Airport Security

Jesster11 · October 2014

I used to post while pregnant and haven't really since LO was born (now a lurker when pumping at work), but I was hoping some of you ladies could help me.

For those of you who have already flown with your LOs, how was your experience going through airport security? Right now I do a combo of BFing and bottles of expressed milk, and I am planning on taking a few bottles with us in a cooler. Has anyone had any issues with that? Do they actually open and test the milk, and have ice or freezer packs been ok? Also, can you just go through the metal detector or do they make you and baby go through the x-ray machine?

I just want to know what to expect so I can be prepared and organized. Thanks!

kmos816 · October 2014

I can only comment on flying with expressed milk as I haven't flown with the LO yet.
I flew with expressed milk- had it in bags packed in a cooler with ice in plastic baggies. Before I got in the security line I dumped the ice. The milk in the cooler just went through the scanner with the rest of my bags , I mentioned it to the tsa agent. They didn't inspect the milk. Once I was through security I got more ice to put in my cooler.
I did observe one mom who had her baby in a front facing carrier- she just got a 'pat down' instead of the x ray machine. I don't believe you can request the metal detector instead of the x ray machine.

LaBelle0412 · October 2014

We got taken out of line to go through the metal detector. I was wearing baby and they said protocol was to swab my hands, but she could stay in. We got prechecked for one leg (hand swabbed in line) and got to keep shoes on. I only had 2 oz of milk so I could put it in my liquids bag. They told me you have to tell them you have it then they will open and test it .

Juliajc · October 2014

I had issues with my ice pack. (The Medela one that comes with the PISA.) When the ice pack was frozen it was not an issue. (They didn't ask about the pumped milk or test/smell it.) On my way back from the trip, the ice pack was melted because the hotel didn't have a freezer. This was a problem because it was now technically liquid. The security guard informed me that this is not allowed.

ksulli · October 2014

I had no problem flying with a ton of milk. Same as PP, I used ice in a ziplock to avoid the issue of a melted ice pack. Told the TSA person it was BM, they didn't look.

I believe anybody can request the metal detector & pat down in place of the scanner.

Mustardseed2007 · October 2014

Here is what the TSA says about it: https://www.tsa.gov/traveling-formula-breast-milk-and-juice

The emphasis is on declaring it.

They really shouldn't need to do anything to the breast milk other than run it through the xray machine, and that won't hurt the breast milk. I know if you take an ice pack through and it's partially melted they will make you discard it, so (as PP suggested) take a bag full of ice with you, then throw the ice away before going through security. Then go to a restaurant/concession space and ask for ice. They will help you out.

ambarnett1 · October 2014

What is this hand swab thing you ladies are talking about? @mamrotu73 @LaBelle0412‌

ksulli · October 2014

ambarnett1 said:
What is this hand swab thing you ladies are talking about? @mamrotu73 @LaBelle0412‌

It reacts with explosive residue, so if you happen to be a hunter/recreational shooter, wash your stuff thoroughly.

ambarnett1 · October 2014

ksulli said:

ambarnett1 said:
What is this hand swab thing you ladies are talking about? @mamrotu73 @LaBelle0412‌
It reacts with explosive residue, so if you happen to be a hunter/recreational shooter, wash your stuff thoroughly.

Thanks @ksulli never heard of that but good to know!

avidkeo · October 2014

Regarding the x-ray machine, I would be very surprised if they made you go through that as exposing a LO to unnecessary radiation is a big no-no. Granted the radiation is barely there, less than a standard x-ray. If they try make you go though stand your ground and refuse, but I doubt they would try get you through it.

Jesster11 · October 2014

Thanks so much for all of the replies! At first I was thinking about just doing the bags of ice to avoid any issues, but as @poru pointed out, I am probably going to need to use the ice packs later on the trip. And I am going to print out the guidelines. The airport we are flying out of has notoriously slow (and not the sharpest) security.

Jesster11 · October 2014

avidkeo said:

Regarding the x-ray machine, I would be very surprised if they made you go through that as exposing a LO to unnecessary radiation is a big no-no. Granted the radiation is barely there, less than a standard x-ray. If they try make you go though stand your ground and refuse, but I doubt they would try get you through it.

Yeah, I am not on board with putting him through that machine...

penguinjenny · October 2014

I front carried LO. I did not have to take off my shoes. We walked through the metal detector and they swabbed my hands. I declared my BM and they did test it. The people behind me were really nice and helped me with my stuff because I was alone. I assumed it would be much worse than it ended up being but I may have just gotten lucky.

lcr23 · October 2014

I just flew with a lot of BM without DD. I had all of the BM in storage bags and then divided into two gallon ziplock bags. I also had two ziplock bags with ice. Tsa didn't make me dump the ice. They waved a wand in the soft cooler a few times and put the wand thing in a machine but didn't open any of the milk bags. Right before I got on the flight I drained the water from the ice bags and filled them up with more ice. Overall it was smooth.

speechie517 · October 2014

As PP have noted, it seems to be a different experience depending on what airport you are at and who is working. I had every.single.bottle of BM placed in a machine and tested at the small airport here, but nothing more than a quick glance of much larger quantities at MIA and JFK.

I did wear B through security all times and went through the metal detector at one airport, was wanded at another.

Port2013 · October 2014

Just make sure your ice pack is frozen, if you are carrying it on. You can throw it in your check luggage, if not. Ice is permitted. There is no reason to throw it out. If you are traveling with children under 12, you automatically go through the metal detector. Anyone can opt out of the scanners, but are required to receive a pat down.

spano41 · October 2014

Has anyone gone through security with a stroller? How does that work with going through the medal detector and stuff? I was planning on bringing DD in her car seat and snap-n-go stroller through the airport.

Mustardseed2007 · October 2014

poru said:

They may ask you to open milk so they can waive something over it to test the fumes. I have that happen maybe 1 out of 5 times. You are not required to let anything touch your milk or force anyone to sip the milk.

You can carry icepacks through if you are carrying milk. Professional flyer note: if you are carrying ice for later in the trip, but not yet carrying breastmilk, fill up one of your bags/bottles with a little cow milk and say you are carrying breastmilk. That way they can't try to confiscate your ice.

I always just let a TSA agent know before my bag goes through the scanner - every airport asks me to do something a little different. I just say "I am carrying breastmilk and ice, let me know if you want me to do anything special."

I have never been asked to toss my ice, even if its melted. It is a medical supply and on long trips its gonna melt. I would fight tooth and nail on that one -- the regs (which someone posted above) clearly exempt icepacks from the liquid rules, without stating whether they need to be in frozen state or not. It says "Ice packs and other accessories required to cool formula, breast milk and juice are also permitted through the screening checkpoint and are not bound by the 3-1-1 requirements." That means icepacks are exempt because they count as a medical supply. If I was asked to toss, I would request speaking to a managing authority. You need those icepacks later on in your trip, even if you can get ice at the airport.

I've never personally experienced the melted ice pack issue, but on the wm board it has been mentioned as something that had happened to those ladies - the first time I heard about baggies of ice was on there....

Mustardseed2007 · October 2014

spano41 said:

Has anyone gone through security with a stroller? How does that work with going through the medal detector and stuff? I was planning on bringing DD in her car seat and snap-n-go stroller through the airport.

They had us fold the stroller and put it through the scanner. We didn't have a double or anything huge though- I'm not sure what the deal would be if it didn't fit.

strawberrytree · October 2014

I went through with LO in a carrier, plus car seat and stroller. They took the car seat and stroller off to the side and inspected them by hand. I didn't have any expressed milk, but I did have LO's Prevacid in a cooler bag with ice packs. The ice packs were totally fine. Both times the airport we flew out of had a separate security line for families so we didn't have to hold everyone up.

Want a personalized experience?

Airport Security

Re: Airport Security

Choose Another Board

Search Boards