Breastfeeding Travel Essentials: What to Pack for a Successful Trip

As a new parent, travelling with your little one can be daunting, especially if you're a first time parent navigating through new experiences. When I was a new mom, I travelled a lot. I missed my mom, and would find myself loading up my kid and heading to Vancouver to visit her. 

As a breastfeeding parent, I learnt a few tricks over those trips that I put together for you, to help you enjoy a stress-free journey with your breastfed child.

Breastfeeding Travel Essentials: What to Pack for a Successful Trip

1. Refillable water bottle: Staying hydrated is essential for maintaining a healthy milk supply and keeping yourself comfortable during the trip. Seriously, don't even skip this. If you don't think you'll have access to water refill stations, consider packing a flat of water bottles!

2. Nutritious snacks: Granola bars, fresh fruit, and nuts are easy and healthy options that can help keep you fuelled throughout the day. You'll be hungry, just as hungry as you are at home. I know that breastfeeding made me ravenous.

3. Reusable Nursing Pads: Leaks happen, even if you're regulated you might find that yo go longer between feeds with baby in car seat. Add a set of reusable nursing pads (less likely to dry out your nips than disposable) into your bra before you go - pack another pair in your bag! We love how the reusable nursing pads from Kinder Cloth Diaper Co come with a handy micro bag for storing on the go, but you can really use any set of nursing pads and a wet bag for storage until laundry day. 

4. A Comfortable Nursing Bra: emphasis on comfortable because if it's digging in or just sitting weird it can clog a duct or cause some discomfort. I was always fan of a sleep bra, and The My Necessity from Hot Milk is a fantastic choice in shop. This nursing bra offers all-day, all-night comfort with a seamless fit that adjusts with your changing body. 

5. Nursing Friendly Outfit: You can buy the fancy nursing friendly clothing, or you can rock the two-shirt method. The two shirt method pairs your favourite nursing tank, like the Naked Tank, with an every day shirt. To nurse baby, simply lift the top shirt, unclip your bra and nurse. This method gives you full belly coverage, for all day comfort when nursing. A breastfeeding friendly hoodie can be a great comfort item on a road trip, but really that tank top will be a versatile choice for the entire trip. 
   
   
   

6. Diaper Bag: A spacious and functional diaper bag is essential for keeping all your essentials organized and within reach. You want to know where everything is when you need it. 
   
   
   

7. Extra Change of Clothes for you: I know we talked about all the things to prevent leaks, but you never know when you're child might pop off the boob and cause milk to soak you head to toe. I speak from experience. Have a change of clothes ready, and not hidden in a suitcase at the bottom of the pile of stuff. 

That said, don't forget to pack a muslin blanket or a receiving blanket for some additional coverage, clean up assistance, or support on your trip. You'll want to ensure your diaper bag is packed with the essentials for baby, and you'll be good to go.

If there's other products you still regularly use like nipple ointments, nipple shields, and nursing covers, you'll want to include those. I factor those as a sort of speciality item that not everyone still needs or wants. This also factors for packing a breast pump. 

In my early days, I would typically travel with a Haaka as I was an oversupplied. You'll want to ensure you have bottles to transfer the milk, a cooler to store the milky and a plan for the milk! But I'll let you be the boss of that conversation with your body and baby. 

With a few essential items and a little planning, you can have a stress-free journey with your little one