Flying with breastmilk

[aegis2005]

We're flying up to MA on Friday morning and will be going out to dinner that evening to celebrate our 5th anniversary.  FIL and his wife will be watching Shane and so I want to leave milk for him.  I don't want to assume that I'll be able to pump enough when we land to last him through the time we'll be gone, because some days I'll get 7oz to freeze and other days nothing, so I'm planning on bringing some with me. 

Am I best to leave it frozen solid or thaw it?  Is TSA picky about coolers/ice packs?  Am I going to want to forget an ice pack and try and get ice from a restaurant once I get through security?

Am I overthinking this?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated

[jen812]

I would call & ask. Do you have any spare time while your here??

[babybchbum]

I think TSAs website has information on it. Generally they would just swab it down but not make you toss it.

[mrsjenrn]

I have flown about 4-5 times with breast milk. I always kept it frozen and all airports have been fine with that. Just tell them what it is when you put it on the belt to go through security. They usually opened up that cooler and looked. Sometimes they swabbed it. I brought squishy gel ice packs for the cooler and it was always ok. I would definitely go with frozen milk because it will also stay colder longer, which is nice if you are delayed or something and can't get to ice. I would also bring some Ziploc bags with a good seal or something that you can put ice in if necessary. It was a lot easier to fly with breast milk than I thought it would be. GL!

[mrsjenrn]

Definitely look at TSA's website regarding BM. That way if you get an uneducated security guard you can inform them of the policy.

[aegis2005]

I have plenty of squishy gel packs, so that's good to know I won't have an issue with those. I just printed out the policy to stick in the diaper bag.

[mskateb]

Once I brought breastmilk on the way there in my cooler with the ice pack and all that, but on the way back, I didn't have any milk, and I did have my ice pack. They took my ice pack. Apparently, it's fine when there is milk to be cooled, but suspicious when the bottles are gone. Dammit.

[mrsjason]

I have flown a million times with BM with no issues.  I always had a cooler with some gel ice packs.  Most of the time TSA would swab the bottles for explosive material but I never had any issues.  

Although one time I flew after I was done BF and I had a bottle of water for Macy's formula (which is totally allowed, I flew many times with bottled water after explaining it was for formula) and the TSA lady at Orlando made this big effin' deal about me having it.  She was a total bitch when I tried to explain that it was for formula and I have always traveled with it.  It ended up not being worth the fight and the water was thrown out, but be prepared for idiot TSA agents who don't know their own guidelines, LOL.  I would have been totally pissed if I had to throw out BM.  

[loskadoodle]

Yes, you can take it thawed or frozen. The frozen ones they didnt even check for me. They only checked one of the thawed bottles I had. I've never had an issue with water for formula either.