Beware: Breast Milk & Flying

[megumic]

This is a complete and utter outrage. Just wanted to put all of the breast-feeding mommy's on notice that the TSA has and may continue to disregard federal law in regards to traveling with breast milk. See the below link for the full story -- but one woman was kept in a glass cage and prevented from boarding her plane because she refused to have her breast milk x-rayed -- as per the TSA policy stating that alternative screening is available for breast milk.

http://www.prisonplanet.com/mother-...ur-by-tsa-for-resisting-over-breast-milk.html

 

[Logan Sapphire]

Thanks for posting this. I'm flying for the first time in 2 weeks with a lot of pumped milk- 180 oz or so. TSA doesn't define what a reasonable amount is, so hopefully it will all be ok.

 

[meresal]

LS- Just wondering, but do you need to carry the whole amount on you? Or could you pack in all in a cooler and tape it up, and then check the cooler. (With ice packs in it of course.)

I have flown numerous times with the baby, and IMO 180oz probably doesn't constitute a reasonable amount. This is jsut me, but when I think reasonable amount, I think what you would need for your day of travels.

 

[Puppmom]

What a shame. No plans here to travel any time soon but yikes! I've also heard you have to check your pump if it's electronic...not that anyone would WANT to pump on the plane but you might need to!

 

[Logan Sapphire]

LS- Just wondering, but do you need to carry the whole amount on you? Or could you pack in all in a cooler and tape it up, and then check the cooler. (With ice packs in it of course.)

I have flown numerous times with the baby, and IMO 180oz probably doesn't constitute a reasonable amount. This is jsut me, but when I think reasonable amount, I think what you would need for your day of travels.

I'm trying to figure out how to check it successfully but I think I would need dry ice. And the problem is that I'm going to be on a site visit for work (no baby with me) and won't have a car, so no access to buying dry ice.

I don't know if TSA cares or could even do anything, but I'm wondering if a note from my dr re: the 180oz would be sufficient. I can't breastfeed so I exclusively pump instead. My son relies on what I pump to eat, otherwise he doesn't eat (well, he could get formula, I suppose). The 180oz is what I would pump in the time I'm gone. I wonder if it just depends on the agent you get- I know of someone who carried on 300oz!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Pupp, I HAVE had to pump on an airplane bathroom. It was pretty horrible. I used a battery pump.

I have never carried breast milk with me on a plane and when I went on vacation w/o baby while I was BF, I pumped and dumped. I thought there was some sort of machine they put liquids in (when people bring stuff for babies) to make sure it was not radioactive? Not sure if it harms the milk. I can really see both sides to this issue. Unfortunately we live in a crazy world and I am one to err on the side of caution.

 

[NovemberBride]

I have traveled with pumped breastmilk and it was not an issue. I researched the issue in advance and luckily the TSA agents I dealt with knew exactly what to do. They do not x-ray the breastmilk, they open it and dip a test strip into it to test for explosives (similar to a pregnancy test). Logan, I only had a couple bottles worth, so I am not sure if they'd have a problem with 180 oz. or not. It might just take a while if they wanted to test it all? I don't know about checking it, I'd be very nervous to do so if my kid was depending on that for their only source of nutrition.

I feel terrible for this woman, and I am sure the story is true, but take a look at the source "Prison Planet". Hardly the New York Times. A story about government agents invading privacy on a site about government invasion of privacy is not likely to be an unbiased report of the situation.

 

[megumic]

I have traveled with pumped breastmilk and it was not an issue. I researched the issue in advance and luckily the TSA agents I dealt with knew exactly what to do. They do not x-ray the breastmilk, they open it and dip a test strip into it to test for explosives (similar to a pregnancy test). Logan, I only had a couple bottles worth, so I am not sure if they'd have a problem with 180 oz. or not. It might just take a while if they wanted to test it all? I don't know about checking it, I'd be very nervous to do so if my kid was depending on that for their only source of nutrition.

I feel terrible for this woman, and I am sure the story is true, but take a look at the source "Prison Planet". Hardly the New York Times. A story about government agents invading privacy on a site about government invasion of privacy is not likely to be an unbiased report of the situation.

Ha, yes, I agree. Of course this is a biased source. But important to note the Constitutional implications a case like this has -- not only does it seem discriminatory based on sex (b/c only women can naturally produce breast milk), it also discriminates reproductive rights (i.e. the choice to exclusively breastfeed falls in that category, in my mind at least.) More importantly, it makes me extremely uncomfortable that the TSA does not adhere to its own policies (federal law) -- it grossly inflates their power to manipulate Constitutional rights.

 

[swimmer]

Logan, do you have enough frozen to feed your dude? I hope you do.

When I have traveled I just donate wherever we are http://milkshare.birthingforlife.com/ because it is a pain to keep it cold enough, fridge cold will only keep for 3 days, and I couldn't get a hotel fridge to keep it even that cold. My sister flies all the time with pumped milk and has never had an issue, she also refuses to let it be x-rayed (and offers legal counsel to anyone who is harassed by TSA in NY). I think keeping a print out of the regulation is a great idea. I have read about women who fed-exed their milk on dry ice, some shipping places stock it? Regardless, this woman's situation is pretty incredible. I really am horrified that this happened to her several months ago. Hopefully TSA has learned something in the meantime.

 

[Logan Sapphire]

Logan, do you have enough frozen to feed your dude? I hope you do.

When I have traveled I just donate wherever we are http://milkshare.birthingforlife.com/ because it is a pain to keep it cold enough, fridge cold will only keep for 3 days, and I couldn't get a hotel fridge to keep it even that cold. My sister flies all the time with pumped milk and has never had an issue, she also refuses to let it be x-rayed (and offers legal counsel to anyone who is harassed by TSA in NY). I think keeping a print out of the regulation is a great idea. I have read about women who fed-exed their milk on dry ice, some shipping places stock it? Regardless, this woman's situation is pretty incredible. I really am horrified that this happened to her several months ago. Hopefully TSA has learned something in the meantime.

I do have plenty of frozen milk- probably 1600oz or so by now. I could definitely afford to pump and dump if I had to, but I'm planning on starting to wean from the pump in January and I need to store every ounce I can get to make it to 12 months of breast milk for him. I looked into MilkShare and almost had someone lined up but it fell through due to my not being able to get the required bloodwork done in time before my trip.

I did call TSA and ask about the definition of reasonable amounts. The woman I talked to (and her supervisor) said that they would consider 180oz excessive, but I know someone who brought on 300oz. I guess it just depends on the individual agents.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Nov, the test stripes! THAT is what I was trying to think of. Yes, we have had that done too.

 

[swimmer]

You have a great stash then, awesome! Well, it sounds like you want to keep what you have, but regardless, I linked the wrong part of the site, http://milkshare.forumotion.com/forum.htm This is just person to person donation. When I went to a wedding out of state I posted that I would be in a town for x days and that I pump 24oz a day spare and did anyone want it. A woman emailed me pretty quickly (double mastectomy) and I left it at the hotel front desk for her. No screening. I did disclose my pertinent medical history to her via email (no alcohol, cutting down on the crack, etc). DH was a bit sketched out when I started doing this, but I really screened and like with that woman, I never actually saw her.

 

[Logan Sapphire]

Yeah, that's the same place I "advertised" my milk. I think my posts are still up there! The one person who responded did want me to fill out the standard donor screening form (which I did), but then wanted the results of bloodwork for HIV 1 &2, HLTV 1 & 2, syphilis, and Hep B & C.

I'm desperate to give it away, actually. I do not want to bring it home, but if I can't find anyone to take it, I'll try to get it home.

 

[swimmer]

Did you post on eatsonfeets.org? There are a few other sharing sites out there, but apparently craigslist banns posting about bm donation. While it is a sketchy place to turn to, I don't see why they think prostitution is fine, but milk donation is not.

 

[violet02]

What's the issue with x-raying breast milk? Is it considered unsafe for the milk?

I flew with my 5 month old a couple of weeks ago and the first time I went through SFO I forgot to declare both bottles and they didn't even call me out on it. They were in my diaper bag. On the trip home I let them know at SEA TAC that I had two bottles. They had someone come look at the bottles very briefly, not even touching them and then let me go. I did send them through the xray both times.

 

[drk]

I traveled with BM in May, without trouble. I had to go buy dry ice to get my frozen milk home, packed it in a styrofoam container.
I bought some Techni Ice for next time, hoping that it might work well based on their description:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZOWG62/ref=oss_product
I guess I can report back later in the month if it did the trick to keep whatever extra milk I might have frozen on the way back from Europe.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

What's the issue with x-raying breast milk? Is it considered unsafe for the milk?

Honestly, I'm wondering what they think they'll see by X-raying it...lol. I mean, I realize it's not a clear liquid, but still, assuming most mom's don't fill bottles to the absolute brim, I don't think it'd be difficult to see an object in a breast milk bottle?

The dip test makes a lot more sense since you'd be looking for liquid explosives (not something you can see on xray).

 

[drk]

I'm sure I put my breastmilk through the xray scanner both ways. I can't see how it would harm the breastmilk in any way. Maybe that's why I had no issues?

 

[meresal]

The funny thing is, I don't think I worried about the x-ray... I didn't know there was an issue?

However, I did make sure that they weren't putting the test strip INTO the BM. I'm sorry, but I don't want anything that has been in anyone elses hands inside my BM.
The first time I had it done, the lady just opened the bottle and held the test over the milk... testing for fumes. It is a Vapor Test, and she assured me that they do not put it into the liquid.

-and like I said with formula... if the bottle is unopened, they use a sensor on the end of a wand that they run around the seal to make sure it hasn't been broken. If the formula bottle is open, then they treat it just like BM, with the Vapor Test.

 

[labellavita81]

I used to breast feed and fly and don't see the issue with any of these tests. To be honest I would prefer they test it (vapor or by xray). I'd hate the plane to blow up because someone brought 300oz of "breast milk" into the plane without it being properly checked. What we have to remember is that they do these things for the safety of all passengers and to say your outraged that they have to even check it is very naive. Not everyone who boards a plane has the best intentions and this has been proven time and time again.

 

[megumic]

I used to breast feed and fly and don't see the issue with any of these tests. To be honest I would prefer they test it (vapor or by xray). I'd hate the plane to blow up because someone brought 300oz of "breast milk" into the plane without it being properly checked. What we have to remember is that they do these things for the safety of all passengers and to say your outraged that they have to even check it is very naive. Not everyone who boards a plane has the best intentions and this has been proven time and time again.

Actually, the article was not about the policies in place to check the breast milk, it was about the TSA disregarding its own policy (a Federal Law) that was so outraging. The woman was perfectly compliant with the policies and in fact, had even printed out what TSA's website wrote about its breastmilk policy, however TSA agents refused to follow their own policy. Policies are in place to be followed, and when they aren't, particularly in relation to the facts of this case, it amounted to sex and reproductive discrimination that we should not have to tolerate. Hence why I wanted to make others aware.

Not to be brash, but next time I suggest you read what you're commenting on prior to commenting.

 

[labellavita81]

You are right, I should have read the article. Your not harsh.