Breastfeeding baby on board

[runeatcruise]

Hello! I’m sailing the Disney Wonder in January, Galveston to San Juan and then Southern Caribbean, total of 11 nights. My son will be six months old and he’s breastfed. I’m a DCL platinum cruiser, but I’ve never done it with a baby before. Can any moms weigh in on a couple questions?

 

I understand the nursery can take bottles of breast milk for him. Have you done this? Did it go well? I’d imagine the nursery crew members are very good at this sort of thing.

Where did you wash bottles and breast pump parts?

A more tricky question: my parents will be sailing with us on the second leg, and would love to keep my son on board while I go ashore on a port excursion. Have you ever taken a breast pump ashore? Where did you pump? Did you dump the pumped milk, or did it keep cold enough with ice packs? Will DCL let me on and off the ship with ice packs?

 

One last, possibly dumb: would you foresee any issues breastfeeding while in port? I’d imagine the US is the most prudish about breastfeeding, but I don’t want to step on myself.

 

I’ll ask DCL these questions as well. Just curious about personal experiences.

[Shmoo here]

1 hour ago, runeatcruise said:

Hello! I’m sailing the Disney Wonder in January, Galveston to San Juan and then Southern Caribbean, total of 11 nights. My son will be six months old and he’s breastfed. I’m a DCL platinum cruiser, but I’ve never done it with a baby before. Can any moms weigh in on a couple questions?

 

I understand the nursery can take bottles of breast milk for him. Have you done this? Did it go well? I’d imagine the nursery crew members are very good at this sort of thing.

Where did you wash bottles and breast pump parts?

A more tricky question: my parents will be sailing with us on the second leg, and would love to keep my son on board while I go ashore on a port excursion. Have you ever taken a breast pump ashore? Where did you pump? Did you dump the pumped milk, or did it keep cold enough with ice packs? Will DCL let me on and off the ship with ice packs?

 

One last, possibly dumb: would you foresee any issues breastfeeding while in port? I’d imagine the US is the most prudish about breastfeeding, but I don’t want to step on myself.

 

I’ll ask DCL these questions as well. Just curious about personal experiences.

While not in exactly the same scenario as you, we did travel to Texas with our baby while I was breastfeeding.  One day we let my sister take care of her, while we took a day trip into San Antonio.  I didn't take a breast pump along, and I just expressed enough milk while out (in the restroom) to keep me feeling comfortable.

 

It's not likely that DCL will allow you to board with ice packs.  And there's no place to make/get ice packs while onboard.

 

My personal preference for breastfeeding "in public" is to find a secluded corner and cover up.  Others don't feel the same.

[runeatcruise]

Thanks for your comments. I’m not too fussed about privacy while he’s eating in general. I’m more wondering about local customs in the Caribbean.

 

I emailed the concierge about boarding and going into port with a cooler for breast milk. Quote:

 

Small, personal-sized coolers no larger than 12" x 12" x 12" for the purpose of housing medications, baby food, baby milk, or items related to dietary constraints are permitted as carry-on luggage.

 

To my question about ice packs, he says guest services will freeze the ice packs for me and change them out as often as I like. I mention this just in case someone is searching for it later. Great service! 

[cantgetin]

4 hours ago, runeatcruise said:

 

To my question about ice packs, he says guest services will freeze the ice packs for me and change them out as often as I like. I mention this just in case someone is searching for it later. Great service! 

Report  back after this happens--I've never heard of such a service.  On the other hand, you are cruising concierge level and that often makes a difference in how things are handled.  It would be great IF this service is available to everyone.

 

I will make this comment only because I've seen some mothers try to argue with crew.  A breastfeeding infant is considered a "child" by DCL terminology.  You and the child are welcome in any family areas, but not in "adult only" areas.  This seems totally obvious to me, but as I said, I've seen mothers try to dispute with crew both in the nightclub area after 9pm and on Serenity Bay!

 

[runeatcruise]

7 minutes ago, cantgetin said:

Report  back after this happens--I've never heard of such a service.  On the other hand, you are cruising concierge level and that often makes a difference in how things are handled.  It would be great IF this service is available to everyone.

 

I will make this comment only because I've seen some mothers try to argue with crew.  A breastfeeding infant is considered a "child" by DCL terminology.  You and the child are welcome in any family areas, but not in "adult only" areas.  This seems totally obvious to me, but as I said, I've seen mothers try to dispute with crew both in the nightclub area after 9pm and on Serenity Bay!

 

 

Fair enough about the ice packs and concierge. I’ll definitely ask when on board.

 

Ha, thanks for the heads up. While it may feel like my baby is attached to me, I’m under no illusions that he’s literally part of my adult body. He and I will both enjoy our evenings in our respective appropriate places.

 

Hopefully some moms or parents can weigh in on my original questions? 

[ljandgb]

For local thoughts on breastfeeding, I'd try the Ports of Call section here, or the TripAdvisor travel forum for the ports you'll be in. You're more likely to get someone with first hand knowledge.  I've traveled for work, without baby, and pumped.  FWIW, I'd say go with a hand pump and then dump it at most if you are off the ship without baby, unless you are desperate to keep every drop, as I can't imagine setting up, pumping, then carrying around the cooler while on an excursion with a group.  Maybe if you did a private excursion, or just went to a beach.  I found that often it was just more hassle than it was really worth to make sure I brought every drop back home to baby.

 

If you need to store up on the ship, I'd pump some while nursing him, as that always seemed to give me a boost in the production department.  Then you could keep it in the fridge in the room.

 

Are you traveling concierge?  They might help with bottle/nipple cleaning.  My pump parts I just washed normally at home, or in the sink of wherever I was traveling.  I'd bring a small drying rack, dish soap, brush, maybe even a small bucket/bin to soak things in.

 

Hope that helps some.  Babies require an inordinate amount of stuff and planning to travel!

[runeatcruise]

2 hours ago, ljandgb said:

For local thoughts on breastfeeding, I'd try the Ports of Call section here, or the TripAdvisor travel forum for the ports you'll be in. You're more likely to get someone with first hand knowledge.  I've traveled for work, without baby, and pumped.  FWIW, I'd say go with a hand pump and then dump it at most if you are off the ship without baby, unless you are desperate to keep every drop, as I can't imagine setting up, pumping, then carrying around the cooler while on an excursion with a group.  Maybe if you did a private excursion, or just went to a beach.  I found that often it was just more hassle than it was really worth to make sure I brought every drop back home to baby.

 

If you need to store up on the ship, I'd pump some while nursing him, as that always seemed to give me a boost in the production department.  Then you could keep it in the fridge in the room.

 

Are you traveling concierge?  They might help with bottle/nipple cleaning.  My pump parts I just washed normally at home, or in the sink of wherever I was traveling.  I'd bring a small drying rack, dish soap, brush, maybe even a small bucket/bin to soak things in.

 

Hope that helps some.  Babies require an inordinate amount of stuff and planning to travel!

 

Thanks for the advice! 

[waterbug123]

On 11/24/2018 at 4:42 PM, Shmoo here said:

It's not likely that DCL will allow you to board with ice packs.  And there's no place to make/get ice packs while onboard.

 

On 11/24/2018 at 5:19 PM, runeatcruise said:

To my question about ice packs, he says guest services will freeze the ice packs for me and change them out as often as I like. I mention this just in case someone is searching for it later. Great service! 

 

In case that doesn't work out as planned, take some empty ziploc freezer bags (they're sturdier than regular ziploc bags) and ask your stateroom attendant or any bartender for ice as needed. 

[angie7911922]

I can help with a couple of your original questions. 

 

I had no problems taking bottles of breast milk into the nursery. The staff is always very accommodating. Also, I just cleaned my pump in the sink in my stateroom. It was a little awkward as the sinks are small, but it worked just fine. 

 

I have never tried to take my pump off the ship, so I can't help with that part - sorry.

 

Good Luck!!

[runeatcruise]

13 hours ago, angie7911922 said:

I can help with a couple of your original questions. 

 

I had no problems taking bottles of breast milk into the nursery. The staff is always very accommodating. Also, I just cleaned my pump in the sink in my stateroom. It was a little awkward as the sinks are small, but it worked just fine. 

 

I have never tried to take my pump off the ship, so I can't help with that part - sorry.

 

Good Luck!!

 

This is great. Thanks for circling back on my questions. This question may be ridiculous (and doesn’t matter anyway) but did the nursery wash the bottles or give them back to you dirty? 

[ArthurUSCG]

FYI: You can request a pack and play crib, bottle warmer and sterilizer for your room.

 

I can't help with the pumping questions because we were using formula. The nursery staff was awesome when we cruised with an infant, but that was back when a 8week old could cruise.

[Foxinspace]

I didn't do a cruise while my babe was using bottles but have done several different hotel rooms.  I took along my own soap and drying rack and cleaned everything in the sink.  To be extra safe make sure you give the sink and counters a clean too before you do the bottles.  Also before you leave the room in the AM, make sure you pack up all the small parts for your pump, don't want to loose anything.

 

Have a wonderful trip and enjoy your babe!

[runeatcruise]

Quick follow-up on my questions about breastfeeding baby on board, in case anyone is searching later. 

 

• The nursery staff was awesome with breast milk. They followed all the same rules as we do at home regarding warmed milk, which is all the CDC rules. They asked for milk to come in a separate storage bottle from the feeding bottle so that they could only warm one or two ounces at a time so as not to waste the breast milk. They let me drop milk early before my son's nursery appointment so that the milk didn't have to be out of the fridge. Truly a great experience. 
• I washed bottles and breast pump parts in the sink and it worked out fine.
• I did take my breast pump off the ship with me on port excursions and pumped while I was away from my baby. It was no problem at all. Security didn't even ask me about the bottles of fresh milk in the cooler coming back on to the ship. My cooler met their requirements for cooler size.
• Guest services will indeed freeze ice packs for you upon request. In my case, since I was sailing concierge, the concierge hosts ran the ice packs down to guest services and back up to the lounge for me when I needed them, but any guest can have ice packs frozen at guest services. Another in my party did it for medication one day without the concierge. I had no problem getting on or off the ship with ice packs.

A few other comments based on other items in this thread.

 

• I had no problems breastfeeding anywhere on the ship or anywhere in port. Not one person ever made a comment to me, and I'm not sure anyone even noticed. I never experienced even a glare or sidelong glance. I was not the only breastfeeding mom on board.
• For the record, I never witnessed a mom trying to bring her baby into the adult areas during adult-only hours.

Also, something I didn't know! Cadillac Lounge (on the Wonder) is adults only all the time. Crown and Fin and Azure are adults only after 9pm, but Cadillac Lounge is a kid-free zone 24/7.

 

Thanks to all for your comments! If anyone is reading this later and has any questions about breastfeeding on board, please feel free to message me and I'll try to help, even if it's been a long time. I found it hard to find good information. 

[croozymooner]

I have sailed twice while breastfeeding, once in 2013 and once in 2018 (different kids, obviously).  The nursery will take pumped milk and give you back the used bottles dirty.  I used the bathroom sink (the bathroom with the shower, not the toilet) and a tiny portable drying rack for washing parts.  I never brought the babies to adult only areas.  I nursed freely everywhere else I felt like it-- sometimes with a cover and sometimes not.  I'm pretty small chested so easy to be discrete and relatively modest.  I never had anyone notice or care.  I never had an issue in ports but we were always just at beaches.  At dinner, the assistant server (female) cut my food for me once or twice when she noticed I was having a hard time eating while nursing which was cute (she volunteered...I never asked).  Honestly, I think this is a very non-issue if you've made it to six months of nursing.