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Top 15 Tips for Traveling with Baby this Summer

The summer season is upon us! And with it comes extra travel. Whether it is a day trip to the beach, a car trip to visit family and friends, or that big vacation complete with baby’s first flight, here are some tips and tricks any new mom can use.

When warming expressed breastmilk that has been refrigerated, it tends to be easiest to run the bottle under hot water for 2-3 minutes. Once warmed, you can dab the breastmilk with your clean knuckle to assure that it has reached your body temperature. Some babies prefer warm breastmilk, since it reminds them of the temperature experienced while breastfeeding. Other babies are happy to drink mom's perfect food even when it is cool. Sharen Medrano, IBCLC (www.nycbreastfeeding.com)

Boob Scoop: It's not necessary for you to pump at the exact times your baby is feeding at daycare. However, it is recommended that you stimulate and drain your breasts the same number of times as your baby feeds. Pumping both breasts at the same time increases pumping output and decreases pumping time. On average, women double pump for about 10-15 minutes per pumping session. If you find that you can get most of your output before that time-frame, that's fine too!

Boob Scoop: Mothers often delay a dental visit because they're concerned that if they receive local anesthesia, the medication will be passed onto their breastmilk. However, most medications used for oral and IV sedation are considered compatible with breastfeeding. Therefore, there is no need to interrupt breastfeeding after receiving novocaine or other local anesthesias, such as bupivacaine and lidocaine. In addition, Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) sedation is also compatible with breastfeeding because it is insoluble in the bloodstream. That is, once administered, it goes from your brain to your lungs, to the room air, immediately after you stop ingesting it.

Boob Scoop: As a baby gets older, it's normal for his latch to not be as wide as the early months. The reason for this is that as his mouth grows, he can fit more breast tissue into his mouth without needing to open wide. Older babies can actually look like they're nipple feeding, when in fact they are covering enough of the areola to make breastfeeding comfortable for the mother. Sharen Medrano, Yummy Mummy Support Group IBCLC (www.nycbreastfeeding.com)

Boob Scoop: Mothers are often advised to pump after feedings in order to establish good milk supply. Although this may make sense for some, (because stimulation usually means more supply), pumping after every feed can actually can create an oversupply of breastmilk in many moms. An oversupply can make it very difficult for a baby to nurse (overflowing milk and breasts so engorged that nipples can flatten) and cause the mother to feel engorged and uncomfortable. Pumping after feedings may be advisable for some mothers but certainly not for all. It is always best to consult a Board Certified Lactation Consultant for concerns regarding milk supply. Sharen Medrano, Yummy Mummy Support Group IBCLC (www.nycbreastfeeding.com) http://yummymummystore.com/blog

Boob Scoop: Almost all babies will spit up after some feedings. If your breastfed baby is gaining weight well and has good urine and stool output (6-8 wet ones and at least 3 bowel movements in 24 hours; in babies over 6 weeks old, fewer bowel movements are normal), then spitting up is more of a laundry problem than a medical issue. Most healthy babies will outgrow the spitting up stage within 4-6 months. For tips on how to minimize spit up and to help determine if the spitting up is, in fact, NOT just a laundry problem, check out this helpful link: http://kellymom.com/health/baby-health/reflux/ Sharen Medrano, Yummy Mummy Support Group IBCLC (www.nycbreastfeeding.com) http://yummymummystore.com/blog

Boob Scoop: When you begin to offer your baby solids, you may want to consider breastfeeding first and then offering the solid food. Breastfeeding first helps to keep milk supply steady, follows the recommendation that breastmilk remain the primary source of nutrition during the first year and reinforces a solids rule of thumb: Solids before one, is mostly just for fun! For more great info. on starting solids, visit: https://breastfeedingusa.org/content/article/when-best-time-start-my-baby-foods-other-breastmilk/ Sharen Medrano, Yummy Mummy Support Group IBCLC (www.nycbreastfeeding.com) http://yummymummystore.com/blog