Traveling with Milk & Formula
High maintenance bébé
Breast Milk
Keeping it fresh & storage
- Keep milk in either bottles or breast milk storage bags.
- Put some ice packs in a small lunchbox. These slim ice packs are my favorite! They’re not bulky, and you can surround your milk on all sides with a few of these.
- Freeze a couple bottles or bags of your breast milk, and they’ll act as an ice pack to the liquid ones. If you have a long travel day or flight delays, the frozen ones should still be good to use later that day.
- Pack some resealable plastic bags in your carry on bag in case of emergencies. You can ask for ice from a flight attendant or a restaurant to fill the bags for instant ice packs.
- Check with your hotel ahead of time if they have rooms with refrigerators, or if they have mini-refrigerators to rent.
Getting through airport security
- Breast milk can go through security, as it is an exception to the liquids rule. Ice packs are also allowed.
- Separate the milk in its own bin, and place it on the security conveyor belt.
- It will most likely need to be tested. They will want to open one or possibly all the bags or containers to test a very small amount. It will not impact your supply amount.
- If you decline this option, they will need to do a full pat-down and bag inspection. This will take extra time.
Formula
When my baby was solely on formula, this was the most terrifying time for travel. Running out just wasn’t an option, and you cannot buy formula at every airport or gas station. When it comes to formula-fed babies, having more on-hand than you ever think you’ll need is the safest way to go.
Keeping it fresh & storage
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Don’t mix formula until you need it. A good rule of thumb is that it should be consumed within an hour when it’s at room temperature.
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Enfamil Nursette‘s were our saving grace when we traveled. You simply screw off the lid, put on the nipple, and it’s ready to go, no mixing required. When you have a screaming baby on a plane, it feels like every second counts, and these will save you some time and stress. They aren’t cheap, but they are worth it during the most stressful moments. Some other brands make similar products, so check with your preferred formula brand if they have these.
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Space is very valuable in your carry on bag, so forego large formula containers for single serve packets.
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I actually preferred to travel with a combination of Nursettes and single serve packets. I could only fit 10 Nursettes in my diaper bag in a large resealable plastic bag, so I would also keep 10 powder packets in there for extra security. It ensured I had plenty of formula for the day.
Getting through airport security
- Formula can go through security (both powder and Nursettes/ready-to-feed sealed bottles).
- Even if you intend to use bottled water to mix with formula, you can’t bring it through security. Wait until after security to purchase some.
- Separate the formula in its own bin, and place it on the security conveyor belt.
- It will most likely need to be tested. They will want to open one or possibly all the containers to test a very small amount.
- If you have ready-to-feed sealed bottles, you will not want an agent to open the bottles, as they must be consumed within the hour once they are opened. You can decline this option, but they will need to do a full pat-down and bag inspection. This will take extra time.
Milk
Once your baby is old enough to drink cow’s milk, traveling gets slightly easier. Unlike formula, you can find milk just about everywhere. However, I still recommend not assuming you can buy it anywhere you are and instead pack your own. Also, don’t expect to find whole milk or your preferred brand everywhere. Eventually, your baby won’t need to travel with milk and will be content with water, which makes traveling and getting through security much easier. Our son still relied on milk to fall asleep until he was about two-years-old, so we had to travel with milk at all times for about a year. Of course, that will vary depending on your child.
Keeping it fresh & storage
- Keep milk in your baby’s favorite bottles or sippy cups.
- Put some ice packs in a small lunchbox. As I mentioned above, these slim ice packs are my favorite! They’re not bulky, and you can surround your milk on all sides with a few of these.
- Pack some resealable plastic bags in your carry on bag in case of emergencies. You can ask for ice from a flight attendant or a restaurant to fill the bags for instant ice packs.
- Skip needing to keep your milk cool by purchasing UHT milk (when it undergoes Ultra High-Temperature Pasteurization, it has a longer shelf life). When unopened, it doesn’t need to be refrigerated. Horizon Organic is my favorite, and it has a few different flavors. When you’re ready to use it, just pour it in your child’s favorite bottle or sippy cup. This is my personal favorite option, because it means I don’t have to worry about if the milk is fresh enough.
- Milk Drinks (a combination of milk and nutrients) are another alternative if you don’t want to worry about having to keep milk cool. We use Enfagrow Milk Drinks. When you’re ready to use it, just pour it in your child’s favorite bottle or sippy cup.
- You can wait to purchase milk at an airport convenience store, deli or restaurant (don’t forget your ice packs). I should point out there was one time I traveled through a small airport who did not have any milk because a snow storm came through the day before that delayed their shipment. This was a random occurrence, but it made me glad I brought my own backups.
- Check with your hotel ahead of time if they have rooms with refrigerators, or if they have mini-refrigerators to rent.
Getting through airport security
- All kinds of milk can go through security, as it is an exception to the liquids rule. Ice packs are also allowed.
- Separate the milk in its own bin, and place it on the security conveyor belt.
- It will most likely need to be tested. They will want to open one or possibly all bottles or containers to test a very small amount.
- If you have pre-sealed milk (like UHT milk boxes or Milk Drinks), you will not want an agent to open the containers, as they won’t stay fresh when already opened. If you decline the option for them to open your containers, they will need to do a full pat-down and bag inspection. This will take extra time. Heads up: I’ve had two different TSA agents tell me they do not like these pre-sealed milk containers. Depending on the container, some can be tested one way, and others have to be tested a different way. They do allow them, but they seem a little more irritated when I have these.
*TSA regulations are constantly changing, and international airports can have different standards. Be patient with security agents and be ready to answer any questions. They will not take away your baby’s milk or formula; they simply have different procedures to ensure everyones’ safety. Sadly that is the world we live in!
