133. Disneyland With A Baby: Nursing In Hot Weather

Let's talk about how to survive a trip to a theme park while breastfeeding (both with and without baby). I'm sharing all the tips and tricks I learned from our Disneyland trip we took earlier this year, when Mila was just 4 months old!

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Read the full transcript here:

Welcome to the Breezy Babies Podcast, where we talk about all things boobs, babies, and breastfeeding. This is Episode 133 theme park with a Baby. I'm Bree the IBCLC and I made Breezy Babies with you in mind to help ease your transition into parenthood. Becoming a parent changes your life in every way imaginable. Bumps in the road are going to come up as you move into your new role, but my goal is to help smooth out those bumps and help you become the most confident parent you can be. With good education and support, I know you can meet your breastfeeding and parenting goals. Let's do this together. Hey there, friend. How are you? Thank you so much for coming back to the Breezy Babies podcast. I'm so excited to talk with you today about kind of a fun topic of dreaming of sunnier places and vacations and trips as I'm recording this podcast episode. And this actually has been an episode that has been a long time coming. Let's just say that I actually did go on a trip to Disneyland, but it was almost a year ago. It was like the end of March 2022, and I remember always having the plan to record a podcast episode about taking a baby to Disneyland, surviving a theme park, especially with nursing in hot weather. And for some reason, this episode just kept getting pushed back. I don't know why. It may be because this is where all of my gut issues really hit. Their peak is on our trip to Disneyland. So maybe I was kind of like, suppressing that trip a little bit. I will tell you, though, if I sound like a little bit of a Disneyland scrooge in this episode, I will at least tell you. My kids all had so much fun in Disneyland, they still say all the time that they want to go back to Disneyland and it's just really like their happy place. But I finally am recording a podcast episode on this topic, so I will talk specifically on Disneyland, but really these tips and tricks would apply to any theme park. And so if you find yourself going to a theme park anytime soon with a baby, then this is the podcast episode for you. But before we dive into that, I do have a message that I want to read off to you. I don't have a Google review or a podcast review for you today, which means that I need some more. So I'd so love it if you leave me a review here on Apple podcast, just click, pause, go, leave a review, and then come back and continue listening to this episode. But one of you who listens to this podcast, you messaged me on Instagram and told me how you're working on an online twin breastfeeding course behind the scenes, which is so cool. I could just go on and on about entrepreneurship and being a mom preneur and starting a business and how cool it is and amazing for kids to watch their mom to do that. I'll leave that for another day. But anyway, his message went on to say, I have been binge listening to your podcast. I absolutely love it. Your topics are excellent, and I love your teaching style. I didn't know about melatonin production in the third trimester and the impact that can have on premature babies. Just another reason why breast milk is so important for preterm babies. Sorry to ramble. Just really enjoying your podcast. Isn't that so sweet? I loved getting DMs like that on Instagram. They just make my day. So thank you so much. And, hey, if you are listening and you sent me that message, then just send me an email. Bree@breezybabies.com and I will send you one of my online courses. Totally free. Okay, back to surviving a theme park while breastfeeding. I'm going to talk about both with and without your baby, so you know a little bit about what to expect. You might be thinking, well, why would I take a baby to Disneyland? That's a valid question. But one reason why people do want to take their baby to Disneyland is because they want to go, and they want to go as a family. It's as easy as that. Personally, I would choose to go to Disneyland with a baby over being pregnant every time. I just find that when you're pregnant, you're so limited to the rides you can go on. Plus, I don't know about you, but when I'm pregnant, I'm either nauseous in the first trimester or feel so huge by the third trimester. It's just not my favorite time to be on a plane, be walking around an amusement park, and certainly not in the heat. So you might be listening and already thinking, hey, I don't want to go to a theme park when I'm pregnant or when I have a young baby. That's totally fine. I hear you. Honestly, taking a baby to a theme park is not easy. You do have to be flexible. You have to expect it's going to be a little bit of a different trip than you may have previously experienced the last time you went. But if you're okay with that, if you're there for the experience, then keep listening. I'm going to be sharing my top three tips for surviving a theme park with a baby. I'll also throw in some tips and tricks for theme parks while breastfeeding. With or without your baby, it's going to be so good. But first, I want to tell you that this podcast episode is sponsored by Amara, a baby food company that does things differently. Amara is what I stock in my kitchen for when I need grab and go, a quick mill for my 13 month old. Amara's, baby food is organic. It looks, smells, and tastes homemade. Seriously. Plus, one cool thing is that you can rehydrate the powder with water or your own breast milk. If you could take a peek into my pantry right now, you'd see packets of black beans, sweet corn, also oats and berry. Mila loves all those, but her absolute favorite is the mango carrot smoothie melts. I throw them in my diaper bag for an onthego snack. No added sugar, just good, clean ingredients. If you and your little one would like some Amara in your life, then before you order, let me share a discount code with you. Go to Amariorganicfoods.com and use my affiliate discount code Breezy 20 for 20% off. Now, if you don't remember that, you can always click the link in my show notes. Again, you can use code Breezy 20 for, 20% off@amaraorganicfoods.com. Okay, back to the theme park chat. I'm going to mostly focus on Disneyland today because that's the theme park that we went to earlier this year, march of 2022. And at that time, my baby was four months old. In fact, she turned five months old while we were there. So she was on the higher end of that five month mark. Well, I should say on the higher end of that four month mark about to turn five months, if that makes any sort of difference. Honestly, I feel like babies change at that age so much. A baby at four months and one day can be so different than a baby at four months and 29 days. But at any rate, she was at the point where she still took multiple naps a day. She was still exclusively breastfeeding, really. No solids. She couldn't walk or crawl at all, and wasn't at the age where she asked to get down. All of those things were actually why we went when we did. We had all of her food with us. She just hung out in the baby carrier or the stroller, and she also just took all of her naps there. So before I get to my top three tips, I want to share some essentials I couldn't have made it without. Number one was a baby carrier. Okay, this was priceless. We used an ergo. Honestly, it's the same ergo that I've had since I think I got it after I had my second, and she's about to turn ten. So I've had it for multiple years. I still use the same ergo. It really is my favorite. When you travel, if you can baby wear and have your hands free, that is a game changer. Absolute necessity. Another essential I couldn't have made it without was a baby hat. We took a wide brim hat that was really good for sun protection, but also really helped for discrete nursing without having to add an extra layer. Now, we lost our hat halfway through, so pack an extra. But yes, I loved my hat because I could nurse my baby in an upright position while I was sitting on a bench, and her hat was just big enough to COVID up. Nobody even knew that I was nursing. Another essential is a baby blanket. We actually brought a really thin one and used it mostly for sun protection. We also took a pacifier. We took the one with the clip so it didn't get lost or anything. But my baby really loved having that for comfort, to calm down, to sleep. That was the necessity. Our stroller, we used it for naps. We used it for diaper changes. We use it to hold all of our snacks in the bottom and all of our water bottles. So great stroller is key. Of course you want diapers and wipes. Pack a whole day's worth because when you're at a theme park, you're going to be there for a long time. And then the last one is a backup outfit in case your baby has a major blowout or a major spit up or maybe dad dropping chocolate syrup from his ice cream sundae like we did. Again, we kept forgetting things like packing a backup outfit, so we kind of just had to do our best. But those are some essentials that we really could not have made it through without. Okay, so tip number one for Disneyland with a baby is don't rush and try to avoid extreme heat. Okay, let's break this down a little bit. When you're at a theme park with a baby, you really just want to take your time because you move much slower. With a baby. They need frequent feeds, they need diaper cages, they need naps. And also you're just more tired lugging them around in the stroller and the pack and holding them through naps. Perhaps you aren't going to be moving fast. So if you can give yourself more time at the park or just know that you're not going to be going on every single ride. When we went, we were one of those crazy people who bought the five day passes. We knew we would be moving slow with a baby and three other kids. Now you do not have to buy a five day pass if you are going to Disneyland. But just again, take into account you're going to be moving slower. Instead of running to get in every line, you're going to be doing laps and looking for a place to park your stroller before you can even get in line. Also, I don't know about you, but a theme park in the middle of the summer is just about my worst nightmare. Especially if you have a baby strapped to your chest and man, it just gives me hives just thinking about it. So I know not everyone feels that way. Maybe you don't have a choice. Maybe your choice is Disneyland in the summer or nothing. And you do find yourself at a theme park in hot weather, well, you're going to want to be prepared. You're going to need to take some extra precautions. So here are some things. If you are in hot weather at a theme park, here are some things that you're going to want to do. Number one, stay hydrated. Now, this is for both you and your baby. For you, that means drinking lots of water, and even better if it contains electrolytes so you can better utilize that water for your baby. She's probably going to want and need to breastfeed more often. Breast milk is incredibly hydrating, and if your baby is younger than six months, water for baby isn't recommended anyway, so offer the breast frequently. You may even be surprised like, oh, gosh, she doesn't usually nurse this often when we're home. Well, it might be because of the heat that she needs a little bit more hydration. Number two, if you find yourself in hot weather at a theme park is some protection for us. You're going to want to think about sunscreen for us. Our baby was under six months, and you'll want to check with your own healthcare provider. But sunscreen is not generally recommended for young babies under six months. Now, that doesn't mean that you just forget about it and you say, oh, we can't use sunscreen, so we'll just do nothing. A sunburned baby would be devastating. So instead, think long shirts and pants that still allow for airflow. Think sun hats, umbrellas, sitting in the shade. Maybe even a tiny little fan that can hook on to your baby stroller would be super great. Luckily, I found that most of the lines in Disney are pretty great about providing some shade from the sun and sometimes even a fan. So you really want to think about some protection for your little one. And the third one is watch for signs of overheating in your baby that could look like a red face, flushed, feeling hot to the touch, lethargic, which just means no energy, floppy, fast heartbeat, fast breathing. All of those would be times when you would want to get some medical help and really focus on hydrating your baby and cooling down your baby. Which leads me to a pro tip here. Know where the closest medical center and baby areas are in the theme park you're at? Speaking to Disneyland and California adventures. Specifically in California. That's what I can speak to because that's the only one I've been to. Both parks have a medical center and a baby area. So if you actually go to the Disney website, they talk a little bit about their baby care centers and how it's full of things that help with babies and toddlers. They're open during regular park hours, and inside those areas, they have nursing room with chairs. They have a changing table. They have toddler sized toilets. Isn't that so cute? It says for guests under 42 inches tall, they have a feeding area with high chairs. They have a kitchen sink, bottle warmers, and a microwave. They have a vending machine offering formula, baby food, juice, diapers, wipes, sunscreen, pacifiers, and over the counter medication. All available for purchase with a credit card. Isn't that so cool? So Disneyland is pretty well stocked in case you happen to forget something. Now, where are those located? In the Disneyland park. The baby care center is at the end of Main Street, USA, next to First Aid. This is all on their website at Disney's California Adventure. The baby care center is next to Geradelli soda fountain and chocolate shop. It's right across from the bakery tour in Pacific Wharf. I find that the one in DCA is especially easy to find. Sometimes it's a little trickier for me to find the one in Disneyland, but it's there as well. And then they also talk about if you're staying at one of their Disneyland hotels, they have some areas there as well. There's changing stations throughout all the restrooms in the park. They also talk about lost children on that same part of their website. I'll link all of this in the show notes in case you want to read it for yourself, but some definite cool amenities that they do offer at Disneyland. Okay, tip number two you can eat on the go. Now, if you have a baby over six months old, you can totally take outside food into the park, baby food or whatever you want to serve to your baby. You can keep it in your diaper bag at the bottom of your stroller or a small insulated cooler. All fine. I say over six months, because that's what the recommendation is for. Offering solids is to wait until after six months. Now, I did say that this podcast would be a bit more specific to breastfeeding babies. So my baby was exclusively breastfeeding when we went, and honestly, I fed her in just about every corner of both parks. I fed her each and every time she was hungry, no matter where we were. If we were waiting in line, I just scooched her carrier down and latched her on. If we were on in an interactive area hanging out, I just find a place to sit, discreetly lift my shirt, and nurse her. I didn't cover up hardly at all. Some people stared a little bit, but mostly, honestly, no one even noticed. No one even had any idea that I was nursing my baby. Do you have to nurse uncovered? No. You can just cover up or go to the baby areas if you prefer. I just didn't want to. Just remember that you can breastfeed in public areas. You are protected by state laws, so no worries there. Okay, so not only can you eat on the go as you're moving throughout the park, but remember that your baby can do the same as well. All right, tip number three is have a plan for sleeping when it comes to naps. Do you want to go back to the hotel or do you want to nap on the go? That's something to think through before you go, and maybe you don't even decide for sure until you're actually there and you see how it goes. Now, you might already be able to guess, but neither myself or my husband wanted to go back to the hotel for nets. If you're staying at a Disney hotel that's super close, you might feel differently. We stayed at a hotel that was pretty close. In fact, it was on the same block as Disneyland, right behind California Adventure, but by the time you walked there, nap and walk back, it was just so much time. Plus, neither of us wanted to sit in our hotel room alone, so we made the choice to just nap our baby on the go. She would either nap in a stroller or she napped a lot in her Ergo, and sometimes she even slept on the rides. Honestly, by the end of the week, she was pretty worn out, but overall, it worked great. Which leads me to my pro tip for this is that there are many rides that you can carry small babies onto. You don't even have to take them out of their pack, honestly. Baby wearing for the win. Here are rides that you can wear a baby as you ride them haunted Mansion winnie the Pooh buzz Lightyear it's A Small World little Mermaid Webslingers Jungle Cruise Monsters, Inc. The fantasy land rides redwood forest play area. Those are all ones that I personally wore my baby onto as I went on the ride. I didn't even have to take her out of the Ergo. Some other rides that you can do a rider switch on, which means that you and whoever you're with can go on the ride, and then when they're done, you can just kind of hop into the fast lane and get on the ride a little bit quicker if you show that you do have a baby with you. Some rider switch examples would be Indiana Jones, Rise of the Resistance, big Thunder Mountain, Radiator Springs Racers, and Guardians of the Galaxy. We use the rider switch a lot, so there are some rides that you can't ride or swap or carry a baby onto. For example, some of those were the Mater's Junkyard jamboree the Luigi's Roll Kent roadsters. So for those, we just kind of took turns with our older kids. PS. If you're more of a visual learner, I have loads of reels on my Instagram all about taking a baby to Disneyland. I filmed them all. Blah, blah. We were actually there. Just go to my bio page on Instagram, then click Guides. There you'll see a section that shows how to Disney with a nursing baby. That's where all the Disneyland reels I made are grouped together. Okay, I wanted to include a little part about pumping. If you happen to go to a theme park without a baby, but you are still breastfeeding, then this section is for you. I actually have a good friend who exclusively pumped. I remember she told me she got invited to go to Disney as a girl's trip. Her baby was not even close to one year of age, yet she knew she needed to pump. She had a great freezer stash. She was a true oversupplyer, by the way. She didn't want to miss out on the trip. I'm certain she knew it wouldn't be ideal to pump at Disneyland, but she did it. She took a portable pump. I don't know. This was probably seven years ago, and portable pump options have come a long way. So I don't know what brand for sure, but she took her pump and a cover and pumped while standing in line for the rides. For real? How did she store her milk? I don't know. I'm guessing an Insulated cooler bag. Lucky for anyone listening here, there's now an amazing options like the series Chiller to travel easier with your milk. They've been a sponsor a few episodes back, so series didn't exist seven years ago. I'm sure. Instead, she had to use ice packs and a cooler bag. And you know what? She did it. She went to Disneyland and had a great girls trip and pumped and came back home and continued to exclusively pump for her baby. You could do that, too. Totally an option. PS. If you're wondering how to store how to fly with stored breast milk, I don't have time to dive into that on this podcast episode. We're kind of getting to the end of our time here. That's honestly enough to fill a completely separate episode. And how do I know that? Well, because I do already have an entire podcast episode dedicated to just that. I had my guest Megan, who's a working mom and pro at traveling with stored breast milk. That's actually what she does for her job. She travels, and so she has had a lot of experience with getting through TSA with breast milk. If you are interested in that, go back to episode number 97. It's really good. In fact, it's one of my most downloaded episodes. Again, that's episode 97 with my guest Megan Roberts. And if you are hoping to hear more tips and tricks about sleep while traveling with a baby, then you are not going to want to miss next week's episode. I have a sleep expert, Eva Klein, who's coming on to talk about her top three tips on getting quality sleep while traveling with a baby. So be sure to subscribe to this Breezy Babies podcast so that you don't miss it. All right, there you have it. Again, my top three tips for surviving Disneyland with a baby is number one, don't rush and try to avoid extreme heat. Tip number two is you can eat on the go. And tip number three is have a plan for sleep. I am so happy that you came to listen to this episode today. I hope you have a great rest of your week. And of course, course I'm going to leave you with. You are strong, you are smart, you are beautiful. You're a good friend to all. Bye.