How to Travel with Breast Milk on an Airplane

Air travel can be stressful, especially with all the TSA rules and regulations regarding liquids. If you are a mom getting ready to travel, but have questions about traveling with breast milk - don't worry. Here’s all the information you need!

Since breast milk is considered a “medically necessary liquid”, it has separate and more lenient guidelines regarding travel. According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), breast milk does not need to abide by the 3.4 ounce limit for liquids, and can be stored in containers larger than the normal quart-sized ziploc baggie for travel.

Breast milk can be transported in both checked bags and carry-on bags. When making your way through security, be sure to remove your breast milk from carry-on bags to be separately screened. Items in a carry-on bag to aid with cooling breast milk (such as freezer packs or ice packs) are permitted for travel, as long as they are removed from bags and screened separately.

Here are some product recommendations to make travel easier. We can't recommend Junobie's products enough! You can get the Battery-Operated Travel Cooling Cup or the reusable breast milk bags for a more eco-friendly option. You can also ship your breast milk through Milk Stork.  

Additional Tips:

• It is recommended by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to travel with dry ice on flights longer than 12 hours, in order to protect and keep breast milk chilled. Local to Indy? You can purchase dry ice at Sutton Garden. 

• We suggest putting all breast milk (and breast milk pumping equipment) in a separate carry-on bag to make traveling through airport security easier.

• Consider traveling with a cooler as a part of checked-baggage in order to contain and chill the breast milk; this will make going through airport security much easier.

• Remember rules and guidelines about traveling with breast milk may vary depending on both the airline and the airport, so it’s important to double check before travel. You can also print out the guidelines to have on hand at the airport. 

If you follow these tips, you’ll have nothing to worry about as a traveling mom - except maybe those pesky TSA lines or delayed flights. Safe travels! 

Related: The Tricks of Breastfeeding, Traveling and Pumping

Sources

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/breast-milk

https://www.chop.edu/pages/traveling-breast-milk

https://www.uaex.uada.edu/life-skills-wellness/personal-family-well-being/family-life-fridays-blog/posts/FamilyTravel.FLF.aspx

https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/travel-tips-breastfeeding-mothers