How to Get Through Airport Security With Breast Milk

It’s perfectly legal to pass through airport security with breast milk, even without a baby in tow, but the rules don’t always hold up in real life when you’re just a parent standing in front of a TSA agent, asking him to let you get on a plane with your ice-cold packs of human sustenance.

Last week, a Colorado mom described how the milk she had pumped for her 3-month-old son was thrown out by TSA after it was tested for explosives and set off an alarm. While these types of stories seem to have become less common, perhaps after President Obama signed the training-focused Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening (BABES) Act last year, hiccups and hold-ups happen. Friends told me their own tales from the checkpoint—they’ve cringed as their containers of liquid gold were opened, fumbled with and sniffed by perplexed security agents. One mom was asked to take a sip of the stuff to prove it wasn’t hazardous. Another watched in horror as her breast milk leaked all over the X-Ray machine. (“It was gross and smelly,” she remembers.)

The possibility of that valuable bosom nectar not making it into the mouths of babes—whether due to confiscation, spoilage, or tainting by a random TSA dude’s thumb—can make air travel incredibly stressful. Here are some ways to lower your anxiety and chances of crying over spilled milk.

Know Your Rights (And Print Them Out)

A quick “breast milk TSA” Google search takes you to the official Transportation Security Administration website, where it clearly states that yes, you can pass through the checkpoint with more breast milk or formula than the standard carry-on amount of 3.4 ounces. It may be helpful to print out the page and highlight key lines such as, “You do not need to travel with your child to bring breast milk” if you’re on a business trip or, you know, a childfree getaway in Molokini. Show the printout to any TSA agent who looks skeptical. Security cannot ask you to taste your breast milk, but agents can ask you to open bottles. They may swab the outside of the container.

Declare what it is right away. Jessica Shortall, author of Work. Pump. Repeat: The New Mom’s Survival Guide to Breastfeeding and Going Back to Work, suggests saying to the agent, “I am a nursing mother, and I am traveling with a breast pump and breast milk.” She also recommends using the word “medical” a lot.

Breastfeeding isn't as simple as "baby plus nipple." It can create a lot of…

Keep That Milk Cold

Freezing breast milk makes it easier to transport, but toting it in liquid form is fine, too, as long as you’ve got a cooler bag and ice pack (a TSA-permitted item). The ubiquitous black Medela tote works for quick trips, but for lugging around larger quantities of milk, the leak-proof beast that is the Yeti Hopper is a winner among frequent travelers.

If you forget the ice pack, a Ziploc bag full of ice will do. No sweat if security makes you toss it—just hit up an ice machine or Starbucks barista for more once you clear the checkpoint. An even better hack from Twitter user Jennifer Stamm is to use a pack of frozen veggies because it won’t become slushy and therefore subject to further screening.

A note: If you’re checking your breast milk—likely a safe and secure option with the Yeti Hopper—you don’t need to worry much about temperature change. The cooler has ample insulation and the belly of an aircraft is plenty cold.

Give Yourself Extra Time

TSA checkpoints can be a grab bag. If you’re carrying breast milk, show up to the airport extra early, especially if you’re traveling internationally.

Consider Not Bringing Breast Milk Through Airport Security

For women who must pump breast milk while on business trips, a logistical headache according to moms who’ve been there, there are shipment services such as Milk Stork that will safely transport your breast milk straight from your hotel back home to your baby. Some companies offer the service to employees, so check your company’s policies and benefits.

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