For reasons beyond my control, breastfeeding didn't work out for either of my two girls. With Ally I exclusively pumped for 1 year. With Savannah I am currently exclusively breast pumping again.
This did not stop me from going to the parks and still pumping.
Now there are other Disney moms who have blogs about best places to breastfeed at the parks and tips like that, but this post is for the pumpers out there.
I first had a Medela pump in style. I liked this pump because it was build into a case that could hold my milk bags and everything else needed.
I would go to the baby care center to pump. It would take me about 20-30 min (including set up time and taking everything apart / cleaning parts. The baby care center has a breastfeeding area that you can also pump in. They have outlets to plug your pump into which helps if you don't have battery power.
Being away from my family for so long was bumming me out after a while so instead of the baby care center we would find a table at a restaurant. Usually in the back or the most private table possible. I would use a breastfeeding cover to cover myself and it took some skill to assemble everything without flashing anyone, but it worked.
Wearing a pump bra and having a cami top under my shirt was helpful in this situation. I also found it easier to bring a gallon zip lock baggie for my pump parts to keep them cold so I didn't have to wash them after each use.
And that is what I did to keep my supply up while at the parks. I would bag the milk when I was done and it worked.
After Ally was done breastfeeding I found out about the Elvie pump. And before I start complimenting Elvie, this blog is not sponsored in any way by Elvie, I really just love the product and purchased it myself. I was lucky enough to score one during the first USA release (thanks to Nick's help!.) They are gaining in popularity, but it you don't know about Elvie, it is a pump that can fit into your bra. Completely wireless. So when we went to the parks for the first time with my new pump, I put on my breastfeeding scarf to cover myself while I put my pumps in, then we just continued to walk around the parks as normal as I pumped! When I was done we stopped at a table so I could pour the milk into bags and then put everything away.
Such a big difference and although Elvie is an expensive pump ($500 for a double pump) I would of payed even more for it because it makes my life easier.
There is another wireless pump called Willow, but they have special bags that are expensive, for an exclusive pumper the Elvie is more cost effective.
For those of you with bigger pumps, the best places I find to sit and pump are Plaza in at Disneyland. The bush walls on one side make me feel like I have more privacy. At Disney California Adventure we would normally go to Sky Jumpers and sit outside where not many people are.
Pumping might be more of a hassle, but it also means my husband is able to help with bottle feeds which is a BIG help!
I hope reading this helps someone who is also a Disney pumping mom. If you have any other questions please feel free to message me or comment below.
If you are also an excursively pumping mom follow the below link to get your own sticker to show off how much of a hard worker you are!
7 comments
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Excellent blog! Very helpful.