Keeping breastmilk safe and cold while traveling in the summer heat

Summer travel season is here! That means trips to the beach, traveling to see friends and family and cranking the A/C to try and stay cool. If you’re a breastfeeding mom and pumping along the way (or traveling with a supply of extra milk), you may be wondering about the best ways to keep your milk safe and cold as well. Here are a few things to keep in mind. 

Keeping your breastmilk cold on your summer trip 

The type of storage you need for your breastmilk depends on how long of a trip you’re taking. Freshly expressed breastmilk can be kept at room temperature for up to four hours, according to the CDC. You can store the milk in bags (they lay flat in your cooler and you can place ice packs around them). You can also store milk in bottles (and there are some coolers made specifically for bottles, including this option from Sarah Wells).

If you'll be traveling longer than four hours consider bringing a small cooler with ice packs to keep your breastmilk cold. You can bring a cooler with you in the car and even on an airplane. If you’re taking a road trip consider using a cooler that plugs into your car (that way you don’t need ice).

The TSA notes that you can bring all expressed milk, ice packs and gel packs (frozen and unfrozen) through airport security. Also remember that if you’re pumping and traveling without your little one you can still bring those items through security. Don’t forget:  You can bring more than 3.4 ounces of breastmilk with you on the plane!

Pack your frozen breastmilk in a cooler with ice packs during your summer trip to keep it cold and safe.

How long can you store breastmilk while traveling?

The CDC notes that your milk can be stored in an insulated cooler with frozen ice packs for up to 24 hours. You want to use that milk as soon as you get to your destination. If you don’t plan to the milk right away put it in the freezer. Click here for more on CDC recommendations about storing your milk while traveling. 

If your trip is 12 hours or more, consider using dry ice to keep your milk cold. According to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, “dry ice is solid carbon dioxide. It is often used to keep foods cold so that they do not spoil while being transported. Unlike regular ice, dry ice does not melt. It changes from a solid to a gas and creates a vapor that looks like fog or smoke.” Keep in mind there are certain guidelines you’ll need to follow when handling dry ice. You can read more here.

Storing your breastmilk once you arrive at your destination

If you’ll be pumping or storing extra milk along the way you want to make sure your hotel or vacation rental has a fridge or freezer. If your hotel does not you can call ahead and request a mini fridge for your room. It’s always a good idea to keep your milk in the back of the fridge (that’s the area where the temperature it most likely to stay consistent). The temperature in your fridge should be 39°. 

Using a breastmilk chiller for storage

Depending on the length of your trip you can also use a chiller to store your breastmilk on your trip. These are super convenient. Ceres Chill makes several options and they are very easy to use (you pump right into the container). These chillers are designed to keep your milk cold so you can use them to store milk without a cooler (depending on the length of your trip). Many moms like using a nursing shirt designed for breastfeeding so they can pump their milk on the go (even in their airplane seat). Using these shirts you can zip as much or as little as you need (and the shirts are designed to fit your pump with ease).

Happy travels, mama! We know you'll have a great trip and we hope this guide helps as you plan your vacation this summer.