Flying with your pump? Know your rights
Dr. Jones
Pediatrician
Getting through security checks is only one step. Here are 10 tips to prepare for your trip.
All midsize and large airports in the United States are required by federal law to provide lactation spaces “at each passenger terminal building of the airport behind the airport security screening area.” Research where to find them and when you can use them. (Mamava, a lactation pod provider, has a free locator app, which includes reviews by other parents so you know the amenities to expect, from rocking chairs to outlets.)
Breast milk is not held to the 3.4-ounce limited-quantity rule for liquids, and you don’t need to travel with your child to bring it. During your security screening, let the Transportation Security Administration agents know that you’re traveling with breast milk, and separate your pump and bottles (empty or full) from any carry-on liquids that you have to screen.
Frozen breast milk can be visually inspected. If it’s thawed, TSA agents may want to test it for explosives. Although the FDA states that there are no known adverse effects from eating food, drinking beverages, and using medicine screened by X-ray, you have the right to say no. You can also ask agents to wear fresh gloves when handling your supplies.
Willow’s Portable Milk Cooler is TSA compliant, and keeps up to 16 ounces of milk at a safe temperature for up to 24 hours. Or you can carry freezer bags with ice packs or gel packs to keep your breast milk frozen. We recommend using using gel packs because, unlike ice packs, they don’t need to adhere to the liquid limit of 3.4 or fewer ounces after they begin to thaw and get mushy.
The Food and Drug Administration deems breast pumps medical devices, which means that you can carry them separately from (or inside) your carry-on bags. Pack your pump, breast milk, and gel packs or cooler together for easy access. Consider including items that help you clean your pump parts on the go, including breast pump wipes, soap, cleaning spray, a bottle brush, mini drying rack or towel.
Each airline treats pumps differently, so check with your carrier(s) ahead of time. And consider packing a hand pump as a backup!
Different countries have different rules around traveling with pumps, breast milk, and formula, and some of those rules are more clear than others. (For example, Canada has very clear rules that don’t limit breast milk to its 100ml/3.4-ounce liquid rule.)
If traveling abroad from the United States, you can contact the American consulate in your destination country to learn the most up-to-date regulations, and pack a printout of those regulations for easy reference while on the go.
The most secure way to transport your milk while traveling by air is to pack it, frozen, in your checked luggage. Keep it in the freezer until leaving for the airport. Seal it in a food storage bag to prevent leaks, then place it alongside ice packs inside a cooler bag in the center of your luggage so that it doesn’t move around too much.
It’s also legal to ship breast milk into the United States—that’s what companies like Milk Stork do! DHL and FedEx ship breast milk internationally; however, if you’re exporting it outside of the United States, you’ll need to make sure that it’s legal to send to the destination country.
If you find yourself in an airport that doesn’t offer a designated lactation space, consider being the voice for all who breastfeed and explain that because flushing of toilets can cast specks of fecal matter into the air, pumping in a bathroom is not sanitary.
Even if you’re a Willow user who can pump on the go, you still need access to a clean and private lactation space to wash your hands and pump parts, or at least to transfer the pumped milk and pump parts into resealable storage bags after and pumping using hand sanitizer.
Carry a screenshot or printout of the TSA’s own rules on breast milk and gel packs, in case you experience any problems or encounter an uninformed agent, and keep the TSA’s phone number handy: 1-866-289-9673. You can also watch the TSA video “Strollers, car seats, breast milk, oh my!” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also provides traveling recommendations for nursing families.