Haute Mom Dilemma #19 ~ Leaving Baby - The Final Installment

So less than 24 hours ago I was in Boston and now I am back in my role as mommy. The grandparents are on their way home to San Francisco and the only remnant of mommy's trip away is my beloved backstage pass to the Dave Matthews concert. One of the things that is most comforting is how quickly mother and baby can come back together without a hitch, as if they were never apart.

I left off with trying to figure out how to get my pumped BM back to Los Angeles. I pumped all day Wednesday and packed my BM in a lunch sac filled with Ziploc baggies of hotel ice. I store my BM in the Medela storage bags so I already had those with me. I was able to fit five bags in the lunch sac, surround them with the ice. I then put the lunch sac in the dry clean bag from the hotel and tied it up. My homemade package was tucked neatly in my suitcase. I got to the airlines and the Grinch-like American Airlines employee checked us in and threw my suitcase on the conveyor belt. My hopes immediately diminished - Operation BM was not looking so great. I had called American Airlines prior to leaving and they assured my that there were outlets on the plane which would allow me to pump and at least bring that BM home with me. This was NOT true and the flight was agony. The good news is when I landed, my suitcase was completely dry. Operation BM was a success and I was able to bring almost five bottles worth home.

Overall, my quick trip across the country was a good one. I missed Stella terribly but know that the night away was good for all of us. I intend to write a few letters to both American Airlines and TSA about this situation. I know they have to do what they can for security but moms who BF should not have to deal with this in any situation. In the meantime, I will not be flying without Stella, and I think she is happy about that!