If you’re in the thick of breastfeeding but find yourself heading out on your first business trip or weekend away, you may be asking, what do I do with my pumped milk? Knowing you need to continue to pump while away from your baby to maintain your supply, you will be traveling with your trusted pump and all its parts in tow.
How to ship your breast milk?
There are many different companies that offer milk shipping services, and it’s important to research all your options. Especially if you will be traveling internationally. It’s also possible that your company will reimburse you for this, so we encourage you to speak with your HR department before picking a service.
Services will likely include sending you containers as well as coolers if you plan to ship your milk back home. In most cases, your coolers will be waiting for you at your hotel or destination. You would pump as you normally do and package up your milk in the supplied containers. Be sure to read all the instructions. If you plan to bring your milk with you and are flying be sure to read our blog about going through TSA with breastmilk here.
If you’d rather ship your own milk, keeping it cool is key! FedEx does have their own temperature-controlled containers for purchase, but not every shipping company does. In general you will need dry ice and a styrofoam cooler to package your breast milk up, along with other typical packing materials.
Whether you’re using a company or shipping yourself there are some important things to keep in mind:
- Make sure to have all your pumping supplies, milk storage bags and ziploc bags to put those in (bring extra bags in case a few break or leak!)
- If you don’t have a dishwasher in your hotel room or where you are staying ask for access to a microwave to sterilize your parts
- Shipped breast milk needs to be cold. If creating your own shipping box, you will need dry ice
- Make sure you don’t overpack your containers to prevent them from spilling or bursting open during shipment!
If you have any questions regarding pumping, traveling while pumping or shipping your milk, please reach out to your lactation consultant who can walk you through step by step.
