Refrigerating and Freezing Breast Milk
Once you arrive at your destination, if you are still away from home, you will want to make sure you have access to a refrigerator.
How long you refrigerate your breast milk is going to rely heavily on your travel dates. If you are staying in a hotel for two nights away from your baby, you can safely store your milk in the refrigerator.
Breast milk can be left in the refrigerator (preferably in the back) for up to 4 days before it will need to be frozen. If you are going to see your baby and use the milk in that time window, there is no need for freezing your milk!
In the event you do need to freeze your milk, just remember that it is crucial you do not refreeze any milk that you allow to thaw completely.
Pro tip: If you can’t tell if milk has defrosted or not, check for ice crystals. If the ice crystals are present, you can safely put the milk in the freezer.
As with all things, there is a shelf life to freezing breast milk. For the best results and lower chance of developing any new tastes, you should freeze your milk for no longer than 6 months. Depending on your baby and the composition of your breast milk, you can freeze breast milk for up to one year.
Can I Fly With Breast Milk?
Yes, you absolutely can!
If you want to check your breast milk, you can pack a cooler with ice and your bags of milk and have it checked at the counter like any other piece of luggage.
If you are anything like us, the thought of parting with your milk like that is stressful. You could also be traveling with your baby and need to be able to access your milk.
Breast milk is exempt from TSA fluid restrictions.
Now, this does not mean that TSA will not examine your milk. In fact, many people are shocked to learn that TSA is allowed to examine your milk. You will want to be sure that the containers you store your milk in are resealable and will not compromise your milk if opened.
Signs Your Breast Milk Has Gone Bad
A cooler can open without you realizing it, days can get mixed up, life happens! No matter how careful you are, when traveling with breast milk there is always a chance that your milk could spoil.
Common signs of breast milk having spoiled are:
Stop Worrying About Spilled Milk With Willow
Traveling with breastmilk can be stressful, especially when you are pumping on the go. The saying goes, “there’s no use crying over spilled milk” but any mama who has spilled her freshly pumped or defrosted milk knows that does not apply to breast milk.
Both Willow Go and Willow 3.0 are equipped with milk containers that make transferring milk from your pump a breeze. Willow 3.0 gives the added bonus of 360º leak-proof mobility, so you don’t have to worry about spills, unlatching, or really anything that feels restrictive!
Don’t believe us? See for yourself why Willow stands out from the crowd!