https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 16 May 2026 18:07:16 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-on-business-trip#post-1571445 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 02:51:12 +0000 Pumuckl 1571445@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PurplePeony: I only sterlized my pump parts about once a week and always just washed them in hot water and dish soap and then set them up on a clean dishcloths (maybe bring one of your own to the hotel). I have also used ziplock bags filled with ice to cool milk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-on-business-trip#post-1571162 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 20:15:41 +0000 Corduroy 1571162@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just wanted to throw out that the hotel I stayed in on Sunday night allowed me to use the mini bar fridge because they didn't have any mini fridges available. </p> <p>Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-on-business-trip#post-1571096 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 19:47:50 +0000 Beehive 1571096@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PurplePeony: I've pumped on a few business trips, and while it's annoying, it's definitely doable - plus it feels great to take so much milk home! I agree with everyone not to worry about sterilizing, just take a bottle brush and a travel dish soap (Dapple makes a little travel-sized dish soap bottle), and you can lay them out to dry overnight on a clean hand towel. I immediately transferred the milk to bags and refrigerated the bags (just stacked them in the mini fridge). Hopefully you'll be fine getting the fridge - all the hotels I stayed at also said the "it's not guaranteed" but luckily I got one each time. </p> <p>For the trip home, I got a biggish soft-sided carrier and took a few ice packs with me, gave the ice packs to reception in a bag the night before I left and asked them to freeze the ice packs in the hotel/kitchen freezer. That way they were really frozen by the time I left. 4 hours will be no problem at all with ice packs. </p> <p>I also pumped on trains a couple times - very annoying, but it's doable and I felt kind of brave after I did it (under a nursing cover at my seat).</p> <p>Good luck, and have a good trip! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-on-business-trip#post-1570988 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 18:56:45 +0000 sunny 1570988@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I only sterilized once every week so I wouldn't worry about it! Just bring some dish soap and your cleaning sponge. I would also bring a clean tupperware container if you want to soak the pieces since I wouldn't soak stuff in the hotel sink.</p> <p>I agree with pumping straight into bags! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-on-business-trip#post-1570982 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 18:54:22 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1570982@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PurplePeony: also I have just brought a hard sided cooler and kept it full of ice with it packed tightly around the milk and survived without a fridge. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-on-business-trip#post-1570980 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 18:53:26 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1570980@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't worry about sterilizing parts on trips. Just cleaning them like you would normally do. I find the hotels usually have really hot water which is nice. I would bring some dish detergent and get the sink running with super hot water and wash my parts by hand and let them air dry. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-on-business-trip#post-1570912 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 18:22:03 +0000 Foodnerd81 1570912@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't sterilize parts, I just wash in soap and hot water. You could bring a small container of soap and a bottle brush. Pumping directly into bags is a good idea. </p> <p>That is really frustrating that they won't guarantee a fridge. I would reiterate that it's for medical reasons. </p> <p>I think a decent cookie and lots of ice should be plenty for the 4 hour trip. </p> <p>Good luck! That would really stress me out too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-on-business-trip#post-1570902 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 18:14:10 +0000 sunshineandsushi 1570902@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you tell your hotel you need the refrigerator for medical reasons, they should be able to comply. </p> <p>I would recommend pumping straight into bags, that way you don't have to deal with bottles at all on your trip. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-on-business-trip#post-1570874 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 17:57:52 +0000 MrsKoala 1570874@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PurplePeony: I use them at work. I just unscrew the valve and wipe it as best I can. Then I run it under hot water. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-on-business-trip#post-1570863 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 17:51:26 +0000 PurplePeony 1570863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsKoala: how do you get them into all the nooks and crannies, though? I've never quite understood how the wipes would work on the hard-to-reach interior areas but maybe I'm missing something! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-on-business-trip#post-1570843 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 17:43:21 +0000 MrsKoala 1570843@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You could get the Medela sterilizing wipes! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pumping-on-business-trip#post-1570805 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 17:21:56 +0000 PurplePeony 1570805@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO is 4.5 months old, and I have to leave her for three days/two nights next week for a business trip I can't get out of :crying: I know she will be fine with her daddy, but I'm starting to get really nervous about pumping and the logistics of it. I guess I will need to get a bigger cooler for the milk, since on a day-to-day basis I just just the cooler that came with my PISA but there's no way it will be big enough. Also, a fridge isn't guaranteed at the hotel, they "have a limited quantity which are first-come, first-served." Then, it's about a 4-hour trip from there back home...I have enough of a freezer stash that losing the milk wouldn't be the end of the world, but it would still suck. Oh, and I'm going to have to pump on the train going there and coming home...delightful, right?</p> <p>Beyond that, I have no idea how to sterilize my pump parts while I'm there. I have two sets, but will be pumping on three days. No microwaves for steam sterilization. Ugh. I usually love going to this particular city but I'm just really dreading it this time. Between the logistics and the fact that I'm going to miss my LO SO MUCH, it's just getting me down.</p> <p>Do any of you have tips to make things easier? </p>