Written by GoodBuy Gear in collaboration with Ceres Chill.

If you’ve ever traveled as a breastfeeding mom without your little one, you know how stressful it can be. (Its ironic, isn’t it: you would think traveling with our little ones would be the stressful one!) You are balancing so many priorities: maintaining your milk supply, pumping breastmilk, getting through TSA with your gear and milk, and getting your milk home in a form that can actually be consumed safely! Phew.

No need to stress: I’ve been there, mama, and I’m here to break it down for you in simple terms:

What to know before you go

First things first — It’s really important to know our rights as breastfeeding parents traveling with or without our babies. Breastmilk and formula are not subject to the 3 ounce liquid rule while traveling by plane, and it’s your right to bring either in “reasonable quantities” on your flight. Breast milk, formula, and cooling accessories (like ice packs, gel packs, freezer packs ) are all considered medically necessary liquids by the TSA. You can even have a printed copy of the TSA regulations for expressed milk on hand to reference or share with security personnel.

You are also allowed to bring your pump, extra sets of pump parts, milk storage bags, your chiller or breast milk cooler, and any other gear necessary for you to pump, store your milk, and get your milk home to your little one.

What to pack

Now, how do we avoid all the stress of traveling with pumped milk? What essentials do you need?

A breast pump

Breast pumps are considered medical devices, and are allowed to be in checked luggage or in a carry-on. As I’m sure you’ve heard from so many moms, it’s always a good idea to bring your pump in your carry on. Checked luggage can get lost, flights can be delayed, and air travel can be unpredictable. Having access to your pump at all times will help to ease your mind. But if for whatever reason you need to put your pump in checked luggage, you are allowed to do so. If you have an exceptionally long flight, extra batteries or a hand-pump can come in handy too!

My favorite pumps for traveling:

Elvie Wearable Pump

Willow Wearable Pump

A great non-wearable option: Spectra Electric Breast Pump

The milk storage option that works for you

Although storing milk for long flights is never 100% simple, it’s important to find a way that works best for convenience, reliability, and most importantly, less stress.

You can choose to travel with a traditional cooler, breast milk storage bags, and ice packs or gel packs. (You can even replenish ice in the airport or on the flight - flight attendants and even Starbucks baristas have helped me out!) The cooler option is best option if you want to work with what’s already in your house.

You can also choose to travel with breast milk chillers like Ceres Chill. If you can get your hands on one, I recommend this option as it takes out some of the hassle and stress: I just pump directly into the thermos-like container.

So now you’re at the airport.

In TSA Security

What to expect when going through TSA security with pump parts, breast milk storage gear, and/or expressed breastmilk:

• First off - arrive early. You’ll want to give yourself extra time to get through the airport security checkpoints.

• Remember you have a right to carry with you your expressed milk, ice packs, gel packs (frozen or unfrozen), pumps and pump kits, and other items required to transport your milk through airport security checkpoints and onboard your flight. (Keep in mind, even though unfrozen or partially frozen ice packs are permitted, they may be subject to additional screening, dependent on how slushy they are and the agent you encounter. So to be on the safe side, make sure they’re as frozen as possible or that you have time for additional screening.)

• You don’t have to be traveling with a baby to be able to carry milk and supplies.

• At the beginning of the screening process, you’ll want to separate any expressed breast milk or gear like ice packs from other liquids you are traveling with. Tell the TSA officer that you are carrying expressed milk and gear.

• Your breastmilk will most likely be X-rayed. Sounds intimidating, but the CDC confirms that milk that has been X-rayed is safe to feed your child.

• If you prefer, you can inform the TSA officer if you do not want your breast milk to be X-rayed or opened. In that case, the TSA officer will put your breastmilk and your carry-on through additional screening procedures like Advanced Imaging Technology screening.

Pumping at the airport

You’ve probably noticed Mamava or other spaces for breastfeeding or pumping moms at an airport near you. The Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) Act and the Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) Improvement Act requires that all small, medium, and large hub airports provide a private, non-bathroom space in every terminal building for breastfeeding or pumping. Check your airport’s website to locate these spaces, or Mamava’s locator to see if your airport has one of their pods.

Flying with the Ceres Chill Breastmilk Chiller

The process is pretty straightforward — before you leave the house, you can fill
your chamber of choice with ice and a splash of water. Pump into it as needed.
When you get to security screening, always let the officer know that you’re traveling
with breastmilk.

We’ve all heard the horror stories of moms with pumped milk going through TSA, so it’s always a good idea to stress that you have liquid gold in there!
You might be told to dump the ice and water while they test your milk as usual,
likely with a vapor strip. When you’re done, you can refill it anywhere that you can
find ice — a bar, Starbucks, water fountain or from the flight attendant are all great
options! Then you’re good to go for another 20 hours. Check out this amazing IG
reel that shows how the agent will likely test your milk!

Flying with a standard cooler and ice packs

If you’ll be using a cooler during your travels, make sure that your ice packs are
frozen through and through — you don’t want to get to TSA screening and have to
throw them out because they’re not frozen solid.

Prepare your bottles of milk that you’ll be transporting before you leave, and make sure that you leave some space in the cooler for the milk that you’ll be pumping in the airport/on your flight. If it’s a long flight or you have delays, you can also get ice from the flight attendant or a restaurant before you leave. Try not to open the cooler often as that will minimize the amount of chilling time that you’ll have.

Cleaning your pump parts while traveling

If you have a long flight and you’ll be pumping multiple times, you’ll have to clean your parts in between sessions. It can seem tricky to adhere to the sanitizing rules when you’re traveling or otherwise outside of your own home, but it is possible. You can bring cleansing wipes, sprays like this Medela pump and accessories cleaner, or a portable washbasin bag to clean your pump parts, bottles and more at the airport or in the plane bathroom.

Pumping on the plane

If you need to pump on the plane, you can decide to do so in your seat or in the bathroom. It’s all about what you’re comfortable with! Be sure to set up everything you need — your pump, pump parts, chiller, nursing cover, or anything else that you usually use — before starting the pump. It’ll be much less of a hassle for you if everything is prepared ahead of time.

Storing Expressed Milk

Now its time to store your milk so that its safe to consume by the time it reaches your little one. The CDC offers this helpful visual guide to how long you can keep breast milk at room temperature, refrigerated, or frozen.

What happens if I store my pumped milk at room temperature?

According to the CDC, we can store pumped milk at room temperature for 4 hours.

How long can I store frozen breast milk?

Here, we defer to the CDC. The CDC recommends you can carry freshly expressed milk in an insulated cooler bag with frozen ice packs for up to 24 hours. After arriving at your destination, use the milk right away, store it in the refrigerator, or freeze it.

If you carry frozen milk in a cooler with frozen gel packs or ice, check your milk when you get to your destination. Upon arrival, if the milk has ice crystals, you can refreeze it.

Keep in mind that previously frozen milk should be kept cold and used within 24 hours from the time it thaws completely. This will depend on the time spent traveling and the temperature of the cooler. If possible, check the milk after a few hours in the cooler to see if it has thawed.

I know it seems a bit overwhelming at first glance, but you know what to do mama! Its just like traveling with little ones: advance prep makes all the difference. With the right planning, you’ll be traveling and pumping with ease before you know it!

For more amazing tips on pumping and flying, check out this super cool Pumping Flying Travel Guide! Learn about the best places to pump, and explore your milk storage, cleaning and bottle warming options!

First-hand advice from mom, Amber:

"Set reminders to pump and try to stick to schedule as much as possible. Important for mothers who use the Ceres Chill and produce more milk than it will hold: bring a back back to carry with ziplock freezer bags. I filled the freezer bags with ice and placed my bottles and bags in it.

Once I got to the airport, I emptied out all the ice and kept the bags. I also emptied out the ice for my Ceres Chill. Once I got through TSA, I was able to go to the nearest coffee shop or restaurant and ask them to fill the ziplock bag and got extra for my Ceres Chill.

When it comes to TSA: know your rights and understands the process. All airlines are different. Ask if they consider your pump and accessories as a medical device. Southwest had no issues with my additional bag. I can now say, I’m not as nervous to travel, not only for business, but personally!"

FAQs

How much breast milk can I travel with?

The Transportation Security Administration permits a “reasonable quantity” of pumped milk, but doesn’t specify beyond that. This is super frustrating for me as a mom - what is more annoying that dumping liquid gold that took me hours to pump? - but I’ve found it depends on the agent I encounter.

Does a breast pump storage bag count as a carry-on bag?

According to the FDA a breast pump is a medical device, and as such should not count as one of your carry-on bags.  However, each airline treats breast pumps differently, so it's best to check directly with your specific airline. Good news: United Airlines, JetBlue, and American Airlines all state that parents are allowed an extra carry-on bag for their breast pumps.

How do I transport frozen breast milk?

You can store frozen breast milk in the same way you’d store refrigerated breast milk (in chillers or coolers with ice packs). If stored in this way, frozen breast milk can be packed in your carry-on.

If you are using dry ice, you’ll want to check with your airline for their policy. Some airlines allow limited quantities of dry ice in carry on bags, but others require that you store dry ice in checked luggage only. For a few major airline policies: Delta, American, JetBlue.

What are my options for shipping breast milk?

Milk Stork is a great program that makes it super convenient for you to ship your breast milk. If you’re up for more of a challenge, you can pack it yourself using dry ice. Medela’s blog has a great detailed guide to both options.

Further Reading

Your Guide for Navigating Pumping and Returning to the Office

Transitioning From Breast Milk to Formula, With a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist

How to Buy and Sell Used Breast Pumps Safely

Spectra S1 vs. S2: Which Spectra Pump is Best?

Certified Lactation Consultants' Breastfeeding Essentials and Lactation Advice