imminent business trip - need pumping advice

[aquamam]

I have an 18 MO DS and we have a great nursing relationship - 8-10 times per day when I'm home, 3-4 times per day if I'm working. He is recently nightweaned.

He eats tons of solids, pretty much whatever we eat, and we just started him on cow's milk.

I leave in 2 days for a three day business trip. I am bringing a pump in case of engorgement, but wondering if I need to pump (and if so, how often) to keep my supply up.

I'd appreciate any advice from working-travelling mamas, thanks!

[kriket]

If I was in your shoes I would pump whenever I got the chance. Probably in the morning, at lunch twice in the evening and before bed at least. Depending on how responsive you are to a pump.

If you check out Milkshare you can probably find a mama in the city you are going to who could use your milk! That way you don't have to travel with it or dump it. I've seen a few posts along the lines of "In LA for business, can meet at LAX with milk"

[RPS67]

After I quit pumping every day for the first year, my son continued to nurse at night. When he was about 15 months old, I started traveling for work, so I took my Medela Harmony (manual) rather than my PY. I didn't see the point of hauling along the electric when I only wanted to be able to pump to relieve any engorgement. This worked fine for me -- I just dumped the milk because that was easiest. I only pumped once in the early evening when I got back to my hotel and then in the morning a bit before I left.

When I got back home, my son went right back to nursing without missing a beat. He self-weaned when he was about 18 months and by then, I had gone on another 3 or 4 trips.

BTW, when he was just over a year, he was fine with cow's milk at day care during the day and then at night when I was gone. He gave SO absolutely NO problems when I was gone! I was amazed at how flexible he was about the whole thing.