The Plane, The Plane

Nope, this is not an episode of Fantasy Island. In fact it’s quite the opposite. There I was completely full of milk and with limited time going through an airport terminal thinking about how was I going to time this all where I could pump the milk and board the plane. Going from LA to DC, I actually pulled off pumping in the big bathroom stall, do not judge me, there was more than one big stall. While sitting on multiple seat covers, balancing my backpack with the pump connected to the battery back, I was able to get in 20 minutes worth of valuable pump time that would last me most of the outbound flight. After my left foot fell asleep and numerous folks peeked through the gap between the door to see if the stall was occupied, I felt like in 2017 there just had to be a better way.

However, 48 hours later on the way from DC to LA, faced with the same dilemma and now even less time because I overslept pumping in the hotel room. I did what all spiritually led mamas would do. I started to pray and manifest that I would be on the plane in a row by myself where I could pull off pumping. I prepared by wearing my hands free pumping bra under my nursing bra that could simply snap down.

20,000 miles above the surface of the Earth during these domestic flights to and from DC for a business trip. It dawned on me that most people will never understand this predicament and most people would say “just go in the bathroom of the airplane”. But speaking from the last bathroom experience in the airport and already being grossed out from germs, that’s the last place you want to be pumping and handling your child’s milk. Stuffed inside of a bathroom stall for 20 minutes with God knows how much bacteria truly around you. Maybe it’s not any better outside in one of the airplane rows but I’d rather take my chances there.

So yes, I can now say that not only have I nursed on a plane but I’ve actually pumped twice in the row of a plane, figured out how to maneuver it for 20 minutes once with a plug and once without. It truly was almost like nursing, but not as quiet. I was covered up and although the row was not empty, there was no one in the middle seat and no boobs were ever exposed. So until someone figures out this dilemma by having a seat with a privacy guard dedicated to nursing or pumping moms. I am proof that you can pump in the sky, giving a new meaning to the miles high club!