We are moving to another province on Sunday (!!!) and I have a small freezer stash to bring with me. I am flying (2 hour flight) and my husband is driving (14 hours). I'm having trouble finding dry ice. Is there another option?? If I pack a cooler full of ice packs would it be ok??? This is stressing me out.
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Yes! I have done that for short flights and the milk was fine. I have even frozen the milk itself and surrounded it with ice to give it more time.
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When we brought my frozen & fresh milk stash home from the NICU they packed coolers with some ice and lots of newspaper. They said the newspaper helps to trap and insulate the milk and they often see coolers packed that way when they receive donated milk.
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How many ounces are you talking?
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@T.H.O.U.: not a lot, maybe 40?
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@petunia354: that's interesting! I might have to try that!
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I flew Air Canada cross-country with a soft cooler full (100oz) of BM. I had some regular frozen ice packs (4?) to keep it all cold. I had some questions on the way up when the cooler was empty and full of ice packs especially because DD wasnt with me . But when I told them it would be used to transport BM on the way home it was fine. I had no questions when flying with all the BM and ice packs on the way home .
Good luck with the move!! We've got lots of snow out for you here in the maritimes
... In the middle of another storm now!ETA; (http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/aviationsecurity/liquidsban-43.htm) this should ease your fears!
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@char54: oh it's not bringing it on board that I'm worried about, it's whether or not it will stay frozen! I'm guessing yours did? And thanks, we're super excited
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@sslm: I agree with filling the empty "air". I have even used plastic grocery bags (not a mess if they get wet) to help fill space in my cooler.
I would recommend a good hard sided cooler (again, to help with water leaks) with enough room that you can pack ice all around the milk. I used the Lansinoh bags and put as many as I could in a gallon zip lock with ice. And then ice around the gallon zip lock bag. And then plastic grocery bags on top to fill any extra air space.
I think the definition of "frozen" is if there are still ice crystals in the milk. I have done longer than 2 hour trips and still had plenty of "ice crystals" left and felt comfortable throwing it back in the freezer when I got home.
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The only thing I would say about ice packs versus bags of loose ice is that if the ice packs melt you are kinda stuck. At least with the bags of loose ice you can ask the food/drink vendors past security for refills. Everyone was more than happy to fill up a bag of ice for me. I usually just told them it was for "medication".
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@sslm: oh - whoops!! Mine was just cold, not frozen so sorry no help
is it a quick direct flight?
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@char54: It's a direct flight, just under 2 hours, with probably a 30 min commute to and from the airport... so let's say it would be out of the freezer for about 3.5 hours.
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@sslm: I think for that short of a duration you could just freeze it and then pack in any type of insulated cooler with ice packs. I know when I put frozen milk in the fridge to defrost overnight it's still ~80% frozen.
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@sslm: ya I would just pack that sucker full of ice packs and hope it would be okay.
Could you pack it in your checked luggage (is that allowed?)... The bags are always freezing cold when they come off the plane!
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@char54: I would really avoid checking milk. Think of all the times that bags are lost or delayed!
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I work at a childrens hospital and this is how we help mom's ship their extra milk to milk bank dontation centers: Pack it tightly in a cooler (add crumpled newpaper or somehting if there is any extra space) and close tightly with packing tape. Ship it overnight. Make sure someone is there to receive it and put it back into the freezer asap. Any milk that has thawed along the way has to be tossed
You could check it as baggage so it'll be out of the freezer for even less time.
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I have flown with frozen milk multiple times. I use soft sided coolers with regular ice packs. I tend to put in my checked bags because I assume the under carriage of the plan is colder than the passenger compartment. I've never had any issues!
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I used icepacks and checked it, it was still frozen after a transatlantic flight!
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The cargo area is usually very cold, I don't think it has much insulation.....
My local grocery stores have dry ice.
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@Seattlemom: I'm sure you may have different protocols if it is donated milk but for a mom, if it thaws (say half way or even all the way towards the end of the trip) that thawed milk should still be good for another 12-20 hours or so. I just don't want anyone to throw away good milk!
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I flew cross country with frozen milk-- I put it in the small soft sided cooler that comes with the Medela PISA, with a couple of frozen solid ice packs, so it was all wedged in, and it was still probably 90 percent frozen at least. It was out of the freezer for at least 8 hours or more, between packing, getting to the airport, and getting to our destination.
I would not check it-- I would be too worried it would sit in the sun, or get lost, or whatever. I kept it as carry on-- but then again, I was transporting a lot less than 40 oz.
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@T.H.O.U.: Yes, your are right! Sorry I sometimes forget to seperate out the strict hospital rules when discussing this stuff. Even at home, once thawed breast milk should be used within 24 hours, right?
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@Seattlemom: Yes! Usually the standard is 24 hours once thawed (no ice crystals). So assuming the milk even thawed before the trip, you would still have several hours to use the milk.
... In the middle of another storm now!
is it a quick direct flight?
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