Tips for going through airport security with an 8 month old.

[helenk]

I have never traveled with a child this young before. We are going to WDW in May. We have a grocery delivery service bring formula etc. to the resort but I am anxious about getting through TSA. I have read the information on the TSA website and it states you can bring formula as well as ice packs to keep everything cool. We want to have enough bottles for the airport, flight and the ride to the resort. What type of ice packs do you all generally use?

 

[scrappinginontario]

I don't remember travelling with ice packs unless your baby drinks their formula cold as there really isn't a way to warm it up. I mainly travelled with powder and a thermos of warm/hot water which they tested and used that to make bottles while travelling.

Not sure that's at all helpful but just my thought when trying to travel with cold formula.

 

[sponica]

I don't think I ever traveled with ice packs? But if I was, I'd just get those reusable freezer packs for lunch boxes. When we'd travel by car, I would bring the formula packets and bottles but my first born would drink room temperature formula. My second one was super picky and needed it warm.

I have gone through TSA with juice boxes though, they just pulled it and put it through a secondary screening.

 

[helenk]

Thank you for your replies. My grandson gets gassey from the powdered formula so my daughter figured she'd take a few bottles, and they would need to be kept cold. I think what we may do is just take the smaller cans that they make. It's a bit more expensive but easier in the long run.

 

[BlueGreen5]

First, I imagine TSA at every airport is going to be slightly different, so take what I or anyone says with a grain of salt. My experience is based on one of the busiest airports in the country and my last time traveling with a bottle-fed baby was about 5 years ago. In our case, we were separated from the main TSA line and subjected to more rigorous screening. But, the benefit of the more rigorous screening was that we were allowed to basically bring anything the baby reasonably would need while in transit (medicine, liquids, powder, etc.). They just needed to be able to test it.

I remember bringing a small 4-bottle soft cooler, but I can't remember if there were ice packs in it. It seems like there should have been. Our babies were all EBF, and our flight to Orlando is long enough that the bottles would have needed to remain cold.

The cans should almost certainly be okay.

If I recall correctly, cold bottles can sit at room temperature for four hours before they spoil (maybe check with the pediatrician because as I said, it's been a minute for me). You didn't say how long your flight is. If a cooler, even without ice packs, keeps it below room temperature long enough, maybe you don't need the ice packs.

Your best bet would be to just call TSA and confirm.

 

[robinb]

Depending on the airport, she might be able to request a separate private screening. Everything will still be checked but she would be more comfortable waiting for it all to take place.

 

[Lumpy1106]

We never had any problems with formula or breast milk, but juice boxes are another story. Some airports let us right through, other airports made us dump it. Be prepared to unload the stroller and run the car seat through the x-ray machine. You don't have to go through the nudie scanners, so that's nice.

 

[KristaZ]

I always freeze water bottles and use those as ice packs (anyone can bring through solid frozen water bottles). I also always brought the powdered formula and sealed water bottles through. They don't need to open the water bottles then, just pop them in a special machine (and I've never had them care about formula - but I also pre-portioned that to smaller containers). If you're bringing through the ready made formula they'll likely open it to test it - at least that was my experience with pre-made bottles, but you can bring as much through as needed.

 

[jo-jo]

If you bring bottles premade in cooler, couldn’t you just have them on ice and then ditch the ice just before going through TSA? Assuming you’re not traveling from overseas, you should be good.

 

[Specter]

It's more expensive, and it's dependent on the little one's preferred formula being available, but this is what we did when DD was 10 months old.

No ice packs, first of all. We took two clean, empty bottles through security and some single serve packets of her formula, then bought a water bottle after going through security. Yes, they are more expensive than buying the large can but they were great for Disney in general. Even in the parks we just took a clean bottle and then filled it with bottled water from a delivery. When it was time to feed her we mixed in the formula packet, shook it until dissolved, and that was that.

If that is an option for you I cannot say enough good things about the convenience.

 

[Psymonds]

I have never traveled with a child this young before. We are going to WDW in May. We have a grocery delivery service bring formula etc. to the resort but I am anxious about getting through TSA. I have read the information on the TSA website and it states you can bring formula as well as ice packs to keep everything cool. We want to have enough bottles for the airport, flight and the ride to the resort. What type of ice packs do you all generally use?

we traveled with just our standard ice packs, just know that you'll spend 2-3 minutes while they do the chemical "sniffer" on all your stuff if you bring liquids.

give yourself 10 extra minutes and expect to get a different experience (all the small ones through the metal detector rather than the backscatter x-ray, your bags looked through at the end of the line etc. but they are generally very helpful if you just say "it's the baby bag and it has milk in it."

 

[Psymonds]

we traveled with just our standard ice packs, just know that you'll spend 2-3 minutes while they do the chemical "sniffer" on all your stuff if you bring liquids.

give yourself 10 extra minutes and expect to get a different experience (all the small ones through the metal detector rather than the backscatter x-ray, your bags looked through at the end of the line etc. but they are generally very helpful if you just say "it's the baby bag and it has milk in it."

we came back from Hawaii with frozen breast milk and gel packs and it was fine, and we just asked for hot water on the plane to warm bottles.

 

[MamaMermaid]

We had a formula dispenser and bought bottled water. Then just poured the formula into clean baby bottles when it was time for our little guy to eat. Never had issues at TSA.