Panic - returning to work 6/22 and have to travel on 6/30

[hellokitty1]

I'm not going back to work until 6/22 and just learned that I have a client mtg in NJ on 6/30. OMG. I am panicked. I have to fly into NJ and there are no direct flights except one airline and I'm certain I won't be able to take it bc it's not a preferred airline and the ticket is $1000 compared to $161 on the other airlines.

I am already stressed about getting into a pumping routine for daily work and this just pushes me over the edge. I have no idea what I'll do if this is not a one day trip and it is highly unlikely given the first flight in doesn't get in til noon.

OMG.

[kijip]

:hug: That is a LOT to handle in a week of returning to work.

Can you add a pumping session now to build up more of a stash?

I would take both a double electric pump for overnight AND a hand pump so if the timing works out that way you can pump off enough to stay comfortable at some place in the airport or plane. I know it sounds gross but I have one friend that ended up pumping in the airplane bathroom with her Avent Isis on a long flight without her baby. She did it to maintain supply and stay comfortable.

[hellokitty1]

:hug: That is a LOT to handle in a week of returning to work.

Can you add a pumping session now to build up more of a stash?

I would take both a double electric pump for overnight AND a hand pump so if the timing works out that way you can pump off enough to stay comfortable at some place in the airport or plane. I know it sounds gross but I have one friend that ended up pumping in the airplane bathroom with her Avent Isis on a long flight without her baby. She did it to maintain supply and stay comfortable.

Thanks Katie. I've been building a stash for awhile now so that's not as big of a concern. But I was never a good producer with pumping with dc1 and don't anticipate good results with dc2 either. so my main concern is that this will have a negative impact on my supply. I will have just started pumping more regulary the week before so my body will already be in adjustment mode and then not being able to nurse the beginning of the second week will just kill me.

And then my other concern is just logistics. This is a face-to-face client meeting so I won't be on my "turf." I'll have to try to see if there is an office I can go to to pump during the meeting. That will be awkward in itself. And add to that, the meeting is important enough to travel for but i'll be stepping out in the middle a couple times to pump so...

I have a Freestyle that I got for DS and an Isis that I had with DD so I'm all set with equipment but I'm thinking I'll have to dump it all unless my hotel has a fridge in the room. And the longer of the two legs of the flight is just 1.5 hours so I'm thiking I won't have to gross myself out by pumping in the airplane bathroom.

I am seriously debating having my mom go with me and take the baby and just hang out in the hotel during the day. this way i can be more relaxed and just travel the night before and leave the morning after the meeting. i'd have to buy her ticket with my own money but the hotel is paid for by my company.

any other BTDT stories that wil lmake me feel less anxious?

[wellyes]

I think having your mom accompany you is a GREAT idea. It will take away so much stress & worry. It'd be worth the ticket/hotel price to me, if she's willing.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I am seriously debating having my mom go with me and take the baby and just hang out in the hotel during the day.

That is exactly what I would do. At that age, I always took my baby with me on business trips. Once she was older I would leave her home if it was just one night.

I am going on a business trip tomorrow for three nights and taking the baby with me and a friend to watch her. I'll still have to pump while I am at work, but she can get that milk the next day in a bottle so I won't have to bring it home.

One time I kept my milk on ice in the sink with a sign for housekeeping that said "do not touch this" and brought it all home in a cooler in my checked luggage. :) I would have hated to dump it.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Having your mom come is a fabulous idea. I would do that in a heartbeat.

A teacher at ds's school has her mom bring the baby to her during the day so she can nurse. Seemed like a brilliant idea to me.

Beth

[kijip]

Having your mom come is a fabulous idea. I would do that in a heartbeat.

:yeahthat: That would make everything way easier! I would totally do it that way.

[hellokitty1]

I've learned more info about the trip...8:30am-2:30pm meeting so I need to fly up the day before (leaving either on a noon flight or 4pm flight) and can be back the next day around 11:30pm. I'm still not sure about my mom going but i'm leaining towards not. Here are my thoughts. give me yours...


If my mom and ds go, that means bringing a car seat as well as packing stuff for the baby. and well, although i'll be able to nurse in the evening when we arrive and in the morning, I think i'll have some level of stress knowing my mom is sitting in the hotel room with DS. And then we have to somehow meet up again after my meeting to go home. she will either have to take me to the meeting and come back and pick me up or i have to go back to the hotel and pick her up and then there's the whole issue of a very, very late checkout. Note that if my mom doesn't go, I will have her stay with DH and DD at home while I am gone bc she can help DH out. DH said he could have his mom come over and I was like, "yah right". she can't even change a diaper and only knows how to hold the baby in one position; how much help could she be????

If I go by myself, I think i can tough it out and pump. As far as pumping logistics, the ice in the sink idea is great. and I may be able ot ask my client in advance if they have a fridge at the office. I'm sure they do. I can keep my pumped milk there as well as freeze my ice pack. Also, since it's my company's meeting, I can bio breaks and lunch planned around when I need to pump so I won't miss much. And I could also probably ask for an office to pump but maybe worst case, I could go to the rental car if i had to.

I just saw a post about being away for 5 days or something. now that I could not handle. But I need to toughen up and deal with 30 hours.

thought?

[elektra]

I think the longest I was away from dd while bf was 3 days. Pumping sucked of course ( hello train bathroom with someone barging in) but I survived. I just told the people I was meeting with that I would have to pump a few times each day. I also tried not to stress out about saving every last drop of bm too. That train pumping output went into the trash for example. For some reason going into it with that expectation made it much less heartbreaking to throw some away. I was also pumping primarily to keep my supply up.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I agree that for 30 hours it is not worth it to try to bring the baby. You can pump enough to be okay.

[lovin2shop]

One thing that I did while traveling was bring two ISIS pumps along with the electric. I had a small backpack style purse that I carried the ISIS pumps with me and I was able to double pump in the bathroom quickly and then just dump and rinse. And then I used the electric pump when I had more time and a clean, comfortable area. This was for slightly longer trips, but I found that Having at lease one ISIS with me at all times was such a lifesaver. Sometimes I would find that my plans would change quickly and this was a good insurance plan for when the pumping schedule was thrown off. Also, especially as my babies got older, I usually wouldn't save the milk to bring home as that alone added quite a bit of stress to the trip.