How do you carry stored breast milk while travelling?

Traveling with Stored Breast Milk: A Comprehensive Guide
Traveling while breastfeeding can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to transporting expressed breast milk. Whether you’re heading out for a short trip or a longer journey, understanding how to safely carry and store breast milk is essential for both the health of your baby and your peace of mind.
Preparation is Key
Before embarking on your journey, it’s crucial to prepare adequately. Start by labeling your breast milk with the date and time it was pumped, as well as your baby’s name. This not only helps you keep track of freshness but also ensures clarity if you need to hand it off to someone else for storage or feeding.
Choosing the Right Storage
For travel, an insulated cooler bag is your best friend. This allows you to keep the milk at a safe temperature for extended periods. If you plan to be on the go for more than a few hours, consider investing in a cooler that can hold ice packs. Freshly expressed milk can be stored in this manner for up to 24 hours.
When packing, ensure that the milk is stored in clear, translucent bottles rather than plastic bags or pouches. This not only complies with TSA regulations but also makes the screening process smoother.
Navigating Transportation Security
If you’re flying, be aware that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has specific guidelines regarding liquids. You can carry more than 3.4 ounces of breast milk in your carry-on bag, along with ice and gel packs. It’s advisable to inform the TSA officers that you are carrying breast milk, as they may need to test the liquids for safety. Having your milk in clear containers can expedite this process.
On the Road or in the Air
When traveling by car, ensure that your cooler is well-stocked with ice packs to maintain a consistent temperature. For air travel, pack your cooler in your carry-on luggage. Many parents have successfully transported frozen milk in coolers packed with ice packs, ensuring that the milk remains frozen until they reach their destination.
If you’re traveling for an extended period and find it challenging to carry all your milk, consider shipping it home. While this option can be more complicated and costly, it ensures that your milk is safely stored in a freezer until you return.
Final Thoughts
Traveling with stored breast milk requires careful planning and adherence to guidelines, but with the right preparation, it can be a manageable task. By labeling your milk, using insulated coolers, and understanding TSA regulations, you can ensure that your precious supply remains safe and ready for your little one, no matter where your travels take you.

What is the 5 5 5 rule for breast milk?

Something I recommend to moms is the 5-5-5 rule. Try and use milk within five hours at room temperature, five days in the fridge, and by five months in the freezer.

What is the 120 pumping rule?

The first 12 weeks of your breastfeeding journey requires frequent breastmilk removal, stimulating healthy milk production. Studies show moms who exclusively pump for a minimum of 120 minutes per day can make enough to feed their babies primarily breastmilk.

How to travel with stored breast milk?

It is best to seal your breast milk bottles in ziploc bags and then pad them with crumpled up newspaper inside your cooler of dry ice. You can print out a FedEx shipping label online. I have heard of people shipping breast milk on regular ice via overnight US mail.

Does a cooler for breastmilk count as a carry-on?

Bring your regular carry-on luggage but be prepared to explain that your pump is a medical device. Your breast milk cooler does count as a carry-on item.

How long can breast milk be in a diaper bag?

8-10 hours
Fresh breastmilk lasts 8-10 hours at room temperature. If you use formula, just don’t prepare it until it’s time to eat and make sure to pack a bottle of appropriate water. If baby is eating food, fill up a Snack-A-Pillar snack cup to save space.’);})();(function(){window.jsl.dh(’47JoZ878O_3ThbIP6qfmiQM__33′,’

Can babies drink cold breast milk?

Breast milk does not need to be warmed. It can be served room temperature or cold.

How long can breast milk stay in a cooler bag?

24 hours
Expressed breast milk may be stored and transported in an insulated cooler bag with frozen ice packs for up to 24 hours.

How do you carry baby milk while traveling?

You can bring a formula canister in your carry-on bag and open it to prepare bottles on the plane, but many parents prefer to pre-measure and pack powder in a travel-friendly formula dispenser.

How to transport breast milk without a cooler?

I used an insulated lunch bag with a built in freezer pack. The whole lunch bag went in the freezer at night and I brought it with me to work when I needed to pump and transport breastmilk back home. At work we had a fridge to store everything in, and the lunch bag was plenty cold enough for the commute!

How do you carry milk for a baby while traveling?

To keep the breast milk cool you can bring cooling gel packs in your hand luggage. You cannot carry frozen breast milk with you in your hand luggage. If packing breast milk in your checked-in luggage you can pack both liquid breast milk and frozen breastmilk.