Breastfeeding and skiing

[Snowfalls108]

Hi there,
Does anyone have any advice. We are going skiing when my LO is 5 and a half months old, and he is currently exclusivily bf. I want to continue with this. During the day we are going to be taking it in turns to look after him - ie my mum will look after him one day, me the next, DH the next etc, so there will be time that I am apart from him and he'll need to have expressed milk. So my questions are:

1. Can I take expressed milk in my checked in luggage on the plane?
2. How will my milk supply cope with the time apart during the days? I think I should be able to feed him at lunch each day. He's an on demand baby though and currently feeds roughly every 3 hours, but this does change.
3. Anyone any experience of this? Thanks

Having to go through the paraphernalia of transporting liquids in planes due to health reasons I would be more tempted to ski less days.

I am so disappointed that this isn't a question about skiingwhile BFing.

I don't see why you couldn't take expressed milk in your checked in luggage, but keeping it cool wouldn't be terribly easy (I wouldn't think it would be good for more than 24 hours? I know it lasts longer than many things out of the fridge due to amazing magical properties, but wouldn't want to risk it warming, cooling, warming, cooling etc over the course of the journey).

I would think your supply will be fine, however, if you're talking about only having perhaps a maximum of four days off BFing during the day? I don't know how long you'll be away from him for, perhaps 6-8 hours, with a feed before you go and when you come back? Can't see that damaging your supply in a major way at 5.5 months.

I too think that a re-think of your skiing plans would be the best bet.

You will not be able to keep your ebm at a safe temperature for it to last any time at all in your checked luggage and you will not be able to take it as hand luggage unless it is in 100ml containers.

Can you feed your ds, ski a bit, meet him and whoever is looking after him at the top of a lift somewhere to feed him, ski a bit more then call it quits for the day? Or what about expressing while you're there for just one feed while you're skiing and not skiing the whole day.

The other alternative would be for him to have formula while you're skiing for the day, but you would end up feeling very full and uncomfortable before the day is out.

I hate to say it, but if you're chopping and changing for a week, you may find an effect on your supply (but it will be less than if you did it while he was younger.)

I went skiing with my ds when he was 9 months old so a bit different from you but I can tell you what we did. He had milk every 2-3 hours on demand before we went.

We were in a resort that wasn't too big so I could always feed at lunchtime. I also cut my days a bit short so that I wasn't away from ds for more than about 3 hours. He was old enough to have a snack box if he was really hungry but I don't know if you'll be weaning by then.

And then on the days that I had him he fed as normal on demand and the other days he was completely fine. I think sometimes when you aren't around they don't think about milk so much so it isn't an issue.

One thing though - if you have any type of circulation problems don't feed outside at all. I ended up with Raynaud's in my nipples and had to give up breastfeeding and I'm sure that feeding outside in the cold was partly to blame.

Enjoy the skiing.

Can you arrange to meet your mum and baby at cafes during the day ? You won't be able to pack more than a day's supply of ebm anyway. Feed before you go out(9am) then arrange mid am (11.30-12), maybe lunchtime and finish skiing early(3-3.30ish). You could perhaps express a bit on the day just in case the timings don't work out . Depends which resort you are going as to whether a rendezvous is feasible but you could manage at least 2 2-hour sessions that way.

Hi all, Thank you for the advice. I think we should be able to do meet ups. If I feed him at 9, then do a meet up at 11.30, then have a late lunch at 2.30 and then could be back for 5ish. Anyone know Morzine well?

I normally ski in les gets: I think your plan should work fine there as you can ski right down to the village in morzine so meet ups will be no hassle. In les gets there is a telecabine on the chavannes side for pedestrians with loads of restaurants and cafes: in fact you can even drive up to one of the main areas. So the carers could even do one day morzine, one les gets for a bit of variety (buses between the two).

There are also some great sleighs for babies: we have one that has a handle at the back, a bucket seat with seatbelt and is great if you want to go on a raquette walk (some great, easy trails les gets side). You can hire them in ski shops. If you get nice sunny weather, it is definitely an option, just wrap him up well and line it with blankets.

Les Gets /Morzine is a very family friendly resort, you'll have a great time. (by the way the tourist office in les gets has an enormous baby changing room inside, downstairs, v handy as French toilets can often
be a bit pokey. )

now that is what I would call extreme feeding.

I took my breastfeeding baby skiing at 5 and a half months. I took breastmilk in my hold luggage frozen and surrounded by ice packs in a cool bag. The hold is cold during the flight so it's only the transit times you have to worry about. Breastmilk storage guidelines www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/breastfeeding/pumpingexpressing/storingbreastmilkexpert/

I also expressed when away for feeds and skiied with a tiny rucksack to bring expressing equipment with ice pack etc. Avent have a foil lined cool bag type carrier that works well!

A word of warning: expressing in the loos etc not much fun but you might be able to find a quiet corner on the terraces (if sunny!) or a cubicle and express under your ski jacket. Also, not easy to express at altitude so had to express more at night to make sure there was enough milk. Bring lots of fennel tea to help your supply.

One or two missed feeds in the week shouldn't make too much different to your milk supply though a friend tried similar and didn't manage to express at altitude and lost the missed feed as a result.

Btw: He will be nearly at the weaning stage, my DD decided to need food the week before we left - could well work in your favour!?!

Enjoy your holiday and have a lovely break!!

i asked this a couple of weeks ago and have just come back. i took frozen ebm in a cool bag with ice packs, all removed from the freezer and put in my case just as we were leaving. it was still frozen when we got to our hotel 7 hours later. i also took my pump and pumped the day before for the next day, as i do at home.

hope it works for you, and have a great hoLiday.

Thank you all so much! That gives me hope. Baby sleigh sounds great idea usuallydormant. Expressing at altitude I can imagine will be difficult - I will make sure I stok up on the fennel tea. Cool bag with ice packs it is.
Thank you.

I can't add anything but have found this a fascinating thread! Also we are skiing in Les Gets in March (though DD will be 18 months or so by then ) so the info about sledges and tourist office is fantastic