Traveling by Air Without Breastfed Baby

I am curious, this sort of thing has baffled me... thank you for asking this question!

I did this-- took cold packs with me and brought gallon ziplocks too- then I bought a thin cold carrier bag (they sell them at Walmart/Sams/etc and are just the thin large "foil like" bags with handles that snap together--- I pumped, kept it in the hotel fridge/freezer as most of it fit but not all was frozen(I used the gerber milk bags and then double bagged it in ziplocks with the ice packs and put it all in the cooler pack--- for sure double check with the airline as when I flew it had to be checked- I COULD NOT bring it on carry on(considered a liquid- no exceptions is what they told me)-- so I wrapped it all up in the suitcase and it made it home cold and intact!! Also note, if you are flying out of KCI they are horrible about checking your pump-- the dude wanted me to take it apart -- I was like-it's a Breast Pump and self contained, I can't take it apart!! Mind you when I got to Denver, they asked- "breast pump"- I said yes and that was it after a quick look over-- KCI has horrible baggage checks(pump or not!) So just put on your patience hat! :)Hope this helps!

T.,
It is anice thought to bring it back. What about finding
a hospital close to where you will be and donating it to
them. With my first baby I had a lot of milk also and
ended up donating it to the local hospital where he and is
younger brother were born and they are so appreciative. It
really is good for the preemies. And yes I too traveled with
my second one nursing and left him but for only 2 days.That
for me was long enough. But I was very young then.
Anyway, my best to you.
K.

I did this once! Since pumped fresh milk is good for five to seven days, I pumped all i could, put it in bags, put it in the fridge, went and bought dry ice (think walmart or a grocery store)and a box that will keep dry ice "frozen" and overnighted it Fed EX home to myself. It arrived still frozen!

I don't have experience to offer you, but I did want to let you know there's a Yahoo group called PumpMoms, and this has been a big topic of conversation recently, so you may want to join up & read the previous messages. From what I recall, the consensus seems to be:

- don't freeze the milk, because then you're dealing w/ a 24-hour usage window from when it thaws instead of a 5-7 day window for fresh

- don't check your pump unless you are also bringing a "backup" pump - manaul or whatver - because of the risk of your luggage being lost or misdirected

- purchase your freezer cold packs or dry ice or whatever at your destination, or check those in your luggage, because the security folks are touchy about you having them when you're not carrying milk with you. I think one person maybe said she actually took one bag of milk with her just to "legitimize" the cold pack, but it seems to me that would be a little uncomfortable to explain.

- someone said that shipping in a hard-sided cooler w/ dry ice works well, but due to the weight, it is EXPENSIVE, and since you're needing to send it by FedEx or something anyway, that's already not cheap.

- definitely bring bags to transfer pumped milk into from the bottles for space reasons, and put those bags inside ziplock bags "just in case".

- if your supply is "touchy", be sure to try to keep as close to your usual pump times & intervals as possible, because it's easy to let things slide when you're out of your routine, but for some people, very slight change can mean a huge drop in output that is very difficult to regain.

Good Luck!
S.

Fed Ex overnight. They will pack it up it a freezer box for you. Then have whoever you shipped it to throw it in the freezer for you.

I wonder if there is a shelter to donate it to in the area you will be in.
Someone elses is better than none for many. I have heard of donated breast milk. I just cannot remember where,

You sound like a mother who truly enjoys being one. What will your baby have while you are gone? Well if you have answered that question, and are comforted with the answer.
Pump your breasts to keep you healthy, then if you can't find a recepient,close to where you will be "vacationing",
I would without a guilty heart nor mind, dipose of it!
You will be keeping you body healthy, for when you reunite
with your baby without all the hassels, of coolers/freezers
airlines, containmination (You will always carry a doubt)
Enjoy your vacation....Guiltless...Worryfree...After all...
God gave you the means....Just be healthy and help your baby,
and your marriage..Enjoy your vacation do not add this type
of burden to your trip!!
( Grammy of 9) Grammy B.

A friend shipped her milk home via UPS or Fed X with dry ice. That may be an option.

Hi, my name is M.. I would freeze as much as possible. And Bring along breast comforts like cool breast pads. And lots of breast pads for leaks. It is amazing how well you girl can breast feed but the pump will never give your breast the right amount to express so some times you over pump causing more milk ploduction or you don't pump enough and you leak. I tried and still had engorged breast and tenderness. So, first please be ready to comfort your breast. Then, try cool packs to your breast to help and even if milk ploduction slows down alittle. Your baby girl will hyke it right back up when you get home. Breast feed right before getting on the plain or leaving. Then pump alittle when ever you can.

Good Morning T., I think you are on the right track by calling the air line before hand. I would hope they wouldn't contaminate your supply. Definitely freeze it and keep in on dry ice through out your flight. Our daughter in law would pump at work place it in a mother's milk plastic bag, then freeze it when she got hom for me to use when needed.

Have all of your breastmilk bags labeled, dated and oz on each bag. Hopefully they won't bother it. I would suggest keeping that bag with you on the flight but with the cost now of each bag going up, thats a hard one to swallow. ( no pun intended)

Good Luck and safe trip for you
Always, K.

I just came back from a 4 day trip and this is what I did: I pumped every time my baby was suppossed to eat and I stored it in a little hand cooler (if I was out, if not I would just place in the refrigerator). To travel back with all that milk (I had over 90oz of milk) I put them in a carry-on cooler (the same kind you use to keep bottles cold) - since I only had a 2hr flight, it was OK... so depends how long your flight is... once you go through security, just tell them you would like your breastmilk hand-checked that way it does not go through the x-ray machine. Once I got home, I froze the milk from that day and the day before, and everything else I left in the fridge and fed my baby with it... milk was good and I was happy I did not have to pump and dump.

Unless you are only taking carry on - you can just check in the pump. We've never had an issue with KCI though and have traveled only carry on....with computers camera equip...etc.
As far as the expressed milk...since you are going to be gone - I would take the advise of shipping it home before you leave. I was never away from mine for 5 days but wonder how you would have enough pumped to leave anyhow....since I rarely pumped to start with. I guess you could if you really really planned ahead. I hated to keep it even frozen for more then a couple days though. I'm thinking shipping home is the way to go:)
Barb

Here is a link to the TSA website that specifically mentions breast milk. http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/formula.shtm It states that breast milk is listed in the same category as liquid medications, which are not limited in quantity for carry on, but if they are larger than 3 oz they may not be in a ziploc bag and they must be declared for inspection, which can be made verbally, in writing, or by a person's companion, caregiver, interpreter, or family member. It also states that you will not be required to test or taste the milk. I hope this helps. I would print out a copy of the policy to take with you, in case there is any question about it at the security check.

I have flown with a checked cooler with breastmilk and dry ice in it . I put the cooler into a large duffle bag. I bought the dry ice at the grocery store- you might call around destination and see who sells it ahead of time. Hope this helps!

T.,

I have had to make numerous trips when I was breastfeeding. I would advise carrying on teh pump, but if you don't want the hassle on money of FEDEX, I have never had a problem checking the milk. Just make sure that you do either freeze enough to keep it all cold, or get cold packs to do so. Good luck and happy travels!

T.-
I flew several times for work last year while I was pumping. I found that the airlines were very strict and you cannot bring milk in your carry on if there is no baby. So, I had to check it. I bought a couple of carrying cases that you can put in the freezer. The hotels I stayed at were all very nice and put them in one of the hotel freezers to get them really good and cold. I kept all of my pumped milk in the refrigerator in my room until it was time to go. Then, put it in the frozen bags, put it in my suitcase, and it was no problem. Unless your travel day is going to be longer than 12 hours it should work out just fine. I ended up checking my pump too just because it was a hassle to carry on. If you do that, I would recommend getting a little hand express pump to take just in case there is a delay and you really need to pump in the airport. You can always dump out just that little bit. Or, if you're already through security, you could take it on the plane at that point.

I just took a trip without my 6 month old for one week.
Option #1: I don't know where you are going, but you can check with Fed-Ex to see if they have overnight service from your trip to home. You would then have to pack the milk on dry ice to ship it home.
Option #2: You can check the milk in a cooler. This is what I did, after Fed-Ex told me they could not get it to my house overnight. I would suggest using dry ice, but you can only use 5 lbs. and after they see what is in the cooler, I would suggest duct taping it or "sealing" it closed. When my cooler arrived home, the lid was broken & the airline had duct taped it.
I hope this helps you and I hope you have a good trip!

Looks like you got a lot of good information, but here's an article I thought helpful.

http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/breastfeeding/...

K.

Hi T.,

Why don't you put it in a small cooler and pack that cooler in your bag then you don't have to worry about them checking it. They also make freezer bags that you could put it in and then pack. Airlines let you bring coolers of seafood home I don't know why they wouldn't let you bring frozen milk.

T. - I took a very similar trip last year with my 8 month old at home. I carried on my pump (I didn't have any problems with security at either airport), and the little cooler with the ice pack that went with it, in case of a delay (I didn't want to be stuck in the airport for hours without an ability to pump). Lesson #1 - you have to have milk in the little cooler in order to 'need' the ice pack, and if you don't (and they catch it), they will make you check the bag or throw away the ice pack, or at least that is what they did to me.

I also took a styrofoam cooler with me (one that I had received steaks from Omaha Steaks in so I knew it was good for dry ice) - I checked it both ways, just taping the lid shut (I didn't use duct tape, but just regular packing tape, which seemed to work fine too).

I pumped all week and put the milk in the storage bags and kept them in the little hotel fridge. Most of them froze in there. Then I searched online for a store that sold dry ice near the airport. The morning I left, I put the milk in the cooler and left it in that until it was time to leave for my flight, which it seemed to do ok (didn't seem to thaw at all), and then I stopped to get dry ice on the way to the airport. I didn't tape it up much until after I told the airport folks what it was in case they wanted to inspect it, and then I taped it up good before they took it. It arrived just fine, and the milk was frozen sold (the ice had barely evaporated despite the 90+ temp outside). The only problem I had is that a lot of the bags that were frozen with the dry ice seemed to leak when they were thawed, so I guess lesson #2 was to be careful how you thaw them...

Enjoy your trip!