Flying with frozen breastmilk?

[khertz]

Does anyone have any tips for this? Am I able to bring frozen breastmilk through security without any issues? This will be my first time dealing with this so I don't know how TSA handles breastmilk, frozen or otherwise. Also, does it matter how much you bring through?

 

[mrsdaly]

If you are bringing the infant that is consuming the breastmilk with you, you should be able to carry it on with no problems. Just declare it when you go through security and they will scan it. I've traveled with my son as a baby (we were on whole milk by then) but it was no problem to bring on (and a sippy cup with juice in it). I've found that flying with young ones (the security/airport part of it) was actually more of a breeze than without them -- they really do take care of you. Orlando airport was super good -- they swabbed our hands and we didn't have to wait in line, take shoes off, etc.

 

[blackpearl77]

If the baby is with you, you can bring breastmilk or formula no problem!

 

[Disneymooners4eva]

I know this may sound stupid, but make sure you have the baby with you while you cross security! I had my sister take him at LAX so I can unpack all the liquids and place them in the tray and they demanded to see the baby, so I had to run out in my socks so that I can bring him back....

They also took my unopened baby food saying that if I wanted to take it they would have to take me to the interview room and rummage through my luggage and gave me the choice to just toss it.

 

[srferson]

Frozen breastmilk?!

For crying out loud... I know the movie is really popular, but still...
Whose face is on the bottle? Anna or Elsa? Or both?



Sorry. Every time I read the thread title I think of that or a breastfeeding mother on a really, really cold plane.

 

[khertz]

I know this may sound stupid, but make sure you have the baby with you while you cross security! I had my sister take him at LAX so I can unpack all the liquids and place them in the tray and they demanded to see the baby, so I had to run out in my socks so that I can bring him back....

That does seem stupid...what if I was traveling with just my DH and needed to pump for my baby at home?? Seems like a screwy system but thanks for the heads up! I don't anticipate having much milk to bring home as I'd rather just nurse her but there are times, especially at night, when she only nurses one side and I pump the other. I guess my concern was that if it is frozen, they can't test it or anything, if they even do that anymore. Sounds like that's not an issue though, so thanks to everyone for their replies!

 

[nalajms]

I think it's going to vary depending on the TSA person and the airport. 2 years ago I was still bf-ing and had to travel for work. No problems going through my home airport or a few mid-sized ones. They spent more time checking my pump than the frozen milk.

Last year we few out of Orlando with an insulated bag of food and frozen capri suns. The semi thawed ones I had to toss. The ones that were frozen solid, they allowed me to keep.

 

[dalmatian7]

I thought I read on the TSA website they can't open it to test it so frozen or fresh it doesnt matter. They only swab the outside and we have had them put it in a box of some sort that tests something. (this was in 2010-2011). I also froze water in a breast milk bag to take to keep everything cold and for an emergency drink if we needed it. Just pack all the breast milk or full bottles together so you can easily take it out of your carry on. I have only every gone through regional airports and we never had a problem. Our bigger problem was that our britax carseat didn't fit on the belt scanner.

 

[TravelingTotMom]

This isn't a direct answer, but I wanted to share this experience in the chance it helps someone out.

I was flying with a couple of bottles of fresh milk in a little soft cooler (don't remember having any issue with security). Anyway, they were Dr. Brown bottles, and I put that little disc to prevent spilling/leaks between the actual bottle and the screw on nipple part. DON'T use that disc (or something similar) if you are flying. The pressure from the plane did something (caused the milk to expand? built up in the bottle?) and because there was no air release w/the disc in place, the bottles all ended up with slow leaks. Luckily (most) of the mess was contained to the cooler, but "there's no use in crying over spilled milk" does not apply to breastmilk.

 

[khertz]

I thought I read on the TSA website they can't open it to test it so frozen or fresh it doesnt matter. They only swab the outside and we have had them put it in a box of some sort that tests something. (this was in 2010-2011). I also froze water in a breast milk bag to take to keep everything cold and for an emergency drink if we needed it. Just pack all the breast milk or full bottles together so you can easily take it out of your carry on. I have only every gone through regional airports and we never had a problem. Our bigger problem was that our britax carseat didn't fit on the belt scanner.

Thank you, that is pretty much what I was wondering about. Good idea to freeze the water in the bags to use to keep it cold. That would probably be better than having to bring or buy an ice pack while we are there, and our flight is pretty short, so it should be okay!

We always have that problem with our stroller, and they always make us try to fit it through even when we tell them it never has fit and always has had to be swabbed in the past. Just doing their job, I'm sure, but I always feel like we are holding up the line!!

Luckily (most) of the mess was contained to the cooler, but "there's no use in crying over spilled milk" does not apply to breastmilk.

SO true! That's why I want to be able to bring home any breastmilk I may accumulate while we are there. DD may take some in a bottle (she will be starting daycare soon after we get back, so she will have to have started taking them by then), but I'm sure we will still have some to transport home. The idea of throwing it all away makes me ill!!

 

[Jess_S]

Just so that you are prepared, I don't think the TSA has any standard procedure for carrying on breast milk. At some airports, I carried it on with no issue. Just had to put it in a tray for them to look at. At others, they did a test on my hands for explosive residue. At one airport, they insisted that anyone carrying milk or food for babies need a full body pat down. I hope the pat down won't happen to you, but be prepared that it could.

 

[khertz]

Just so that you are prepared, I don't think the TSA has any standard procedure for carrying on breast milk. At some airports, I carried it on with no issue. Just had to put it in a tray for them to look at. At others, they did a test on my hands for explosive residue. At one airport, they insisted that anyone carrying milk or food for babies need a full body pat down. I hope the pat down won't happen to you, but be prepared that it could.

Luckily we should only have to deal with this on the flight home since I am not bringing any milk with us through our home airport. I guess that cuts down my chances of a pat down a little bit lol. Thanks for the heads up though! Hopefully I won't need to experience that!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Did you check the TSA website?

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures/traveling-children

You can take any liquid through security as long as it is frozen solid.

http://apps.tsa.dhs.gov/mytsa/cib_results.aspx?search=meatball&src=tsadotgov

 

[khertz]

Did you check the TSA website?

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures/traveling-children

You can take any liquid through security as long as it is frozen solid.

http://apps.tsa.dhs.gov/mytsa/cib_results.aspx?search=meatball&src=tsadotgov

Yes I did. I was concerned about the part saying the milk may be tested for explosives or moved to another container since it will be frozen. I may have missed where frozen milk was addressed. I only saw that frozen ice packs are okay

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Any liquid is okay, as long as it is frozen solid.

 

[Lupeix]

In the United States, pumping mothers are permitted to travel with breast pumps and breast milk, regardless of whether or not they are traveling with their children. If a security agent says otherwise, ask to speak to a supervisor.

To make the security process as smooth as possible, you should alert the security officers so they know you are traveling with a pump:

• Pull the pump out of your carry-on bag and place it in a separate bin before it goes through the x-ray machine. Tell the agent that the item is a breast pump.
• If returning from a trip and carrying breastmilk, place the milk in a separate bin and alert the agents that the liquid is breastmilk. Breastmilk is NOT subject to the three-ounce limitation.
• If a security agent asks to test the milk, ask to speak to a supervisor. They may want to swab the outside of the milk bags or containers, but they cannot make you open your milk and test it.

Another option is to overnight the frozen milk using UPS and ice packs, that saves you the hassle of going through security but may cost you quite a bit depending on where you have to ship it to. On the other hand every drop of breastmilk is priceless!

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

I took about 50 ozs of frozen milk with me and it was easy. They swabbed the outside of the bags and my hands and that was it.