Breastfeeding is HARD. Breastfeeding while adventuring seems even more daunting. As with anything, though, some preparation, practice, and a few pieces of good gear can make feeding time on the trail, mountain, river, or beach a little easier.
Whether you’re going for a day trip or multi-day adventure with your baby, prepare appropriately. Especially if this is one of your first trips together, try to have everything packed in the car the night before. In doing so, the act of leaving your home is less stressful, and you’re less likely to talk yourself out of going. Timing car rides around naps may also be helpful and can maximize both your and baby’s enjoyment of the journey.
You’ve made it and are now ready to adventure! Offer a feeding at the trailhead before the journey begins. You have a bit of privacy in the car and a comfy chair to sit in. It’s always nice to start the adventure off with a happy, full baby!
Nurse while resting. Find a comfortable spot such as a log that is low to the ground or drag a rock over that you can prop your feet on so your knees are closer to your chest to give baby a better base to latch. Your pack can work as an impromptu chair as well. You may also want to consider a sit pad. It’s a lightweight and inexpensive investment, will keep you warm and dry when sitting in the elements, and can also double as a changing pad.
Nurse while hiking. Start with stretchy comfortable shirts – think yoga tanks with shelf bras that you can easily pull up or down, or if you are larger chested, nursing bras and full zip tops or jackets work well to provide easy access for babe but keep mom covered. There are commercially available technical and merino wool nursing tops if you’re willing to invest and can be found from some smaller outdoor and activewear retailers. These are especially helpful in colder climates. Next, invest in a good soft-structured carrier and place baby in toward your chest. The first few times, you may need to ask a friend to help loosen buckles and retighten them once baby has latched, but after a few practice tries, you’ll get the hang of it on your own. Once baby is done feeding, adjust the straps again to make it more ergonomic.
If you exclusively pump or your partner is taking baby on the trail without the milk-producing mom, you can carry frozen single-serving bags of breastmilk in a small thermal pouch to prevent the milk from spoiling plus an insulated 12-ounce bottle or container with hot water. Pull out the milk bag when you’re ready to use it, put it against your skin, and keep hiking so it can defrost a bit. Then drop the bag into the insulated bottle to warm it. Once it’s warm, transfer it to a baby bottle, swirl, and feed. Remember, once a bag fully defrosts (i.e. no ice crystals), it must be used within 24 hours. If there’s any ice crystals left in the bag (the milk is less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit), it’s typically safe to refreeze – just mark the bag for future reference and do a sniff test before feeding it to baby.
There are also a number of options for moms who need to pump in the wild. Hand pumps require no batteries and typically are lightweight. Battery-operated wearable pumps fit directly in your bra and allow you to pump anywhere at any time without having to stop your activity. They are lightweight and easy to throw in a pack and have really made it much easier to pump on the go. As far as milk storage, the Ceres Chill has also been a life changer for many as it will provide up to 20 hours of continuous chilling and hold 12-34 ounces of milk depending on how you choose to store the milk. If you aren’t storing pumped milk for baby’s future use, consider using it as additives to your own food same as you would regular/dehydrated milk which saves space in your pack and saves time by not having to appropriately dispose of it.
While adventuring, remember to take care of mom’s own health as breastmilk supply relies heavily on supply/demand coupled with proper nutrition and hydration. Feed on demand if baby is with you. If you are away from baby and are pumping to maintain supply, remember your magic number:
Calculating your magic number
In addition, normal pumping volumes are 1-1.25 ounces/hour (or 24-30 ounces total per day) despite the huge amounts of pumped milk or freezer stashes seen on social media. If you pump more fluid ounces than this at home, that may be your “normal”; however, recognize that if you have an oversupply you are at increased risk for clogged ducts and mastitis generally and should plan for this complication by carrying antibiotics to treat mastitis or supplements such as sunflower lecithin to help treat clogged ducts in your medical kit in your pack. As with other injuries, ensure you have an emergency evacuation plan if you’re on an extended adventure and this occurs.
For hydration, breastfeeding moms without exercise need about a gallon of total water daily from food, beverages, and drinking water. Thus, when adventuring, you need even more, especially when you factor in altitude, extremes of heat or cold, and exercise.
Calorie needs depend on a variety of factors including baby’s age and how much you breastfeed. The amount needed for milk production is typically an additional 400-500 calories daily when compared to calorie needs prior to pregnancy. Choose foods higher in protein and carbohydrates as breastfeeding mothers need more of those macronutrients compared to pre-pregnancy as do athletes in order to fuel, build, and maintain muscles. You may also want to get an idea of how many calories and macronutrients your body needs before you leave on your adventure. If you have no idea how much you have been eating, track a few “average days” prior to your adventure and compare to the calorie calculator. You can check out https://tdeecalculator.net/ and input your information (gender, age, weight, height, activity level per week; omit body fat percentage as scales are not very accurate in assessing this), and it will calculate your maintenance calories and macronutrients. If you want to maintain your current weight while breastfeeding, look at the “bulking” tab as that adds in the 500 calories needed to sustain breastfeeding, and following the “moderate carbohydrate” macro split is recommended for breastfeeding. If you are tandem feeding, you may require additional calories depending on the age of the children - typically 300-400 more (so 800-900 total in addition). If you child is over the age of one and nursing less due to solids intake or if you are weaning, you can decrease your calories at your discretion. Once you get your baseline caloric intake, you can adjust the activity level depending on what type of adventure and activities you are doing which will then adjust your total calories and macros which can help you plan for food intake while you train and on your journey. This is just a starting place. Please talk with a registered dietician and/or International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for specific recommendations to optimize your nutrition and goals.
Lastly, never quit on your worst day. This applies to breastfeeding, adventuring, and life. Nature regulates our emotions and calms our senses. It provides the perfect levels of sensory exposure for our children. Relax and enjoy the view of your baby and the view of wherever your journey takes you.