Am I insane to travel w/hospital grade pump?

[@llli*debbers]

Next week is a long anticipated 4 day business trip to Calgary. My LO will be 25 weeks and I'm not willing to stop nursing so I'm taking her and DH. However when I'm in my office there I will need to pump so dad can feed her the next day, just like at home w/the nanny.

My schedule will be jam packed plus i will likely be working an even longer work day there so Dad's gonna need more milk - the Symphony is fast and effective. But it's SO heavy. Am I nuts to haul it? My barely used PISA never got me what I needed.

(FYI factoid - Canada has no law requiring a lactation room in the workplace, prob due to an allowable up to 1 year maternity leave. I had to ask my office there to work on a space for me.)

[@llli*mommal]

You're not nuts! If the Symphony gets you what you need in a shorter amount of time, then bringing it means you'll get more out of your business trip.

Any chance you could rent one- or a similar grade of hospital pump- in Calgary? That way you wouldn't need to schlep it on the plane.

[@llli*worknpump]

Bring it! I've travelled a lot with it - I just wish it had a battery pack so it could be used on an airplane, but I think the newer models do (mine doesn't).

What case are you using for it? The hard-shell one it comes with? For what it's worth, I carry mine around in a backpack. I actually use an old backpack-style diaper bag (this one: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index...uctId=11912552) - it has a flap that you zip down so I can just zip it open and there is my pump. There's another zipper on the front to pull the cord through - it's almost like it was made for the pump! Lots of little nooks and crannies for extra membranes, etc., but no place to store bottles/pump parts. But it's worked well for me. Perhaps if you have an old backpack laying around you could use that will allow you to carry it on your back. If you're concerned about protecting it you could wrap the actual pump in a towel, then put it in a backpack or something...

[@llli*debbers]

That ridiculous hard case stays in my house - I have it in a soft bag but between lugging that and my laptop everyday to work, to my client's office to home I'm aging quickly! Ill check out your bag - prob can't switch up before the trip but I am likely to change to a backpack for travel and we have plenty.

Thank you!

[@llli*debbers]

You're not nuts! If the Symphony gets you what you need in a shorter amount of time, then bringing it means you'll get more out of your business trip.

Any chance you could rent one- or a similar grade of hospital pump- in Calgary? That way you wouldn't need to schlep it on the plane.

I was thinking that too but it's sub arctic there and unless they deliver to and pick up from my office, between the temp and my lack of spare minutes the schlep may be the only option.

[@llli*debbers]

Well I lugged it and it was worth it. We brought frozen milk on dry ice for DH's first Mr Mom day since I couldn't travel all day AND pump. On day two I pumped at my Calgary office and got what I needed for the following day. I know I wouldn't have with the PISA. On day 3 I pumped although Day 4 was travel back. I had enough milk to make the effort to get it back to the States. I had brought 2 ice packs that I kept frozen. i put the bagged milk in a small cooler case with the ice packs and put the whole thing in 2 zipper bags in my suitcase I figured checked bags always stay cold beneath the plane in winter. I was right. Milk made it home 11 hours later still nice and cold.

[@llli*carm3]

Well done mama

[@llli*debbers]

Breastfeeding is the kind of work worth a victory dance now and then. So many obstacles that could provide excuses to stop but they just make stubborn ol me want to keep going.