XP: have you flown with breastmilk but without your baby?

borc0080

(I posted this on the BFing board, but thought you ladies might travel without baby a bit more) 

I'm going to be gone for four days and the TSA website is not entirely clear on whether it's okay to bring breastmilk on the plane if your baby isn't with you.  I'll need to pump at the airport (after I'm past security), so I'll have a bit with me on the way there, but on the way home, I'll have about 64oz that I'm not willing to dump. Should I plan to freeze it?  If so, how can I safely bring it home, either in my suitcase or carry-on? 

I had been planning on just dumping it, but with the supply issues I've been having recently, I just can't justify losing 4 days of milk!

TIA!

DallasHorn

Yes, traveled several times w/o baby.  Here is a re-post of some info I've shared before. Let me know what other questions you have:

Traveling w/ BM: I don't like checking bags, so here's what I did. I purchased a professional ladies "bag" from Wilson's leather (about $50). It's 15" long, 12" tall and 5.5" wide. It also came with a small matching purse. Inside I am able to carry my laptop, my pump (not the whole PISA bag, just the pump), a square tupperware container (which inside has 2 sets of pump parts & tubing), 2 hardsided containers, BM storage bags, wallet, phone, magaize, black sharpie marker and a pashmina shawl. Inside my carry on suitcase, I pack very stragically - reusing pants, same shoes throughout the week, no hairdryer (use the hotel one); roll clothes instead of fold, and the purse. What I did for the milk was bring along a soft sided cooler (12 can size). At the hotel, I would fill it with ice 2x day (morning and evening) and kept the bags of milk inside on ice. Works awesome. On the day of departure, I would pack my bag so that there is enough room that the cooler could sit inside my suitcase. This is necessary since some TSA will require you to PROVE you can fit the cooler inside so you only effectively have 2 carryons. I position the cooler so that when I'm rolling my suitcase, the cooler is sitting right side up inside. You 'll need to pull the cooler out for TSA to inspect. Again I place the cooler inside the suitcase when it's time to board the plane (flight attendents can be a stickler about this, hence the reason I stick it inside); however when I'm on the plane, I quickly remove it before putting it in the overhead and place it under the seat in front of me along with the "professional bag". In my experience, the "medically" necessary fridge is so tiny (as in desk top book sized) that there's no way it can hold a week's worth of milk, let alone a couple days. Couple of other things....the pashmina - - I use not only to keep warm, but it works as a GREAT cover up when nursing in the restroom or elsewhere in public. I bring along 2 sets of gel ice packs and have the hotel restaurant freeze them the night before departure. I keep them in the cooler with ice until when I get to the airport. Before going through security, I dump all the ice out in the restroom sink and just leave the ice packs. After clearing security, I usually get more ice from the McDonalds or whatever, but have also used just the 2 frozen ice packs just fine. I keep all the milk in the storage bags and use the sharpie to record the date and oz info on the bag. Since I first pump into the hard containers, it makes it easy to know how much milk before putting into the bags. I keep all the milk fresh and then freeze once home so nothing spoils (I've always gone by the following: 8 hours room temp, 8 days in the fridge). I do carry the Medela cleaning clothes so that I can clean my pump parts. For two of my trips I knew I'd have access to a microwave, so I brought along the steam clean bags.

14years

I flew home into the country from the Caribbean last year without DS and with over 100 ounces of (unfrozen) milk.  I carried it on and didn't have any issues. 

I didn't freeze it because I didn't want to worry about thawing.  I froze what I needed to freeze when I got home.  To transport it, I used four-20 ounce hard plastic bottles, packed in a soft collapsible cooler with my frozen ice pack from my pump. 

Take the printout of the rules with you and let them know what you have.

Mrs.0428

https://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/formula.shtm 

Here is a link to the TSA article that states, "Mothers flying with, and now without, their child will be permitted to bring breast milk in quantities greater than three ounces as long as it is declared for inspection at the security checkpoint."

Mini_Mariah

DallasHorn provided a lot of helpful info.  I've travelled a few times and never had an issue.  Your bag will probably get pulled for screening if you carry on the milk and pump.  I always notify the screeners that I have a pump and milk before my bag goes through.

I pack very light and fit the PISA in my carry-on (I've been lucky in that I've mostly travelled to warmer places like NC or FL), and have a separate laptop bag (no purse, just a wristlet in my laptop bag.  I use gel ice packs but bring ziploc baggies in case I'm delayed and might need to fill them with ice if the packs thaw.  Do not freeze the milk, because if it thaws you're supposed to use it within 24 hours.

I've always called the hotel and asked for a fridge for medical purposes.  I've always gotten a mini-fridge, which is about 3ft tall by 2ft wide by 2ft deep or so, and included a section at the top that was more of a freezer where I kept my ice packs.

borc0080

Wow!  Thank you all for the great info!  Thankfully I'm staying at a place where I'll have access to a full-sized fridge, so that part will be easy.  I'm glad I asked, or I might have frozen that milk like a dummy and just assumed it would stay frozen during my flight! 

DallasHorn

I agree - - don't freeze. Leave fresh and freeze upon returning home. I've always gone by the rule of max 8 days in the fridge.