Business travel can be hard on anyone, but it is especially stressful and difficult for new parents. You’ve spent several weeks or even months taking care of every need of your new infant. Now someone expects you to just leave your baby alone? Will your spouse be able to handle it? How will it affect your childcare situation? Will everything get done? And of course, how sad will you be without your baby? The fact that you’re likely sleep deprived (and very possibly hormonal) doesn’t make putting together a plan any easier.

I’m not going to lie—I dreaded my first trip. Dreaded it. For the 24 hours before I left, every time I looked at the Mini Warrior I cried. But I put together a strategy for preparing for and dealing with the trip, and I got through it. Here is what I did:

Pumping. One of my biggest pre-trip stressors was figuring out how to pump on the road. It’s totally doable, but takes a lot of planning. Here is the post with my detailed pumping strategy (it’s long, sorry) and here is the one with my post-trip report.

Home life. It made me feel less guilty better to know that everything at home was going smoothly. If you are like that, before your trip make sure everyone at home has everything they need. Lists, schedules, and food can all be prepped (to an extent) and given to your spouse and/or the baby’s caretakers. In my case, they were one and the same so I made sure I had plenty of breastmilk in the freezer.

Keep in touch. Keeping up with your home life can make you feel less isolated and alone. Speak with your baby’s caretaker to see if they can send you updates throughout the day. The Home Warrior sent me about a photo per hour each day I was gone so I knew what was going on. He also sent me a ton of videos. It helped me feel connected and like I was still a part of my son’s life.

Enjoy the benefits. While business travel isn’t always a picnic, there are a few things you should try to enjoy. Sleeping through the night, eating in a restaurant (eating with both hands for that matter!), and maybe even some downtime to read a book—things you may have taken for granted before baby that now seem like true luxury!

Let go of the guilt. You will probably feel guilty about a number of things, but in the wise words of Mommy Points, remember what you are doing—you are earning a paycheck to provide for your family. And apparently guilt is just part of the deal with parenting, so try to let it go, do your best work, and enjoy what you can.

Readers, what are your tips for business travel as a new parent?

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Last week was my first trip away from home since I had my baby. One of my big concerns was traveling with breast milk. The TSA rules are pretty straightforward, but I’ve heard that in practice they are not super consistent (shocker right?). The rules from the TSA website are:

• Breast milk is exempt from the 3-1-1 rule (because it’s considered a medicine).
• You can travel with freezer packs, and they can be frozen solid or partially frozen.
• Separate your breast milk from your liquids toiletry bag.
• You do not have to be traveling with your child to travel with breast milk.
• You may be subject to additional screening.

Sounds pretty straightforward right? When I got to my home airport I did all of the stuff I normally do, pulling out my laptop, taking off my shoes, etc. I also pulled out my cooler full of empty bottles and freezer packs. I told the TSO that I was traveling with medicine and had a freezer pack. He said, “No problem, we’ll just have to check that the freezer pack is completely frozen.” Uh, okay. Since I had just left my house it was completely frozen, but it likely wouldn’t be the next night when I flew home. As I was waiting for them to check it (holding up the line, of course. Cringe.) I asked what would happen when I flew back home and the freezer packs were only partially frozen and repeatedly told that they had to be fully frozen. I said, “On your website it says that when traveling with medicine they can be partially frozen.” And the lady quoted the 3-1-1 rule to me. Ugh.

So I was pretty anxious about what would happen when I flew home. At that point, I had the mostly frozen gel packs, plus a quart sized bag of ice, in my cooler. I let them know I was traveling with medications, they said, “Ok thanks for letting us know,” and then slid all of my stuff through. No waiting, no extra screening, no questions about the gel packs or the ice. All that worry for nothing.

When I traveled again this past Monday, it was the same thing. I let them know, they slid it through the X-ray machine, no waiting. Easy peasy!

Obviously YMMV. I have a print out of the TSA’s guidelines in my pump bag just in case. It sounds like it will never be consistent, but that doesn’t surprise me.

Also, be sure to check out Corporette’s post about how to ask for a place to pump during travel.

As I mentioned last week, this week is my first work trip since I had my baby. I’m a little anxious about leaving the Mini Warrior, to be sure. Another big concern is that I’m still nursing. How do I pump and transport an entire day’s worth of milk through the airport, to my client’s office, and then back home? Luckily, I am part of a great mom’s group, and they helped me put together a strategy. (I would like to send a huge thank you to my friend Terri from Finding Drishti, who gave me tons of great advice. You rock, Terri!!)

Pack the supplies! I am bringing my pump (Medela Pump in Style ), a cooler (similar to this PackIt cooler from Amazon), frozen gel packs, dish soap for cleaning pump parts (kept in a contact lens case), milk storage bags, and gallon and quart sized Ziplock bags. It was recommended to bring extra bags just in case.

Make sure there will be a place to pump at the office. I don’t need to worry about it this time, but next time I travel I will have to pump at my client’s office. Even though it feels a little awkward, I will have to ask my contact if there is a mother’s room available.

Request a mini-fridge in the hotel. You can store your milk and cooler in the fridge at the hotel, but likely you will have to specifically request it. Don’t worry about freezing it—as one friend said, “You can always freeze your milk once you’re home, but you can’t refreeze it if something happens and it unfreezes.”

Pump before you leave for airport. This is great advice—I will pump at home before I leave. This way I don’t have to worry about it until I arrive at the hotel.

Plan pumping into the schedule. It’s super important pump regularly, which means you have to build time into your schedule for it. One place where that will be tricky is between my meeting and the airport, when I have a narrow window of time. I am going to try to pump in the car in a parking lot (I have done this before—just cover up with a blanket), but if there is no time I may end up in the airport restroom. Oh well.

Wear something pumping friendly. I had my outfit all planned, and was super excited to wear a dress I got right before I got pregnant, and haven’t gotten to wear much since. Until I realized that to pump I would literally have to take the dress off. No thank you!! I will be wearing slacks, a cute nursing top (similar to this one from Target), and a cardigan. I’ll wear my cute dress when I get back home!

Transporting 101. I’m going to store my milk in 2 and 3 oz increments, so if there’s a leak I won’t lose much. I will put those small bags in a gallon size bag inside my cooler. At the hotel and the office I will put it in a refrigerator. The gel packs will keep everything cold during transport, but just in case I will fill up a quart size bag with ice once I get to the airport. Take it out when you get to the security checkpoint. Let TSA know you have breastmilk and just send it through the X-ray machine, or you can request for them to visually inspect it.

It sounds like a lot of details to keep up with, that’s for sure. But that’s the way it is now! I have to at least try to get this milk home, because the idea of throwing out 30 oz makes me want to cry. After my trip I will let you all know how it goes!

Readers, any advice? Did I cover everything?

ETA: For those of you who are interested, here is what the TSA says about traveling with breast milk.

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Next week, I will take my first business trip in almost five months. That is a long time for a Road Warrior to be grounded! I am looking forward to getting going again, but apprehensive about a few things too. Will it feel weird to be back in action? Will I remember to pack everything? What about changes in airport security or my airline? (Plus I know I’ll miss my baby, but knowing he is in good hands at home with Daddy eases my mind.) Here is how I plan to prepare for the trip:

Read my blog. Whenever I review my blog, I am surprised by how much I’ve written. There is a lot of helpful stuff in here, if I do say so myself, and I need to go back and read some of it. Especially the security and packing tips!

Make a list. Before I pack, I am going to make a very detailed packing list—way more so than usual. It would be super lame to get to my destination and not have something critical, like my computer, work files, contact solution, etc.

Give myself extra time. In the past I’ve gotten the whole getting-to-the-airport thing down to an exact science—it used to take me 27-30 minutes to drive to the airport, park my car, ride the shuttle to the terminal, and go through security. For this first trip, I’m going to give myself a time cushion just in case I can’t do things as quickly as I think I should.

Figure out the “new mom” stuff. There are a specific travel issues that go along with being a new mom—pumping on the road and transporting breast milk, for starters. Not to mention figuring out how to minimize disruptions for the Mini Warrior at home, and dealing with my own sad feelings to be away from him. (Look for a post on this subject next week.)

So, Readers, that’s my plan. Any suggestions for stuff I missed?

It’s the final stretch! You’ve gotten through the nausea of the first tri, had a grand old time during the second tri, and now you’re in your final trimester. In case you haven’t realized it, traveling while pregnant requires a lot of adjustments. I’ve covered tips for making travel easier during the first and second trimesters, so now onto the third tri. My final flight was at 34 weeks and my final trip was at 36 weeks. I was huge, hot, and very slow moving. In a nutshell, my advice is to take it easy and give yourself lots of time! Trust me, you will need it. (Pictured: Motherhood Maternity Side Ruched top, on sale on Amazon for $9.99.)

Compression socks. Even more important in the third trimester, compression socks will help keep your circulation going. This reduces your risk of a blood clot while flying, as well as keep swelling to a minimum.

Stay hydrated. Even though you are probably running to the lav every thirty minutes, it is SO important to drink enough fluids. Being dehydrated can cause false labor contractions, and those can sometimes turn into real labor, which you definitely don’t want while far from home! So drink up.

Check your bags. I wouldn’t recommend trying to carry on your bags in the third trimester. They are probably too heavy to comfortably lift. Plus it’s hard enough just getting yourself around a large airport, much less muscling suitcases around.

Give yourself lots of time. Typically I arrive at the airport about 45 minutes before my flight takes off. But during that last tri I got there about an hour and a half ahead of time. It just took me sooooo much time to get around that I needed the cushion. It also alleviated a lot of potential stress to know that I had plenty of time.

Take assistance if you need it. If your connecting gate is too far for you to make without over-exerting yourself, use airline assistance. Either a cart or a nice person with a wheelchair will get you to your gate. Just remember to bring a few dollar bills for tip! Another option is to schedule more time than normal between flights. Read more of this article »

Business Travel 101 is a series from a couple of years ago about making that first business trip as easy and successful as possible. I’ve re-tooled the series, and now it’s more comprehensive than ever! It covers everything a new business traveler needs to know for that initial trip, including essential tips for packing, security, safety, etiquette, and comfort.

It happens to the best of us. You’re chugging along: flying, working, meeting, dining, in general kicking tail and taking names. And then you get to your hotel room. You’re alone, without your spouse, kids, pets, or stuff. For some people this is a dream come true, and for the people who are glad to get away, more power to you.

For some, however, this is when loneliness kicks in. When I travel a lot I tend to get really homesick. For some strange reason flying at night can make me sad, which is not a good thing when I am on a multi-leg trip! Even when night flights are not involved, long trips can cause me to feel lonely and miss home. Here are my recommendations for working through it.

• Use technology. Using Skype or Face Time keeps you up to date on what’s going on at home. During domestic trips we talk every night, but when I go to Manila Home Warrior and I have Skype dates every morning (night time for him). It’s great to be able to see each other, catch up on our day, and it helps me feel less lonely. (This is especially important since being in a foreign country can be isolating all on its own!) A good friend sends his wife videos of their three-year old when she’s gone for work, which helps her feel connected. Also, don’t forget about plain, old phone calls! If you talk to your best friend or sister or mom on a regular basis, give them a call. Just because you’re not home doesn’t mean you can’t maintain your relationships.
• Keep to your home routine as much as possible. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time you normally do, or maybe even go to bed earlier and get extra sleep. Bring your skin and hair care items from home to  maintain your beauty routine. If you typically read for twenty minutes, or write in your journal, or watch Letterman, try to do those things. Read more of this article »

For the last six years, I have been Platinum on American. The first year at my job I did the challenge (free back then—those were the days!) and achieved Platinum in six weeks. I’ve maintained it since, some years due to segments and others due to points. This year I had to stop flying in the middle of June, and will certainly not requalify for Platinum, just Gold.

Obviously this is a bummer, especially for someone who travels as much as I do. Once I go back to work, I expect travel to be at typical levels, and I would really like to maintain my status. I’m considering calling the Aadvantage Customer Service and just asking if there is anything they can do. Can they see that I got halfway there and then stopped, after six years of consistent travel levels? Do they care enough about their frequent customers to be flexible?

There are a lot of threads on Flyertalk asking if anyone has had success, with a lot of discussion but no results. Has anyone ever asked for a status exemption with an airline? Did they grant it, or just refer you to the challenge?

What do you think, Readers? Is it worth asking for? Or does it make me an entitled brat to even consider?

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As my due date approaches, I can’t help but wonder what traveling for work will be like once I’m a parent. Will it be harder? More stressful? What kind of things will I have to worry about that I don’t now? Will I resent all the time away, or be grateful for uninterrupted sleep? One thing is for sure—I know it will be different. (Pictured: Business travel–not something they talk about in What to Expect!! Available at Amazon)

So I have a question for readers who are parents, and therefore have experience with this. How has being a parent affected your business travel? Do you have any tips for making it work?

There are so many anxieties about becoming a mom. Thanks for your help figuring out how to address this one!

I have spent years working on my travel wardrobe. I have capsules for winter and summer, and enjoy adding to it on a regular basis. So it was a bit disconcerting to realize when I got pregnant that I would basically have to start over, and get a completely new wardrobe. Even more so to know this wardrobe would only be good for about six months, and had to accommodate a growing belly. Here are my tips for putting together a maternity business travel wardrobe:

Use non-maternity pants as long as they are comfortable. There are these miracle things called Belly Bands, sold all over the place, that you can use to hold up your unzipped non-maternity pants. They are great at the beginning of your pregnancy, and some people can use them throughout. They stopped being comfortable for me for a few months, but I have started using them again recently.

Use non-maternity cardigans. As long as you don’t need to button them, your non-maternity cardigans should work just fine. Using them really helped me stretch my maternity wardrobe!

Don’t buy too much at one time. This is a good rule of thumb for all maternity wear—don’t go crazy at the beginning buying stuff, because you just don’t know what will fit you comfortably as you get bigger. I actually found that once I got past 20 weeks and was feeling pretty good, I could wear my non-maternity pants with the belly band again. If I had spent a ton of money on a bunch of different maternity pants, well, it would have felt like a waste!

Dresses are tricky for travel days. I love dresses, and normally love wearing them for travel days. But during pregnancy, because my ankles would swell so dramatically, I had to wear compression socks on the plane. This meant I could only ever wear pants, which involved some planning.

Read more of this article »

Ah, the second trimester. The supposed “golden time” of pregnancy. You are finally starting to show, so people know you’re pregnant instead of wondering if you ate too much for lunch. Maybe your energy is coming back, and you require fewer naps. For some, the second trimester is when you start feeling much better. (For others, it’s just three more months of sickness. I didn’t start feeling a lot better until about halfway through, and then I was like a whole new—hungry—person.) Regardless, traveling during this period of pregnancy does require a few adjustments. Here’s what helped me get through:

Eat often. Once I started feeling better, I was hungry All. The. Time. During one trip, I got to the office and not only was there no on-site eating option, there was no time built into the schedule for a lunch break. Not okay. Now I make sure the food situation is figured out before I arrive. Also, make sure before you fly that you have enough snacks to tide you over until landing. In fact, bring extra in case you’re stuck on the plane longer than expected.

Use the restroom every chance you get. One of the super fun parts of pregnancy—frequent trips to the loo. Make sure you take advantage of every opportunity you have. It’s no fun holding it on a flight where too much turbulence means no one can get up for two hours!

Sit in the aisle. Easy access to the lav plus a little extra room to stretch and move your legs are two good reasons to sit in the aisle. I’m sure there are others as well.

Get up and walk. Whether flying or on the ground, get up every hour or so to walk for a few minutes. During flights, this helps to avoid any potential blood clot issues. Also, walking will help you avoid getting stiff and make your back less likely to hurt later.

Ask for extra pillows. You will probably need more pillows than the hotel gives you. I usually need five—one for my head, two for my back, and two for my front. Of course, nothing is as good as my huge maternity pillow, which I have been taking with me on longer trips.

Don’t be afraid to preboard. On days where you feel especially slow, go ahead and preboard. It will give you that extra time to get settled without worrying about impatient people glaring at you for holding up the line.

Compression socks. I didn’t realize how badly I needed compression socks on every flight until it was too late. I was in Florida for two weeks, and my ankles puffed up on the flight there and never really deflated. Finally I stopped in a drugstore to get a new pair. Even on short flights your ankles can swell, so just wear the darned things so you don’t have to worry about your shoes not fitting when you arrive.

Go slowly. You’re not in a race! Move at the speed that is comfortable for you. Faster people will go around you. It helps to build a little extra time into your schedule so you don’t have to hurry.

Now that I’m in the middle of my final trimester (wow time passes quickly) I’m dealing with a whole new set of travel challenges. But that’s a story for another day! Look for that post sometime in the future….

(Newly pregnant? Click here for tricks to surviving travel during your first trimester.)

Readers, what are your best tricks for making travel easier during the second trimester?

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