This is my tale of pumping and flying.
I remember my first flight after having my first baby. I was in a test squadron as a Test Naval Flight Officer, and was excited and eager to be back. I was scheduled for a three hour preflight and four hour flight, and had figured out a plan to pump a couple of times during these evolutions. I planned to head back to the mission planning table and get a pump in right after take-off. I figured it would take me about 20 minutes. Once in the plane, though, I quickly realized this plan was not going to work. It wasn’t due to the lack space or my comfortability of pretty much pumping in public, but was instead due to the mission. Given the tight timelines of our events as the Test Tactical Coordinator and Mission Commander, I could not afford 20 minutes during the flight to pump. I needed another solution.
I started with Google to find solutions. It was 2015 and my pump was a Medela Pump In Style that required a power supply. Thankfully the airplane has standard outlets, but I wanted a mobile solution. When I first searched for military aviators who pumped while flying, they all did what I did: they headed to the back of the plane for 20-30 minutes and pumped. After digging a bit deeper, though, I came up with a solution. I purchased a battery powered pump. I purchased out of pocket a Spectra S-9 and FREEMIE Collection Cups. The cups allowed me to pump with my flight suit fully on. All you could see was the plastic tubing that went from the cups to the pump in my lap. I could pump at my station while I continued to work. To get set up I would take a quick trip to the bathroom to put the cups in and make sure they were set up correctly, and then headed back to my station. When I was done pumping I would just pull the cups out and pour the milk into the bottles. Yes, I did this at my station. I’m not sure if my fellow aircrew and engineers noticed or not, but if they did they never said anything.
On longer flights I would have to pump 2-3 times. The battery powered pump and FREEMIES got me through flying during two postpartum periods. With my second kid I was back flying with the fleet and once again came across zero opposition from my fellow aircrew about my pumping next to them. I was lucky that the P-8 had a refrigerator on board, so I would place my pump parts and milk in the fridge. This saved me from having to clean between pumps while flying.
I haven’t had to fly and pump with my 3rd baby mainly due to the new job I am in, but I do keep this set up around so I can pump easily in the car when needed. Sometimes I have to pump in the car heading to work or a sim.
The breast pump industry has changed a lot since 2015. New pumps have come out. There are even ones like the Willow, which includes the pump and cups in one system that allows discrete pumping. If a pump like Willow will work for you, I recommend you check with your security manager whether or not Bluetooth enabled devices are allowed on your aircraft before use.
So what was in my helmet bag for pumping?
- Spectra S-9
- Freemie Collection Cups
- Bottle(s) and Mini Cooler
- Pumparoo Bag
- Burp Cloth to Clean Spills
- Medela Wipes in case I did need to clean on the go.
I would love to hear your stories on how you made pumping and flying work. What was your set up? How did you squeeze it in to work?
I wasn’t flying with my first daughter, but I was in an aide billet that required me to to go underway and to conduct ship tours. I used my medela PISA with a battery pack and pumped in showers/bathrooms/CO’s offices etc. I brought a cooler, bottles and milk bags, a freezer pack, and medela wipes. I wish I had known about freemies! Thanks for sharing your experience, Maggie!