Suzette's Parenting and Breastfeeding Blog

As I was trying to re-write this post, I got lazy. Yes, I wrote “RE-WRITE” because I realized I’ve written this before for MMB.

Well, bringing home EBM is not a new stuff. I learnt it from a supermom, SiawFui in MMB, and improved it as I have more experience, and with the change of airline rules etc. When I came back from New Zealand, I received lots of enquiries on how to do that. As SF was my guru in this, I consulted her. She suggested that we write an article and place in the FAQ area.

Though 4 years have come and gone, the tips in the article is still useful and valid. So, I think instead of re-writing it, I’ll just provide links to that article, which is now split into 4 parts after Lilian revampt the pages:
http://www.mymomsbest.com/travelling.htm
http://www.mymomsbest.com/travelling-and-breastfeeding-pt-2.htm
http://www.mymomsbest.com/travelling-and-breastfeeding-pt-3.htm
http://www.mymomsbest.com/travelling-and-breastfeeding-pt-4.htm

In the articles, we have provided tips like:
Continue Reading »

5 years ago, when Ian was still inside my tummy, I worried about how I could breastfeed him for long. My job requires me to travel extensively. On those days when travel budget was still good, I used to travel 2 or 3 times a month.

Depending on where I go, some trips would be just 1 night, but some last for a week. Traveling to US would be 8 days due to time spent on route.

There were 2 issues that worried me. First, how to stock up enough for Ian when I am away? Second, how to store and bring back my EBMs from overseas?

I tried to solve 1 thing at a time. Since second issue won’t happen for the first 2 months (would be in maternity leave), so I tried to look for answer for storage first.

How to Stock Up Enough Before Your Trip?
My very first advice from my colleague, was to store my EBM using containers bought from Tesco/Carrefour as below:

Continue Reading »

After the last trip from China (Beijing-Shanghai-Guangzhou), I have to admit that it is getting more and more challenging to continue breastfeeding my children with these traveling.

Though I’ve learnt the ways to express, keep, and transport back my EBM, it is getting more and more challenging to do so, and I believe soon it will be almost impossible. I’m glad Isabel is already 12 months old, and I still have good stock of frozen EBM that can last for a month.

First, I was challenged with “no liquid onboard” policy. The solution is to check in my ebm - if large quantity. If small quantity - try to fit within the rules of 1L ziploc bag and separate them by 100ml small packs.

And then, in the last China trip, I was faced with another bigger issue - this is even bigger than the ‘no liquid’ policy issue.

In Guangzhou, the hotel refused to freeze my ice packs for me. Without the ice Continue Reading »

I have been away the whole of last week. What you’ve read last week was my scheduled posts, written on Monday, just before I left for my holiday - to keep my blog running!

I went to Hong Kong for vacation with my sister - just the two of us, for 5D4N. Just on the second day itself I’ve already concluded : Money Not Enough, Time Not Enough.

It is really expensive, especially the food. We knew it would be expensive, but since there are so many nice food we couldn’t resist, we had to withdraw money twice to fulfill our desire.

Okay, okay, actually I forgot to budget in the cost of transportation to two places in my itinerary. The new NgongPing360 and Macau. I will blog about my trip later, after I get the pics from my sister. Will write that in my travel blog, perhaps next week or so.

Continue Reading »

After the recent bomb scares using milk bottles, my breastfeeding journey is getting more and more difficult.

Last year returning from Chicago was already challenging, but still manageable as I could check in the frozen ebm (expressed breast milk) with dry-ice (as in frozen CO2).  All my other trips last year within Asia was okay, without liquid ban policies.

But then, just as I started traveling again this year, my first trip was faced with my first liquid ban, when I returned from Manila.

I least expected this, and didn’t get myself prepared.  Luckily the way I traveled allowed me to immediately check in all my luggages and ebm, and luckily it was a short haul.

How did I do that?  I normally travel light with only half of my luggage filled with clothes (even for 4D trip).  Nowadays, to transport my ebm, I carry 2 small cooler bag/box.  I put one cooler box inside my other half of luggage bag.  In that cooler box, I line the sides with ic packs.

Continue Reading »