't be afraid to ask.

Allow Extra Time
You never know when a diaper blowout, a sudden need to nurse, or some other drama might slow you down. With no other adult on hand, it's harder to power-through or to split up the work. Instead, allow extra time at the airport just in case. You can always use that time to put your child to sleep, stretch your legs, grab a snack, or allow your child to run a little before boarding.

Plan Ahead
For me, there are few things more stressful than trying to find my way around in a strange city while one of my children is on the verge of an impatient meltdown. Before you leave home, figure out exactly how you will get from the airport to your hotel or vacation rental. Google Maps makes it easy to find public transit directions in most major cities, but even if you plan to take a car into town, you should know whether a cab or car service is the best deal.

Reserve a Crib
Even if you plan to co-sleep, it's nice to have a safe place to put a young child while you shower or get ready for your day. If you reserve a handicapped room, you might even be able to wheel the crib right into the bathroom while you get ready.

Pack a Snack
When I arrived in Chicago, the first thing I did was to head to a nearby market and pick up some healthy snacks. I'm far too frugal to order room service very often or eat snacks from the minibar, which means that if I'm stuck in the hotel room with a sleeping child, I need to have a snack close-at-hand.

Consider an Airport Hotel
If you have an early morning or late night flight, you might consider staying at the airport for that one night. On this trip, I spent my last night at the Hilton Chicago O'Hare Airport which was connected directly to the airport via a walkway. In the morning, I just packed up and walked to my gate without worrying about transit times or delays.

Have an Escape Hatch
On this trip, because I knew that I couldn't participate fully in TBEX with a baby along, my nanny flew out to meet me. Another option is to research local nanny services before you go or ask friends who live in the area for a babysitter referral.

Do you have tips that worked well for you when traveling as a solo parent?

Filed Under: flying-with-kids travel-tips

4 comments | Posted on August 4, 2009 | Save to del.icio.us

What Topics Do You Want to See Covered on DeliciousBaby?

I never seem to run out of things to write about, but sometimes I wonder whether I'm covering the topics my readers are most interested in. What other questions do you absolutely need to know the answer to before you step on a plane (or into the car) this Summer?

7 comments | Posted on August 3, 2009 | Save to del.icio.us

Watching the WNBA: Seattle Storm With Kids

This article includes a review of a complimentary outing to see the Seattle Storm basketball team. I received no other compensation besides the tickets and food at the game, and there was no requirement that I express a particular point of view. I do not accept pay-per-post or pay-per-positive reviews, and on the rare occasion that I do accept a free service from a sponsor I will always let you know..

My feminist credentials have really taken a beating lately. I'm happy in my life (after-all, I made every choice that got me where I am), but I still find myself surprised to be a stay-at-home mom with three kids who cooks dinner more nights than not. As the kids get older, though, I worry more about modeling a world in which both women and men get to choose their career path and hobbies based on what interests them, and not based on pre-conceived gender roles.

Storm Basketball

Back when I was a geeky-girl at Microsoft, that meant (in part) supporting women in other traditionally male dominated fields, and one particular favorite was our local WNBA team, the Seattle Storm. I've always loved the idea of women pushing themselves to be their best physically, even without the draw of the big salaries that the men's professional sports teams pay.

Whenever we have plans to do something new, I talk the kids through it the day before. That gives the kids a chance to think about it, ask any questions, and (hopefully) get excited. They seemed a little bit uncertain about going to a basketball game until I told them my favorite thing about professional sports (besides the junk food): You get to yell as loud as you want and nobody, not even mama, can tell you to stop. The kids eyes opened wide, and they asked me to repeat myself over and over. This was going to be fun!

The kids are ready to whack their noisemakers together

I'd forgotten how loud an actual game can be with all that yelling and loud music. As we walked in, I could see that E was a little intimidated. In fact, it turns out that there are actually two people who can ask you to stop yelling at a basketball game. Poor Eilan, asleep in the sling squirmed and opened his eyes every time I let out a yell or groaned as the other team scored a point, and eventually E, in a foreshadowing of his teenage years raised his hand in a "stop" signal and said "mom no more yelling."

Still, there was the coveted junk food, and I took a few minutes to pick up kids lunch boxes - for four dollars, each one included a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or hotdog, a juice box, and a sweet. Enough sugar to keep my yelling and batting together their tube noisemakers for the rest of the game (even if I couldn't join in). This seemed like the ideal time to introduce them to Cracker Jacks, and normally finicky E didn't have to be asked twice to try "candy covered popcorn." Mission accomplished! The kids munched away at their snacks and watched the entertainment (as is fitting for a women's team, a kids dance squad entertained us instead of scantily clad cheerleaders, and later kids from the stands were encouraged to join a conga line on the court)

Eilan at the Seattle Storm WNBA game

As with many kids outings, though, the kids just didn't last as long as the show. Eilan eventually awoke and seemed jittery with all the noise, and E finally turned to me and said "momma, I'm tired of sitting." Anxious to end on a high note, and aware that building a love of live sports (like any other grown-up activity) is an ongoing process, we exited in the last 10 minutes of a tied game (the Storm eventually won) and walked back to the car. Little D, who had been so drawn in by the drama of the game was extra disappointed to leave, and while I never like to see her feel sad there was something gratifying about having my little girl enjoy watching a professional sports team without any conception that she wouldn't or shouldn't dream of someday joining them on the court.

There are WNBA teams in 13 cities in the United States, and if you are visiting one of them, an afternoon or evening game might be a fun way to show your kids that it's ok to do what you love instead of following typical gender roles (or it might just be a fun way to relax after a tough day of sightseeing). If that is of interest to you, here is a link for discounted WNBA tickets, including 50% off all Seattle Storm tickets.

Filed Under: things-to-do-with-kids

8 comments | Posted on August 3, 2009 | Save to del.icio.us

Photo Friday: Seattle Heatcation

Seattle Heatwave 2009

Those of you following me on Twitter were treated to lots of whining about the record heat in Seattle yesterday. I finally fled the house in the afternoon, and snapped up one of the last remaining hotel rooms in the area.

This was the first time that we've slept in a hotel with all three kids! Now that there are five of us, it's essential that the "big kids" sleep in the same bed together. (Side Note: the mattress in a hotel crib is low enough to prevent a toddler from climbing out easily. That seems smart, until you try to put a 2 month old in and realize that you need to drop them the last two inches.)

Worried about bedtime drama, we wore the kids out with a walk to the nearby Whole Foods Market for dinner and a dip in the pool. There was no need to worry, though, after the heat of the day, the kids snuggled up and drifted off to sleep fairly quickly in the luxuriously cool air-conditioned room. They'll never do it again, I'm sure, but for now I'll count our first night in a hotel room together as a resounding success - I hope you'll all clear the way while I book our next big trip!

Photo Friday: Please Share Your Photos:
Share a favorite travel photo by adding your link below. First timers, here is more Information about Photo Friday

13 comments | Posted on July 30, 2009 | Save to del.icio.us