Traveling for Business and Still Breastfeeding

I think most, if not all, airlines still have the rule that you can't bring ANY liquids through the security checkpoint. You would probably want to check with your airline to see if they would even allow you to bring it on the plane at all. I know there are people that fed-ex it because some people buy it on the internet (adoption babies, mom can't produce milk, etc) but if you don't want that expense it sounds like you will have to pump and dump just so you keep up your supply for when you come back. good luck

L.,
Honestly I don't know about transporting breastmilk but the best way to store it and save space is as follows. Buy the ziplock storage bags, they will be in the baby section of the store may cost a little more but well worth it. Then after you pump and put it in the bag lay it flat. It freezes flat and then after that you can pretty much rubber band a bunch together it will help to keep the others cold and then I would call fedex and ask about the dry ice. They will be more than willing to help you.

Hope you have a great trip.
N.

L.,
During my first business trip away, I overnighted my milk home. It was January, so I didn't have to worry about keeping it cold. But I would probably pack it is a insulated lunch bag w/ a few ice packs, and it should be ok. Your care-giver can make the final call when they get it. Also, most of those little fridges dont have a big enough freezer for that much milk. I was also rooming with another nursing mother, so we definatly did not have enough room for all the milk from both of us. So we asked the resturant at the hotel if they would put it in their instant freezer (some big resturants has these freezer things that freeze food almost instantly).Then they actually stored it for us, until the afternoon when I'd go pick it up and take it to ship it home. the business center at the hotel has a fed ex store there. On another business trip I didn't have such an elborate hotel, so I took the shelf out that separated the freezer part of the fridge and then turned it down as cold as it would go, and actually turned the whole fridge into a freezer. And finally for my 3rd trip which was only a car ride away and not a plane ride, my company ok'd for my husband and daughter to come. quick word of advice, you will miss your baby more than you think...it's ok, take lots of pictures and try to enjoy yourself.

I did a couple of business trips, for two of them, I brought my daughter with me and put her in a drop-in daycare center there. My husband is a tax accountant and it was during his busy season so I didn't have a choice. My company paid for my daycare as a travel expense. Would your company do that? When I went with out her, I froze all the milk as I was pumping so that it would last on the plane ride home. I just had a little soft cooler that I put a cold pack into for the flight home. Shipping with dry ice is really expensive...so I don't know that this would be an option.

Oh, and you can bring breast milk through security. You just have to notify them and pull it out seperately.

Good luck!
M.

I really don't like when people offer information that is not true. You are DEFINITELY allowed to bring breast milk on a plane without your child. Absolutely. Here is the information from TSA. http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/formula.shtm I would print this out and bring it with you just in case you get someone who questions you, but given past issues with breast milk on flights, they should be very open. I've traveled several times with milk. I do recommend that you buy a small fabric cooler with several ice packs to transport bags of frozen milk that you froze the hotel. You may wish you call the hotel ahead of time and tell them you'll need more freezer space for breast milk and see what they say (speak to the concerige-not random front desk person if you can.) Pack what you can, throw out the rest (and remember it's okay to throw out some--you're doing a great thing!) You may need to use some, if not most, of the milk you bring home in the following days. Frozen breast milk will be good for about 24 hours once totally thawed. You could look at shipping services to ship on dry ice. It will be expensive, but could save you a little stress. Otherwise just remember to pump as much as you can (as close to your schedule--it's hard on business trips) to keep your milk up and try to enjoy the time away. You'll be happy to return! Take care!

I had to go out of town for 4 days...before I left, I made sure there was plenty of milk in the freezer, and then while I was gone, I just threw away everything I pumped. Most hotel fridges just are not going to be cold enough, and you're really not going to miss that milk.

Hi L.,

You have lots of great responses - but I will offer my two cents.

I pumped and brought the milk home on a three day business trip last year. It was a definite challenge, but I felt good about getting the milk home to my little boy. If you are a modest person, this experience will change you, so be prepared. I have never told so many people about breast milk and pumping. And I was "walked in" on more than once (a result of pumping in a hotel office after I checked out of my room). It's an experience!

The hotel placed a mini-fridge in my room which kept the milk nice and cold - there was plenty of room. I used milk storage bags. The hardest part for me was getting the hotel to freeze the milk the day before I left. The restaurant folks told me it was against health codes for them to store breast milk in their freezers. Finally, after much ado, they found a restaurant manager who would agree. Once the milk was frozen, I packed it in a soft-sided cooler and put it in my checked baggage. I didn't want to risk having it thrown out when I went through security. It made it home beautifully - still frozen about 9 hours later.

Best of luck to you. Be prepared for anything!
JL

I think you can only bring breastmilk on the airplane if your little one is actually with you. I would pump enough in advance for the freezer at home to feed your baby and then pump and dump on your trip.

I've usually had to dump what I pump too because I couldn't get enough freezer space in the hotel. Tell us how it works out with your airline and hotel. I work full time and I'm having my third in a few months. I know I'll be traveling at least 2 times for work when he's nursing, and I might not be able to bring him with me.

The research I found says that you can keep breast milk in a refrigerator for 9 days. So you may not have to worry about freezing it. Once you freeze it, the breast milk needs to be used within 24 hours after defrosted.

In regards to bringing it on the plane with you. That's tougher. I know that breast milk can be around room temp for nearly 6-10 hours (depending on temp). Maybe if you got some a good cooler with ice packs and checked the cooler with your luggage, then the breast milk would be okay - probably would be cool enough. Then, once you got home you could immediatedly freeze it.

Other option (and maybe much easier) is to give your son formula while your are gone and resume breastfeeding after you get back. I am still breastfeeding my son (10.5 months), and there were many times that we had to supplement formula for various reasons.

Hope that helps. Good luck on your trip!

Just dump it... why hassle with it? Plus I really don't think you can store it properly while you are gone and I would be too worried about how fresh it would be upon my return.
You should already have enough stored up for your baby while you are gone and you can work on getting that frozen stock pile back up when you return home.

And if your baby needs an occasional formula bottle so be it.
My 11 week old gets one formula bottle a day. I do this for the off chance that any emergency comes up and I can't be there for her. Having her used to the taste of formula and the nipple from a bottle make me feel more at ease for those just in case moments.

Wow, never thought this question would come up, but I have done it twice with complete success and did not have to 'pump and dump' as some people offered up below! I wasn’t about to invest all that time and energy pumping and just toss it down the drain, but to-each-their own!!! Although luggage restrictions weren’t in effect like they are now when I did this, here is what I did.

I carried an extra suitcase with a medium styrofoam container. Depending on your milk supply/flow, a small to medium cooler will work too. I used the bags to store my milk in the fridge, NOT the freezer compartment, while in the hotel. The reason for this is because once you freeze and allow the milk to thaw, you have to use right away...But if you slightly delay freezing until you are ready to head back home, you will be fine. The night before leaving I went to a local big chain grocery store, purchased a BIG slab of dry ice (more readily available than you would think!!!), went back to the hotel and packed the styrofoam container with the refrigerated milk with the dry ice placed on the top and bottom (I broke it in half). By the morning, most of the milk had already started to freeze and the milk bags that had not, I just rearranged, moving them closer to what was left of the dry ice (very little remained). Heading towards the airport, I stopped back at the grocery store to pick up another slab, take note of the weight this time, add to the cooler and you are on your way! The airlines have a policy listed on their website containing information on dry ice. As long as you declare it at check in, they allow you to carry it on. This was taken directly from the Delta website so make sure to check with the airlines you will be traveling with! --- Dry Ice, Delta will accept packages containing 4.4 lbs. (2 kgs) or less of dry ice when used to cool non-hazardous perishables in carry-on or checked baggage.

As soon as I got home, I unloaded the container that had 25-30 full bags (can't imagine dumping all this!), all milk was completely frozen since I had added another slab of dry ice before leaving, and placed it in the freezer/deep freezer! Repeated on another business trip I had to go on and everything worked like a charm.

Now, with all the luggage restrictions and extra fees/charges that seems to be on almost every airline, you might want to get a cooler when you get to your destination and just simply use FedEx on your return trip to get the milk back home. Check the cost of each that way you are informed.

FYI - Since you will be transporting a breast pump with you, just be prepared when going through security that TSA will look hard at the pump assembly, the mechanical piece. They will look in the carry bag and they will swab it for explosives. They did this each time I traveled. Don’t freak out, this is standard and just a precaution for the world we live in today! Just be sure to let them know it is simply a breast pump since you are still nursing mom. They still had to do their job, but they were a little more understanding and really tried to keep their hand off the stuff that needed to remain sterile!

Best of luck…You can do this!!! Just remember to keep up your ‘schedule’ while gone and get your pumps in regardless of what is going on!

I did this on a 3 day trip. What I did was keep all the milk refrigerated (since it is good for a week in the fridge) and kept several ice packs in the freezer for the trip home. The only problem I had was that the last day I was there, the milk did not get properly refridgerated so it went bad, but the rest was fine. I think that probably 3 med-large ice packs should be enough to keep cold in your checked bag. BabiesRUs has some larger sized milk coolers that should work to keep it all cold. I don't recommend freezing the milk while on your trip in case it thaws, because then it will go bad within a few hours of thawing. Good luck, and bring pics of your son so you don't miss him too terribly much!

I have also traveled for work- luckily with my little one most of the time. If there is anyway to take your little one it is MUCH easier! If not. I found that you will need to use bags due to space in the little freezers. There just is not that much and you need to maximize it.

In terms of getting it home- talk to your airline first. With all the liquid restrcitons you may have trouble. You would be ok to take a couple of ice packs to keep it frozen. If you FEDEX home it is not too hard either and may be your best bet as to not get hasseled by the airline.

S.

Just wanted to tell you how impressed I am with your devotion and determination to give your little man the best of everything, even when you're not there to deliver it yourself! You'll be reaping the benefits of your breastfeeding relationship for the rest of your lives, I am sure.
I do not have experience with your particular situation, but I have associated with the milk banks in both Denver and Oakland and the very nice people there could help you with suggestions and details about how to overnight milk home and have it still be useful, since they do that sort of thing all the time and have a efficient and effective protocol. They may also be able to help with airplane travel strategies. I think the name of the bank in Denver is "Mother's Milk Bank," but you could find them all if you Google "human milk bank."
My very best wishes to you, Supermom L.. ;)

Hi L. - I traveled while breastfeeding too. I pumped into those great medela bags and then put them in a huge gallon ziploc and took them to the front desk of the hotel and asked them to freeze for me while I stayed. They were GREAT! Every hotel I have stayed in was so nice and supportive. The boys at the desk even kept a staight face! I then gathered all my little bags at the end of the trip stuffed them together in the gallon ziploc bags, carried them through security with my pump, computer and everything else with no hassle. I did have one security person question me (where was my kid?) and the guy working with her laughed and said she wouldn't be pumping if her kid was here. Also she was told that it is an allowable product in any quanity! Also I had a mini bar fridge at my hotel but it was not very cold. Freezing it so much better than milk 5 days old. Also use breast pumping as a great excuse to leave those boring meeting in which your manager talks about nothing for an hour~

take a cooler and pack the empty space with ice

When traveling for work I did not even attempt to bring the milk home! I just pumped and dumped. My baby got some occasional formula. It all worked out for me...I nursed for 2 1/2 years!