Breastfeeding is amazing and wonderful and HARD. Nursing and pumping on the go presents additional challenges. Tiny humans have tiny stomachs, which means they need to eat frequently. So as adventure mamas, we need to figure out how to manage that feeding while we introduce them to adventuring, or go out on our own adventures.
I asked the amazing team of women at Tales of a Mountain Mama for their stories, tips, and advice, and I’ve collected some of our favorite tips and stories here to help you out. Collectively, these mamas and I have nursed and pumped while day hiking, at Disneyland, backpacking, during a triathlon, on bike tours, while backcountry skiing, at the park, on planes and buses, in the middle of a soccer game, and more. There are always ways to figure out how to make it work.
And for mamas who aren’t breastfeeding, you are also amazing adventure mamas! There are pros and cons to both nursing and formula feeding while outdoors, and you know what is best for your baby.
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Some Science of Breastfeeding and Pumping
Our bodies are absolutely incredible! That being said, we do need to take care of them. The biggest thing to think about with making milk is that even if we don’t have our tiny human with us, we have to move our milk semi-regularly. Not moving the milk can cause all sorts of issues; the most common is discomfort from being over-full. Less common and more serious issues include accidently decreasing our milk supply and mastitis (infection of the breast tissue).
To be very clear, exercising itself does not decrease milk supply. Repeatedly skipping feeds without pumping sends signals back to our bodies that we didn’t need that much milk, and that’s what can decrease the supply. How often is it ok to skip a feed? It varies by person. I’ve skipped feeds here and there – once every couple of week or so – with no effect, but it might be different for you.
The other potential pitfall of exercising while breastfeeding is over-compression. We all know that good support is critical for being comfortable while moving! But bras that are too tight are not only uncomfortable but can damage fragile breast tissue and block milk ducts, leading to mastitis. More on bras later!
When we’re pumping, we also need to think about how we’re storing our breastmilk. The easiest thing to do – from a logistical standpoint at least – is to dump the pumped milk. This means you don’t have to carry it and worry about keeping it cold. In some situations, this is the best thing to do.
However, it takes a lot of time and effort to make that milk and I found dumping it to be really frustrating! It’s handy to read the full CDC guidelines, but the most important thing to know is that freshly expressed milk can be left at room temperature for up to four hours before being put in the fridge. If you’re going to be out longer than that, bring an insulated bag and some icepacks to chill your milk. A side benefit of winter adventuring is that it’s already cold out, so you can just stick your milk in your backpack and keep going!
Legalities and Logistics
While private places to pump or nurse are becoming more common in places like airports, taking on adventures while breastfeeding and pumping means you’ll likely be doing these things in public at some point. As of 2018, all fifty states (and Washington DC) have laws that allow breastfeeding and pumping, covered or uncovered, in public places. This includes most anywhere, especially if you’re outdoors!
What matters, then, is your comfort with pumping and nursing on the go. TMM team member Kara Swanson shared, “When my first baby was born over 8 years ago I remember being so self-conscious about breastfeeding in public! Even though I had a nursing cover, I remember hiding behind bushes to nurse so no one would see me! Fast forward to now, all my self-consciousness has gone away. I still have a nursing cover but sometimes it can get in the way or not be practical in the moment.”
The other big logistical hoop I’ve had to deal with is flying with breastmilk. It is exempted from the three ounce limit by TSA for airport security, even if you are traveling without your child. TSA asks that, like other liquids, you pull it out of your luggage. It will likely get pulled for extra screening (mine always has), but once I’ve explained what it is no one has asked any further questions.
I went on two different solo trips while nursing my son, and each time I pumped and froze my milk and brought it home with me in a cooler with icepacks. So long as the icepacks are completely frozen, they aren’t considered a liquid and you can take them through security too. I had access to a freezer while I was traveling and preferred doing this to pumping and dumping. An alternative is to look for someone local to donate milk to so it doesn’t go to waste and you don’t have to deal with the logistics.
I did my best to bring my milk home, whether on day trips or longer trips. When I was traveling a long ways, I froze my milk before I flew or drove, and with icepacks it stayed frozen through my whole trip. A tip from TMM mama Jami Rogers: If you’re at a hotel and the in-room freezer isn’t going to cut it, you can ask if they have a bigger/colder freezer space you can use while you’re there.
Stories and Tips
I love to hear stories and tips from other mamas, especially for something that can feel intimidating at first. So I asked for stories from the other mamas on the TMM team and I was amazed by what I got back. These stories are both inspiring and informative!
My biggest takeaway from all these mamas was to experiment until you find what works for you. These stories can help show you what’s possible, and then you can figure out what works best for you and your baby.
And…stories can also invite comparison. As I read through them, I found myself wondering why I hadn’t felt strong enough to run a marathon at just a couple months post partum (I was not even close) or why I hadn’t taken my baby winter camping or on a bike-packing trip. So before we jump in to the stories, hear this:
Wherever you are, mama, you’re doing great, whether you’re in the backyard or the backcountry. Being outside is good for us, and there’s no right way to get there.
Also make sure to check out: Give Yourself Grace: Nine Tips Encouraging Postpartum Mamas Getting Outside After Baby
I know I had a TON of worries about feeding my first child and it took me quite a while to get comfortable with nursing him wherever we happened to be. The first time I did a lunch picnic as a mama, my son was two weeks old. The plan was for my parents and husband to spend an hour riding bikes while my son and I held down a picnic bench at the trailhead.
It took my mom and I two and a half hours to pack up everything I thought I might need. I wasn’t confident with breastfeeding yet, so we packed the bottle warmer and extra milk I’d pumped and formula and an folding chairs in case I couldn’t figure out how to nurse on the picnic bench and three million diapers and wipes and extra clothes and….I had no idea what I was doing. My poor husband thought we’d never go on adventures again if it took us that long to get ready!
With time and practice, I felt more confident and stronger (and I can get out of the house a little faster too). I still have misadventures involving feeding my babies. I’ve nursed sitting at picnic tables, on curbs, sitting on stumps and roots while hiking, and on the side of nordic ski trails.
I once memorably got stuck in a corn maze and had quickly collect some husks to make myself a seat in the mud to feed my son. And just a month ago, my daughter was quite clear with me that trying to nurse while having wet snow from a surprise spring snow shower falling on her face was not her idea of a good time! We are all still learning and practicing, and that’s really why this post exists.
Nursing on the Go
My current favorite place to nurse is on the front step of my house. It’s spring here right now, and the weather could not be more ideal. My two year old son gets to run around and pick dandelions and my five month old daughter is more relaxed there than anywhere else. I actually deeply enjoy nursing outside.
That being said, not all nursing on the go is quite that idyllic! I’ve nursed in the car in parking lots, on planes, at the library, in the snow and rain, and yes, in bathroom stalls when nothing else was a good option. Every new place I nursed has come with it’s own unique challenges and also the rewards of being able to be out in the world.
I found nursing on the go much easier once my babies had some head control. Before about two months, I relied a lot more on sitting in my rocking chair with all the pillows to help support them. But once they figured out what they were doing, we were off! However, other mamas have had lots of success nursing with a ring sling, so if you’re ready to get out earlier than I did, that’s a good option to try.
One question many mamas ask is about nursing covers. It’s entirely a personal decision! I never bought a cover specific for nursing mostly because I wanted to be able to see what I was doing!. Another factor for me was that my children were smallest when it was cold out, and wrangling one more layer was more than I wanted to deal with; by the time I had my baby worked into all my jackets, they were pretty well covered anyway. I have tossed a blanket or extra jacket over my shoulder a handful of times to keep snow or rain off my baby and I.
When it’s time to nurse outside, I find sitting on steps (or something approximating steps) to be the most comfortable; it gives me a little bit of back support and a way to put my feet a little lower than my bum. If it’s wet or snowy, I try to remember an extra waterproof jacket to sit on that I can roll up and strap to the outside of my backpack. (This also makes a good emergency layer for my toddler.) Or grab a tiny inflatable seat to leave in your backpack.
Other TMM mamas have also figured out how to nurse without stopping at all! Kara Swanson started nursing in her Ergobaby carrier when her daughter was around six months old, so she already had good head control and was a confident breast feeder at all angles. She shared, “I just loosened the strap on the side I was feeding her and then tightened it up and switched sides.” Jami Rogers also shared her tips for nursing in an Ergobaby with me, explaining that she also loosened the straps to get her kids in position and supported them somewhat while they nursed, though the carrier took most of the weight.
Mamas who have learned to nurse without taking baby out of the carrier tell me it was a game-changer, especially if there were older siblings who aren’t interested in stopping for the younger sibling to eat. Kara told me, “It was so convenient because I would feed her and then she would fall asleep and I wouldn’t have to stop!”
Pumping on the Go
When we’re going for really big adventures, sometimes it’s best to leave the kids behind for a while. And that means pumping on the go. When I asked for stories, I was amazed at the variety of adventures TMM mamas went on while they were pumping.
Amanda Schmidt shared that “I did a triathlon when my daughter was about 2 months old. I ended up pumping in the transition area right before starting so I could get through the entire race. I used a hand pump. No one really looked twice at me. I think I pumped under my shirt with my sports bra pushed up a bit. It’s the only triathlon I’ve done where I qualified for nationals!”
Anna Kerlee combined nursing and pumping on the go, hiking 30 miles on her 30th birthday. She shared, “I did 28 of those miles solo and used my Elvie hands free breast pumps to pump while hiking. I brought a power bank to recharge them while I wasn’t using them. My last two miles my husband and baby joined me to I could drop my milk with him and nurse her in the Ergo carrier.”
I took an Avalanche 1 backcountry skiing course while I was nursing my son, which includes one day of classroom instruction and two field days on snow. I hauled my pump up (and my milk back down) on both field days. I did a practice day pumping and skiing at the top of my local ski area to see how everything worked in the cold before I had to try with a time constraint of being with a group, which was a huge help to me. I flipped my skis over to sit on and to use for a place to set pump parts and milk bottles and such. My battery-powered pump did great! I did learn that my nipples shrink when they’re cold; a smaller flange size helped but pumping still wasn’t quite as effective as when I was warm and toasty.
I only needed to stop to pump once during the day. The first day, in the whole group, I found a clump of aspen trees to set up and pump while everyone took their turn practicing with their beacons. The second day we broke into smaller groups and I just half-turned my back during lunch break. I was a little nervous people would think I was holding them up or crazy for trying to pump on the side of the mountain, but everyone was actually super impressed that I was there.
Gear That Makes it Easier
The point of most nursing clothing is to provide easy access to your breasts while staying comfortable and discrete. Depending on where you’re nursing and pumping, this can be a gamechanger, and I’ll run through some of my favorites. But it’s not necessary to buy a whole new wardrobe – you can nurse and pump in whatever you feel comfortable in!
Many TMM mamas shared stories with me about pulling up a t-shirt, wearing a full-zip or button down jacket, and moving aside a sports bra (especially the cross-over style). It’s definitely worth it to experiment with clothes you already have at home to see what already works for you.
Cold Weather Gear
Both my babies are fall babies, so I did much of my nursing when it was cold out! I definitely appreciated not having to pull my shirt all the way up and exposing my belly to the snow. I did my Avalanche 1 course field days in a synthetic nursing t-shirt I got secondhand and made sure all my other layers zipped all the way down for easy access.
For my second baby, I splurged and got a wool nursing top from Iksplor. I basically lived in it all winter and expect to use it on our camping trips this summer! I love the fit and the quality, and the customer support when I was trying to choose a size was top-notch.
I also spent a lot of time this fall and spring in Wildelore’s All-Phases fleece. It’s designed for maternity, nursing and beyond and I can report it works very well for both maternity and nursing. I used it when the weather was especially brutal because it allowed me to keep a very warm layer down over my belly! I also wrote a full review of this fleece going into all the reasons I love it.
Warm Weather Gear
I found it much simpler to wear non-nursing specific clothes in warm weather, partially because of the warmer temperature and partially because fewer layers means less to get out of the way! I wore a lot of regular t-shirts and long-sleeved, button down hiking shirts.
I did find that I wanted a nursing-specific shirt for nursing and pumping while I wanted to look nice and I found it at Nursing Queen. I like their hidden zips in both their t-shirts and sweatshirts.
Bras
Let me just start by saying that bras are incredibly personal, and what works amazingly well for one person will not necessarily work at all for another. I think we all know this! But we have some recommendations for you anyway.
I am personally on the bustier side. Combine that with my proclivity towards “bouncy” sports – alpine skiing, mountain biking, climbing and jumping off of things with my toddler – and I definitely wanted a higher level of support.
When my son was an infant, I used regular sports bras while I was out adventuring. This wasn’t the worst; if I was active enough to need the extra support, I was not toting my baby around so I didn’t have to worry about nursing. For pumping I could find a secluded spot (usually in the woods somewhere) and just take my bra off. I found that the higher the support offered, the less I could just pull it up or to the side.
Now that I’m nursing and chasing my toddler, I’ve found that I want the support while I have my children with me. I’ve tried out three different bras and I’m very happy with my set up!
One key I found was to look for bras that offered some more than just the typical XS-S-M-L-XL size range. I have a very small rib cage to go with my bustiness, which means I struggle with the mismatch of sizes required to fit the two different measurements. Every company I tried a bra for has some variety of cup size and band size, which gave me the ability to find something that really did fit me!
Bra #1 is the Kindred Bravely Sublime Pumping and Nursing Bra. This isn’t actually a sports bra, but the double layer for pumping and nursing, as well as the way Kindred Bravely set up their sizing, means this gives me more support than your average nursing bra. I use this bra at the playground and on walks as a sort of low/medium support active bra. The double layers can get a little frustrating if you’re not pumping much or if you have a hands-free pump, but otherwise it’s worth it.
Bra #2 is the Cake Popcorn Nursing Sports Bra. This is the highest support bra I have, and it’s great when I need to really lock things down. It has a very hefty structure, including boning on each side to keep it from bunching. I especially like that I can unclip the optional racerback hook in the back without taking it off, which gives me the room to adjust the bra while nursing and pumping. The hefty structure means this isn’t a bra I would want to wear all day, but it definitely makes high-impact exercise not only possible but comfortable.
Bra #3 is the Cadenshae Ultimate Nursing Sports Bra. This is my favorite, hands down because it’s the perfect balance between comfort and support. Like the Popcorn bra, I can clip and unclip the optional racerback without taking it off, allowing the support for being active and the flexibility for nursing and pumping on the go. This bra also comes with a band expander for more variation in the fit. The New Zealand based company is awesome, with a commitment to sustainability, medically sound advice, and a fun blog about active motherhood. And while the Ultimate Nursing Sports Bra is designed for larger cup sizes, they have a completely different line of bra for smaller cup sizes.
While these are the bras that worked for me, we’re all different shapes and have different needs. For a more comprehensive set of reviews, check out our full post on Nursing Sports Bras. It has more details on how to choose a bra that’s right for you and recommendations for every size and impact level.
Pumps and Milk Management
Like bras, choosing a pump is a very personal decision, so make sure you talk to your medical professional or a lactation specialist to help you! I got fit for my flanges while I was in the hospital after delivering my son, and it made a HUGE difference in both my comfort and how much milk I was able to pump. If you are planning on taking your pump with you on adventures, make sure you check the weight of your pump as well as looking at how it’s powered.
Many TMM moms recommended a hand pump (by far the lightest and most fail-proof option) or a hands-free pump like the Elvie. My pump is an Ameda Mya Joy pump, which can be either plugged in or used with batteries. This is the pump I hauled up over 4500 feet over two days during my Avalanche 1 training! Most insurances will cover a new pump with each new pregnancy.
Managing the temperature of the milk also requires some gear. When I bought my pump, it came with a small insulated bag and some freezer packs to keep expressed milk cold. But if you need something, TMM mamas love this Skip Hop Baby insulated bag. And then, of course, most babies like their milk warm! Tommee Tippee makes a portable bottle warmer, or you can bring warm water in any insulated bottle and put a milk bag in to warm it up.
Why We Make the Effort
Adding a second baby to our family was amazing and wonderful and also hit me pretty hard. I will always remember, when she was three weeks old, a ski date that my husband and I went on while my in-laws watched our kids. We tooled around on the beginner hill for a couple of hours – I wasn’t strong enough to do anything else – but getting out and back on skis brought me to tears. I grew up skiing almost every day and getting out on snow brings me back to myself like nothing else I’ve ever found.
Being outside is good for us and good for our babies. I’ve found that being able to go skiing, hiking, biking, and camping help me retain my sense of self beyond being a mama and a feeling of strength and competence. And it is absolutely possible to both keep going on our adventures, bringing our milk home, and to introduce our kids to our favorite ways to be outdoors.
The most striking thing to me from all the stories TMM mamas shared with me was that regardless of where they were or what activity we were doing, we did eventually figure out nursing and pumping on the go! While it’s absolutely normal to be self-conscious about it at first, there are lots of ways to make it possible. For me, it’s the same balance for any outdoor adventure: on one side, trusting and listening to myself and knowing what I’m ready for (or not ready for!) and on the other side just going to do the thing. Because going outside is worth it.
Related Articles
- Best Sports Bras for Nursing
- Bouncing Back (to Adventure) After Baby
- How to Adventure While Pregnant and Postpartum
- Postpartum Hiking Safety and Tips
- At Home Workouts for Moms Who Go Outside
- Hiking with Baby: Gear
- Hiking with a Baby Ultimate Guide
Nursing and Pumping on the Go
© 2024, Tales of a Mountain Mama. All rights reserved. Republication, in part or entirety, requires a link back to this original post and permission from the author.