Tips on Traveling with Breast Milk

DeeDee Franke R.N., BSN, IBCLC, is a board certified lactation consultant with Mercy Medical Center. DeeDee responded to questions from PureWow.com for a feature on "How to Travel with Breast Milk." Below are her thoughts on the topic.

The best way to store breast milk is in milk storage bags and bottles in a small, insulated cooler with ice packs. Fresh breast milk can be stored this way up to 24 hours. Frozen milk can be a little trickier. Some people recommend lining the insulated cooler or bag with aluminum foil and packing the frozen milk tight together. Consider putting frozen breast milk storage containers together inside a Ziploc bag that can help keep them closer together. You do not want open space inside the cooler, it allows the air to warm.

When traveling by car, be mindful of leaving the cooler in a car if the weather is very warm outside and you plan to stop and leave it inside. Inside temperatures can rise quickly and higher than outside temperatures when the car is parked.

If traveling by plane, remember breast milk needs to be stored in containers/bags and carry-on, small insulated storage coolers. I would check TSA guidelines prior to traveling to understand their guidelines in case you run into airport employees who are not aware of breast milk storage and travel guidelines. To help the process going through security with your breast milk as smoothly as possible, separate it along with your breast pump and notify the TSA officer about what you are carrying. Pack your breast milk with frozen ice packs in a cooler bag.

A mom can ship her breast milk but it can be expensive. When considering a company to ship your breast milk, investigate how they store it and the time it will take to ship it to the desired location.

A 1981 graduate from the University of Maryland School of Nursing in Baltimore, Ms. Franke has worked as a certified lactation consultant since 1989. She is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Ms. Franke joined Mercy in 2010 and works part-time as the in-hospital lactation consultant, assessing physical and mental health status of new mothers who experience breastfeeding problems. She also evaluates and counsels new families on breastfeeding issues and products to meet their individual needs such as the use of different breast pump products, building milk supply and returning to work following childbirth.

For more information for expectant and new mothers, newborn babies, and pediatric patients, visit The Family Childbirth and Children's Center at Mercy.