The idea of whipping the girls out in a small, confined, and public space of an aircraft can feel daunting to some mothers. However, there’s no need to be worried about breastfeeding while flying – this guide has everything you need to know about keeping yourself and your baby comfortable and fed while flying.

From One Mama to Another

Before you read this article, I need to say something.

You’re doing great.

I don’t care if you’re keeping your baby happy and healthy by feeding them through bottles, breasts, expressed milk, formula, or feeding tube. Fed is best.

This article is filled with my personal tips about breastfeeding while flying because that’s how I fed my baby.

I’ve included some tips about expressing milk, warming up formula, and packing breast milk at the bottom of the blog. Still, I want to be honest with you – this information was gathered through research (aka reading other blogs) rather than personal experience. You might feel better informed by reading articles on other blogs about bottle-feeding your baby while flying.

Okay, now down to the titty-gritty. My favorite tips for breastfeeding when flying. Be warned, there are going to be a lot of nipple-based puns throughout this article, because that’s just who I am.

Feed On Demand

I don’t believe in feeding babies on a schedule, especially during travel days. Here’s why:

First of all, feeding provides babies with much-needed comfort, especially when a travel day disrupts their regular routine. My little dude seems to want to hang out at the titty bar a lot more than usual on travel days (and the two days after!)

Secondly, feeding keeps your baby hydrated. Just like his mama – your baby can get very dehydrated by the dry airplane air, which is why they may feed more often than usual.

Thirdly, feeding (through breast or bottle) during takeoff and landing helps your baby equalize the pressure in their ears. Airplanes begin their descent long before landing, so you may need to feed your baby up to 30 minutes before landing!

Best Airplane Seat for Breastfeeding

Here are my honest opinions on all the seating options available to you, from the perspective of a soon-to-be topless Mama.

Aisle:

Sitting in the aisle gives you the freedom to get up, move around, and go to the bathroom without announcing your bowel movements to the entire plane. Sitting in the aisle also means increased chances of a rough encounter with a fellow passenger, accidental bumps from the service cart, and increased stares when I whip the girls out during take-off.

I prefer not to sit in the aisle.

Middle:

Window:

Bonus Strategy When Booking Tickets

This is my secret booking strategy when flying with a baby. It won’t always work out, but when it does, it’s epic.

It works best if you book your seats towards the rear of the plane – for some reason, no one wants to sit in the back!

Talk to Your Neighbors

Although breastfeeding shouldn’t be hidden or kept secret, I believe in being polite. Without a baby, it would be considered rude to go topless on a plane for both men and women. It’s perfectly acceptable with a baby – but it’s still a good idea to warn your neighbors.

A young couple sat beside me, the man in the middle seat and his wife in the aisle. As awkward as it was, I told them that the baby would be breastfeeding for takeoff and landing—and possibly during the whole flight. They laughed, I laughed, the baby nursed.

Had they expressed disgust, worry, or any negative emotion towards their topless neighbor, I would have covered up or followed my next piece of advice and talked to a flight attendant.

Talk to a Flight Attendant

Some airlines, like Emirates, offer passengers a complimentary blanket to cover up while breastfeeding. Just to let you know, this cover-up is optional. Other times, flight attendants may be happy to bring you water or a snack for free – they know keeping a breastfeeding mama fed keeps the baby fed. And a fed baby is a happy baby!

Stay Hydrated

Hydration is essential when breastfeeding and flying—even more so if you’re breastfeeding while flying! Both flying and breastfeeding dehydrate you quickly. Ensure you drink enough fluids to keep you and your little one hydrated throughout the journey.

I bring an empty water bottle (or a water bottle stuffed with ice cubes) through security. Then, I fill up once I’m through security. Some airports have drinking water stations; others only have water in the sinks. We use these LifeStraw bottles to filter out water in questionable bathroom sinks.

Dress Smartly

My go-to outfit for a flight day is a sports bra I can easily hike up over one (or both) breasts, long pants, a comfy shirt, and a bulky sweater, along with a wide scarf or shawl that doubles as both a blanket and a cover-up. I like to hike my shirts up from the waist, this way my shirt acts as a small breast cover while baby feeds. Breastfeeding makes me sweat like nobody’s business, so I need layers to take off before feeding and put back on after feeding.

The perfect outfit for breastfeeding is an individual question. I had a dress that was perfect for feeding my baby in secret, but it was far too cold for long-haul flights.

If you prefer to cover up while feeding in public, make sure you pack a breastfeeding cover, or sarong with you in your carryon.

Be Prepared

You’ll want to ensure you pack enough snacks for your travels, as some airlines may not provide enough food to keep milk production up! Check out this blog on proper Carry-On packing for a downloadable list of everything we take with us onboard.

Airline Policies on Breastfeeding

Although USA-based airlines are not legally required to allow women to breastfeed onboard their aircraft, there aren’t any rules forbidding women from breastfeeding. Plus, women’s rights to breastfeed their infants are legally protected in all 50 states. We’ve never encountered an airline that wouldn’t let me breastfeed onboard their flights, but I have heard stories of women being asked to cover up while breastfeeding onboard an aircraft.

If you’re nervous about baring your breasts on an upcoming flight, it might be a good idea to read up on the airline’s policy (or load it on your phone) before your travel day. Here are some helpful links!

Delta Airlines states online that they fully support women’s breastfeeding rights on board.
Southwest Airlines states that they fully support breastfeeding on board all their flights. I can confirm this – Southwest flight attendants have always been polite and helpful.
United Airlines states on its website that breastfeeding and pumping are allowed on board.
Air Frontier also fully supports breastfeeding and classifies pumps as medical devices.

Bottle Feeding

Although we give our baby the occasional bottle filled with expressed milk, we avoid traveling with breast milk. Typically, I’ll pump when we arrive at a new location to keep an emergency milk supply in the freezer, and my husband and I enjoy a glass (or two) of wine on our last evening, using up the emergency supply.

So, I have no first-hand experience with either expressing or transporting breastmilk in an airplane. The information found here was gleaned by talking to other moms, reading blogs, and talking to flight attendants and airport security officials.

Transporting Milk

You can legally transport breast milk (and a pumping bag) through airport security worldwide. Breast milk does not have to be in small bags, and you can legally transport more than the usual liquid allowance.

If you are transporting breastmilk through security, inform the security officers before sending your bag through the scanner. They will have to remove your breast milk bags from the cooler and swab them, but they won’t open the bags. You can also have gel packs, freezer packs, or other items needed to keep your expressed milk at a safe temperature.

Expressing Milk

I’ve got some great news for pumping mamas – your pump (and it’s bag) do not count towards your carry-on allowance! They are classified as medical devices, meaning you can bring a pumping bag on in addition to your cabin bag and personal item. Those of us who don’t use a pump (or travel with milk) can still take advantage of this loophole – if you have a baby, bring an extra bag.

By law, all medium and large-sized US airports must provide mothers with safe, clean, non-bathroom spaces where they can either breastfeed or express milk. These spaces can be as beautiful as the Gran Canaria Airport’s small child room or as small as a lactation “locker,” a small portable trailer set up in some US airports. If you’re in doubt, ask an airline staff member where you can safely (and cleanly) pump.

If you will be expressing milk on the plane, make sure to bring sanitizing wipes for your hands and any surfaces the pump may touch. I personally wouldn’t pump in an airplane bathroom, I’d recommend one of these handsfree electronic pumps for in-seat pumping.

Formula Feeding

Formula Mamas, I don’t know how you do it. Honestly! I have so much respect for those parents who not only deal with their baby but also the logistics of packing and bringing all the food their little one needs.

Here’s one blog I found very helpful.

If your baby is formula-fed, you don’t have to worry. You are legally allowed to bring warm, sterile water and packages of infant formula with you on the plane. As with any baby liquids, inform the security agents about your liquids before sending them through the scanner.

Online opinions are split about premixed or powdered formulas. You’ll have to decide what works best for your baby. However, I can imagine premixed formula being far more straightforward to deal with in the cramped space of an airplane!

If you need hot water while flying to heat up your babies bottle, talk to a flight attendant. They will be more than happy to assist!

Just make sure to ask politely, and at a semi-convinient moment – not during the safety briefing or takeoff! It’s vital to give your baby something to suckle on (or drink) during take-off and landing, so if you need a bottle heated up before takeoff, talk to flight attendants before the safety briefing begins.

If you need hot water before flying, talk to gate agents at the airport. Some airports have designated feeding areas complete with bottle warmers and kettles.