With the holidays quickly approaching, many families are wondering how they will travel comfortably with their breastfeeding sidekick. Grandma and grandpa can’t wait to meet the new baby, aunts and uncles anxiously await your arrival, and cousins are thrilled to have a new buddy. Families with babies of any age might choose not to travel, and a baby is a perfect excuse not to, but if you’re just as excited to see grandpa as he is to see you, don’t let your nursling stop you from boarding that plane. 

Traveling with a breastfed baby can be easier than traveling with a bottle-fed baby because everything you need is contained within one very beautiful and very useful gadget called mom. Whether you plan on packing the car or boarding an airplane, here are some tips that will make your travel a little more convenient this holiday season.

In the Skies

Although most airlines will allow you to carry a child under two on your lap at no additional charge, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommends all children, no matter the age, have their own seat and be properly restrained with an approved child restraint system.¹ This means you will be unable to nurse on landing or take off, as sometimes suggested to ease pressure in baby’s ears unless you choose not to restrain your child in his seat. Many moms report that it doesn’t bother baby any more than it does mom. However, if it leaves baby uncomfortable, you can always offer the breast once takeoff is complete. Make sure the car seat you choose is approved both for vehicles and airplanes, or you will not be allowed to bring it onto the plane.

If privacy is important to you, choose a seating location that allows for some seclusion. Airplane seats are very close together, so privacy on the plane can be tricky. Window seats or flights during a less busy time of day can be ways to achieve some solitude. If you choose to buckle your baby up in a car seat, some airlines will require the car seat to be in a window seat, making privacy a little more challenging for mom. 

You are not likely to be harassed while breastfeeding on a flight, but it has happened. When your plane is still on the ground before takeoff, the breastfeeding laws that protect you will be the laws present in the state where your flight is originating from. Once you are in the skies, the laws can be murky. Contact the airline before purchasing your tickets to see if they have any policies that protect breastfeeding mothers. 

If the contact was made via email, you can print the email and keep a copy with you in case any issues arise. If the contact was made via telephone, be sure to get the first and last name of the person you are speaking with and make a note of it. Knowing your state’s laws and your airline’s breastfeeding policies will help you prepare for the unfortunate (and hopefully unlikely) event you are hassled.

Getting through the airport with baby can be an ambitious goal, but it doesn’t have to be. Many moms find a soft infant carrier to be handy. It leaves two hands free, one to pull a suitcase and one to hold the hand of an older child if needed. A soft carrier can also provide you with the option of nursing while walking through the airport or waiting in line to board. 

If you are not comfortable nursing in the carrier, practice, or try another brand that might work better for you. Keep in mind some airports may require mom to take baby out of the carrier before going through security, while other airports allow baby to stay attached to mom. Calling your airport beforehand to find out their policy can help you anticipate the stress of getting through security. If you are more comfortable using a stroller to get baby through the airport, you are allowed to push the stroller to the gate and check it there. 

Don’t forget to pack in your carry-on some extra nursing pads, burp rags, diapers, a change of clothes for baby, a new top for you, baby toys, baby wipes, and some healthy snacks. Also, be sure to wear a top that can easily be pulled down or lifted for ease of breastfeeding. While on the flight, remember all the wonderful ways breastfeeding can make life with a baby easier. If baby is hungry, nurse. If baby is thirsty, nurse. If baby is tired, nurse. If baby is scared, nurse. If baby is crying, nurse. If baby is fussy, nurse. If baby is bored, nurse. Nurse! It’s not just for food. The other passengers will be (or should be) thankful. 

On the Road

Traveling by car with a baby can be challenging because everyone must always buckle in while the vehicle is on the road. This means you can’t nurse baby to sleep while your partner continues to decrease the mileage between you and your destination. Fortunately, there are options. Some families find that hitting the road around bedtime allows for baby to sleep during the bulk of their travels. For shorter road trips, consider leaving just before baby is ready for a nap. 

Plan lots of stops that are more than just getting gas and piling back in the car. Take breaks that allow everyone, including baby, to get out of the car, feel the sunshine, stretch their legs, and breathe some fresh air. Don’t forget a diaper check. Nurse at every stop, even if baby is not hungry, topping baby off can give you an extra hour on the road before you must stop again. 

Some babies enjoy the car, and others do not. If you happen to have a baby who finds car rides miserable, you or your partner can sit in the back with baby. This slight inconvenience for the parent who must now be a backseat passenger can be the one thing that enables you to make it to your destination with your sanity still intact. Sometimes babies find the back seat lonely, but they might find the ride more enjoyable with a familiar face to look at. 

At Grandma’s

Pulling up to an unfamiliar house where you don’t have any of your favorite parenting necessities can be intimidating with a new baby. Bring at least one of your most loved soft infant carriers. Choose the one you can comfortably breastfeed in while sitting in the living room with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandpa, and that one guy you only see at family gatherings but can’t remember his name. This way, you won’t feel like you must exit every time baby needs to snuggle up for food or comfort. Of course, nursing baby is also a great “excuse” to leave the crowd and seek quiet time in your own room if needed.

Nighttime can be the most challenging part of traveling. Trying to establish sleep in an unfamiliar place can make the already difficult job of nighttime parenting an achievement that requires courage, strength, and dedication. Be sure to follow a similar routine with baby on your trip as you do at home, and as always, having baby as close to mom as possible is the best way to address baby’s nighttime needs without excessively disrupting sleep. 

There are ways to ensure a smooth transition from sleep at home to sleep at grandma’s house. If you plan on having baby sleep in a crib, make sure the crib is in the same room as you. Baby will be able to hear and smell the familiarity of his mother, which will undoubtedly bring him comfort in his temporary bed. Pack the sheets you use at home while traveling and maintain a similar routine to the one you do at home. If you bathe baby, sing to baby, and then nurse baby to sleep, continue this practice no matter where you stay.

Beware of Holiday Weaning

Holiday weaning is a phenomenon we often see around the busy holidays but can happen anytime throughout the year, traveling or not. Moms get very busy shopping for presents, planning and attending holiday parties, and handing baby over to grandma to say hi. With all your family in town for Christmas, it’s easy to leave baby with Auntie while you head to get groceries for the Christmas party. 

The long lines and traffic can turn a short trip into an all-day outing, leaving Auntie the only option of offering baby the bottle of expressed breastmilk you left behind for an emergency. Meanwhile, you are unable to pump and perhaps get engorged. You get home, but baby already has a full belly of milk and doesn’t want to nurse. You don’t mind because you’re busy putting groceries away anyway. 

Then you start getting the pies ready for dinner and are a bit thankful for being able to do so without the distraction of your baby. The next day begins a similar process. After a few days of this, you are likely to experience a dip in milk supply while baby has become accustomed to the bottle and pacifier she has been receiving over the last few days and may not cue for the breast as much. In some cases, baby will refuse the breast altogether. And so, the term holiday weaning emerged.²

Tips to avoid holiday weaning²

• If you need to run errands, consider bringing baby, especially a younger baby since they seem to be more vulnerable to the disruption in nursing.³ Younger infants are also portable in a comfortable wrap, so don’t forget your soft carrier. Practice nursing baby in the carrier before you head out to run your errands.
• Carry baby in a soft carrier even when at home so baby can stay close and breastfeeding cues don’t go unnoticed. A sling or other soft carrier is a great way to give baby unrestricted access to the breast, therefore protecting the nursing relationship and your milk supply.⁴
• Have those family members who are offering to watch baby run the errands instead.
• Send your partner off to the store, or have your partner bake the pies. You’re a new mom. You have an excellent reason to ask for help.
• Have a potluck-style dinner to save on cooking and prep time.
• Agree to limit gift-giving between family and friends so that you don’t have to spend so much time shopping.
• If limiting gifts is not an option, shop online.

Avoiding holiday weaning is ideal, but if the holiday chaos and traveling stress send you stumbling into the grasp of holiday weaning, don’t worry; you can recover.

Tips to surviving holiday weaning⁵

• Lots of babywearing. I hope you brought that soft infant carrier I’ve mentioned five other times.
• Lots of skin to skin.
• Keep baby close during the night and the day.
• Avoid artificial nipples like pacifiers and bottles.
• Allow all of baby’s sucking needs to be met at the breast.
• If the baby is completely refusing the breast, remember the most important thing is feeding baby and protecting your supply. Pump or hand express your breastmilk and provide it to baby using an alternative feeding method. If a bottle must be used, practice paced bottle feeding.⁶
• Take a bath with baby.
• Offer the breast when baby is asleep or sleepy.
• Remember you are wooing baby to the breast. Keep the interactions comfortable and peaceful. Never force baby.

Wherever you go and however you get there, remember you are the expert in mothering your baby. Trust yourself as a mother and trust your baby. You and baby are a dyad designed to be together, to connect, and to communicate. Follow your instincts, and your holidays are sure to be enjoyable for the whole family, including baby.

References:

1. Child Safety. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2014, from http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/
2. Cortez Barry, L. (2004, June-July). How to Avert Nursing Strikes during Special Occasions. LEAVEN, Vol. 40 No. 3, 56-56.
3. Ritter, N. (2009). Holiday Weaning. New Beginnings, Vol. 28 No. 3,  30-31.
4. Travel Recommendations For The Nursing Mother. (2010, April 21). Retrieved September 29, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/recommendations/travel_recommendations.htm
5. Brussel, C. (2001, July-August). When Baby Won’t Nurse. New Beginnings, Vol. 18 No. 4, 136-138.
6. Wiessinger, D., West, D., & Pitman, T. (2010). Tear-Sheet Tool Kit. In The womanly art of breastfeeding (8th ed.). New York: Ballantine Books.