Pumped milk at airports and Denver airport questions

[bcarp30]

I can't recall seeing a family bathroom at DIA. Would your company pay for a club pass for the day? I think it's $50 for the day at United and they would have ice for you. I wish there were mamava pods there but no go. What airline are you flying?

[bcarp30]

Apr 8, 2016 8:58:21 GMT -5 @starry said:

Apr 8, 2016 8:57:06 GMT -5 bcarp30 said:

I can't recall seeing a family bathroom at DIA. Would your company pay for a club pass for the day? I think it's $50 for the day at United and they would have ice for you. I wish there were mamava pods there but no go. What airline are you flying?

United. I have no status. I don't think they'd pay for a pass based on policy. Ughhhh

The B concourse has a nice second floor where it's quieter so if you can't find anything you should be able to find a quiet spot there. There's also an elways on that concourse so definitely charge a nice preflight meal!

[bcarp30]

Oh found this, apparently there are some family restrooms www.findfamilyrestroom.com/findrestroom.php?rrsearch=bystate&rrstate=CO

[steamboat185]

I don't know of a pumping area, but the upstairs in B is usually pretty quiet. I used to nurse DD up there frequently. There aren't many family bathrooms at DIA- at least I don't remember seeing many.

[steamboat185]

I always find TSA in Denver to be especially grumpy. I'd make sure you follow any rules you can find, especially if you don't have precheck.

[dottyblue]

There is a family restroom (map at the link). I like this website to find pumping rooms/ family restrooms for travel:

www.momspumphere.com/places/place/details/731_denver-international-airport

[djc315]

I brought a soft sided cooler and emptied the ice before I went through security. My milk was in storage bags, and then I put those bags in gallon ziploc bags. I got ice from a vendor after clearing security.

TSA didn't even give it a second look.

I was allowed to carry on my pump bag, my cooler, plus a purse & my regular carry on - I think that's still the case but I'd check since this was 3 years ago.

[jm1982]

Yes, you can bring ice packs, the blue ones or just bags of ice. I've also found that (when I had a long delay and my bag of ice melted) restaurant or bar employees are generally happy to give you a free bag of ice for your cooler if you tell them it's for breastmilk.

[jm1982]

To clarify: I have walked through security with a bag of ice several times. Only on the last trip was there a question about it. He asked what happened to the blue freezer cube (I was transporting milk in bottles, and didn't have the blue cube on me); I said that I came from a hotel with no way to freeze it. He let me through. I don't think my answer mattered, though. I think he was just making awkward conversation.

[ebeth]

I used the lansinoh bags and put the milk into an insulated lunch bag.

I did not use ice packs, I just had a stash of quart sized ziploc bags that I filled with ice post security (had been in fridge in hotel room prior to arriving at airport).

Once I was through security I put the lunch bag in my carry on.

I also told every TSA agent that I encountered that I was traveling with breast milk/medical liquids. Friends advised me to do this because I guess some get a little surly if you don't give them a heads up, but the agents I encountered were just like, 'whatever lady'. they didn't even do any additional screening. 

[Raggedeannie]

@starry I am still pg so no advice, but I wanted to ask if you could update after your travels on what you ended up doing/ how it worked out? I travel tons and tons for work so I am really interested in this topic...

ETA OOps tagged the wrong person!

[Raggedeannie]

Apr 8, 2016 9:33:00 GMT -5 @starry said:

Not Susie but you guys will definitely hear about it lolol

Haha oops!!  Fixed my post

[mrsGreeko]

There's a USO in concourse A. It's for military, but I wonder if you explained the situation if they might let you use it temporarily (if it's not busy). Donations are encouraged... The bathrooms by the USO are usually pretty empty and nicer than the bathrooms elsewhere also.

[Poppy]

I carried a cooler with Lansinoh bags. On the way out (from DIA) I had the ice pack frozen in my carry on, and they did ask to see it after xray and they swabbed it I think, but nobody gave me trouble.

I thought that the ice packs had to be fully frozen, and my hotel fridge did not have a freezer compartment so I checked the non-frozen ice pack on the return flight. I loaded up with ice in ziplocs from hotel -> airport, then dumped the ice before security (not sure if that's required, you could try and the worst that would happen is that they'd make you toss it), then I restocked the ice from a restaurant at the airport.

My biggest tip is to bring a million ziplocs.

[CloudBee]

I've flown with storage bags and bottles, on both ice and ice packs, and never had a problem going through security. I think they may have touched something to a container and tested it that way? But they never opened the milk. Restaurants and flight attendants were really helpful with supplying me with ice - but I've heard some airlines won't give out ice because they have a limited supply. If you need ice, buy it at the airport. Most places will just give it to you if you ask how much a cup of ice costs.

I packed a TON of Ziplock bags. Small and large sizes. It was a clean way to quickly pack away pump parts, and also keep bags and bottles from spilling.

I also kept my pump parts on ice so I wouldn't have to clean them between pumping sessions while flying.

[mandapanda18]

Apr 8, 2016 8:46:39 GMT -5 @starry said:

Can someone tell me exactly what I should get / do to travel through an airport with refrigerated pumped milk? Should be 70-100 ounces.

Use my lansinoh bags? Bring a ton of bottles? I used bags, sectioned into the amount of ounces he took at daycare, froze it immediately upon returning home.

I was reading the milk needs to be in a separate bag, what do you use? I just tossed it all into a soft-sided cooler.

Can I take ice packs through security? only if they are completely frozen, if not, you will need to toss at security and get ice on the other side.

Also Denver airport... Is there a pumping area or just family bathrooms? Google was not helping me definitively answer this. I am pretty sure only family bathrooms if I am remembering the right airport lol (been through too many!)

[FoxInFiji]

Yes the family restrooms are the only location with a plug. They are on the second story of each terminal. The last time I was there the United one was under construction and I had to travel to a different terminal. It was pretty gross though and the only plug is right next to the sink with no counter space. I later ended up pumping in the handicap stall of the bathroom because my plane got delayed 5 hours. I set everything up on my luggage and pretended everyone couldn't hear the pump. Not sure which was worse. Since you're flying United Terminal B is probably all renovated for you now though!

I haven't had any issues with security but I'm prechecked. I've mainly done ziplocs with ice but that's usually because I didn't have access to a freezer.