Bringing Your Milk Home

Pack as many bottles of milk into patient belonging bags as will fit.

If traveling with:

• Fresh milk: Your child’s nurse will help you pack your milk in patient belonging bags.
• Frozen milk: Milk lab staff will pack your milk in patient belonging bags.

Pad the bags with crumpled newspaper or crumpled patient belonging bags to fill the air pockets between the bottles. Packing the milk tight will help keep the milk cold. You can bring your own cooler from home if you prefer, but you do not need a cooler if traveling for less than 5 hours.

When you arrive home with:

• Fresh milk: Refrigerate for up to 4 days from the day it was pumped if it will be used in that time. If not, put it in the freezer. Store milk in the back of the refrigerator, not the door.
• Frozen milk: It is best to use frozen milk within 6 months, but it can be frozen up to 12 months from the pump date. Store milk in the back of the freezer, not the door. If frozen milk is thawed when you get home, but still has any amount of ice crystals in it, it is safe to refreeze. If it is completely thawed, use it within 24 hours.

Make sure your child’s nurse knows your trip will be longer than 5 hours. The nurse will ask the milk lab to pack your bottles of frozen milk in insulated cooler bags. You may also bring a cooler from home.

Pad the bags or coolers with crumpled newspaper or crumpled patient belonging bags to fill the air pockets between the bottles. Packing the milk tight will help keep the milk cold.

If traveling with:

Fresh milk: Buy cold packs and freeze them before traveling. Place frozen cold packs on top of the milk. Fresh breastmilk/chestmilk is good in a cooler with frozen cold packs for 24 hours. Once home, refrigerate for up to 4 days from the day it was pumped if it will be used in that time. If not, put it in the freezer. Store milk in the back of the refrigerator, not the door.

Frozen milk: Pack tightly with paper or plastic but do not use ice cubes; ice is warmer than frozen milk. It is best to use frozen milk within 6 months, but it can be frozen up to 12 months from the pump date. Store milk in the back of the freezer, not the door. If frozen milk is thawed when you get home, but still has any amount of ice crystals in it, it is safe to refreeze. If it is completely thawed, use it within 24 hours.

• Freeze any fresh milk before packing it.
• Wear gloves and use tongs to put dry ice in the bottom of a Styrofoam cooler. The lactation team or the milk lab MAY be able to provide a previously used Styrofoam cooler. Five pounds of dry ice will last 24 hours. Dry ice is much colder than regular ice and can cause severe frostbite if you touch it.
• Cover the dry ice with a layer of crumpled newspaper. Then, pack milk on top using more crumpled newspaper to fill in any empty space.
• Put the cooler cover on and tape shut without completely sealing the edges of the cooler. If dry ice is kept in an airtight container, it can burst.
• If you are traveling with dry ice in a car or truck, place it in the trunk or truck bed. If your vehicle does not have a trunk — for example, an SUV, van, or hatchback — do not put dry ice in your vehicle, unless you can keep a window slightly open.
• Open the cooler at home in a large room or a room with an open window or an exhaust fan in the ceiling.
• To get rid of dry ice: place the cooler outside in a wide-open space, away from children and pets and allow the ice to evaporate completely. Do not put dry ice in sinks or toilets.

• The hospital is not responsible for any checked baggage fees.
• Most airlines charge a fee for checked baggage. Usually, each cooler or box of milk costs the same as checking 1 bag. Some airlines offer a medical exemption for bringing breastmilk/chestmilk home. Call the airline before flying to learn more.
• Pack your milk depending on how much time it will take to fly home (from packing the milk at the hospital to arriving to your home freezer) following the directions above. If travel will take more than 24 hours, call the airline to learn the rules for flying with dry ice.
• A Styrofoam cooler must be in a cardboard box to be checked as baggage. Tape the box shut without sealing completely if you are using dry ice.
• Bring extra tape with you. You may need to open your box or cooler at the airline and re-tape when you check in.
• Label the box with your name, address and phone number both on the inside and the outside of the cooler and box.

• The hospital is not responsible for any shipping costs.
• The cost of overnighting milk is expensive. You can get an online quote from FedEx at fedex.com. One box can cost $200.
• To ship the milk overnight, you must take the box to FedEx. The nearest one to the hospital is at 3042 NE 45th St, Seattle, WA 98105.