Pumping while Traveling... HK Style!

Before I blog about my trip to HK, I have to blog about this first!!! This is a major accomplishment for me!

I DID IT! 60oz of expressed breast milk in four days. I know it's not as much, but I did it! Now I have an emergency stash of breast milk!

Pumping while traveling is a whole new challenge (next to saving milk stash for Y for this trip) for me! I'm used to pumping everyday at work but it's different when you have to pump on the go, in public, while traveling. I pumped in the airport, on the plane (with the Azkals a few seats away from me) and on the bus. It was a whole new experience! Pumping while making sure my nursing bib stays on its place, my boob not showing and checking if I need to switch sides is not easy I tell ya! But I gotta do, what I gotta do!

On the first day I brought my pump everywhere I go but I didn't get to pump in public so I didn't bring my pump with me anymore. We go back to the hotel every three to four hours so I just pump when I get back to the hotel. I tried to pump round the clock but I always have issues when pumping during the wee hours of the morning. I did that on the first night but couldn't produce any milk, I've always been that way even when I tried doing that at home. I guess my body is not used to that. So the next few days, I didn't set my alarm, I usually have five to six hours of sleep, so I just pump when I wake up.

About two weeks before I left, I started collecting things I had to pack and bring with me. I read up a month before my trip (blog post here). Then I came upon Didi's blog post on her pumping while traveling, it inspired me that I emailed her how she did it, we exchanged emails, chatted over YM, she gave me tips and was so nice to offer her mobile number so I can text her when I have more questions!

Ok, here are the things I brought:

1. Manual pump - for pumping on the go
2. Electric pump - for pumping in the hotel
3. Cooler - I used what I have at home, a Thermos cooler bag.

4. Insulating bag - where I put the pump and bottles while on the go
5. Ice Packs - I brought 2 Techni-Ice for the cooler and 2 small ice packs for my insulating bag for everyday use
6. 2 4oz Avent bottles
7. 1 Box of Nanny milk bags
8. Nursing cover
9. Alcohol, hand sanitizer and wet wipes
10. 4 freezer bags, 3 ziplocks - the biggest size
11. Liquid soap and small sponge - I brought Messy Bessy's Dishwashing Soap for cleaning the sink before washing pump parts
12. A sachet of Cradle bottle cleanser
13. Chicco Sterilizing Liquid

14. Lock & Lock plastic container - I used this for soaking and washing the pump, pump parts, and bottles
15. Bottle brush
16. List of places in HK where I can pump in case we'll be out for a long period (Thank you Didi for giving me the link!) Print this and keep it in your bag at all times!
17. A doctor's note saying that I'm expressing breast milk for my baby.

Here's what I did and some tips!

- I pumped every 3 to 4 hours. We stayed in Hong Kong side and pretty much went around Causeway Bay, North Point, Central, and Mong Kok only. All were near and just less than 30 minutes away from our hotel so every 3 to 4 hours was doable without me having to lug around my pump.
- After I pump, I immediately transfer my expressed breast milk to milk bags. I put 4oz per milk bag so it won't be bulky. I immediately put it in our hotel room's ref. It was cold enough to store my milk. You can opt to have it stored and chilled (DO NOT FREEZE) in the hotel ref.
- The hotel I stayed in gladly stored my milk on the last day as well as freeze my ice packs. The woman I talked to said that a lot of their guests do this too so they know how to handle expressed BM. I labeled the ziplocks with the room number and instructions.
- When I had my BM stored with the hotel's ref, I doubled the ziplocks just to be sure. You don't know what else is in their ref that may contaminate your milk.
- A night before our last day, I had my Techi Ice along with my 2 small ice packs frozen with the hotel's freezer too.
- I washed my breast pump and bottles at the end of the day before I go to sleep. I soak my pump, pumps parts and bottles in Cradle bottle cleanser (freebie from a bazaar/expo), washed and rinsed. Then soak them again in the Chicco Sterilizing Liquid that I brought, washed and rinsed again. All are washed in warm water and I left them to dry overnight. 

 - Here's how I packed my expressed milk the last day before I packed it in my luggage and checked it in.

Two Techni Ice on the sides, ziplock in between plus my grandma's medicine

- My On-the-Go cooler looks like this. I used the one that came with my Avent breast pump. Two small ones. 1 with my manual breast pump and another with two 4oz bottles with 1 ice pack each cooler.

So there! I did it! 60oz of breast milk in 4 days, I'm so proud of myself! Pumping while traveling is possible! I wouldn't have this without the help of Jenny's blog, Glam-o-Mamas and Didi's! I'm so happy to be back home and nurse Y directly again!



P.S. My stored breast milk for Y while I'm away was also enough for her! Yay! She only got to drink 5oz of formula milk!