Breastmilk and flying - made to open bottles at security

[hippychickaquarius]

My breastfeeding saga of tongue-tie, almost exclusively pumping, and our search for answers is long, but we are on our path to happy breastfeeding.. I hope!

Anyway, last week I flew to NYC to have my son's tongue-tie corrected. I had to travel with my breastpump and pumped breastmilk. At both airports I was pulled aside to have my breastmilk tested. I had to OPEN every bottle, and the screener waved a test strip over the top of each bottle. I was furious, and I stated that the TSA says traveling with breastmilk (and formula) is permitted. They both agreed but said that they are now required to do additional testing. I am upset that I had to OPEN the bottles as the screening environment is not a sanitary condition. Both screeners clearly thought I was being overly-paranoid about contamination because they stated several times that they weren't actually going to put anything in the breastmilk. Still, an open bottle is open to particles falling in.

Additionally, the lady screener in Laguarida was concerned about my pump too! (it's a medela PISA) She made me pull everything out (a ziploc bag full of the breastpump accessories... how embarrasing!), and then she tried to get the motor out! Hello?!? The motor is attached to the bag! I explained it to her, showed her how the controls were on the front, and she said okay.. she ended up just swabbing the top of the motor area inside the bag.

So frustrating! All this too while I was HOLDING MY FUSSY BABY! :

I understand that need for airline security, but I don't think this is appropriate!

[annettemarie]

While I get that this can be frustrating, I think it's unfortunately part of living in a post-9/11 world.

[leosmommy]

I can see both sides of this, too. I'm sure they weren't as nice as they could have been about it. And you rock, mama, for doing all you do for your LO!

[MittensKittens]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

While I get that this can be frustrating, I think it's unfortunately part of living in a post-9/11 world.

I agree, but I also doubt there would be ANYONE sick enough to blow up a plane with their own baby on board by means of a "breast milk bomb"

[annettemarie]

I don't think that's why they check, though. I think the idea is that someone could claim it's breast milk, when it could actually be something else.

[jecombs]

That stinks that you were made to do that! Here's the official TSA statement. It says that you (the passenger) won't have to test your milk, but doesn't say anthing about TSA employees testing it. I would have been pretty mad about them trying to dismantle my expensive breast pump!

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...n/formula.shtm

[MittensKittens]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

I don't think that's why they check, though. I think the idea is that someone could claim it's breast milk, when it could actually be something else.

Yes, like liquid semtex or something. Apparently there is an explosive that looks just like water, which is why it is not allowed on board any more.

[limabean]

Flying can be a hassle for everyone these days. I guess they just can't take people's word that the substance in a bottle is breastmilk or formula, though -- that's understandable.

It doesn't make it any easier when you're dealing with fussy kids and trying to deal with all the TSA requirements at the same time though!

[In Exile]

I had great experiences at Logan Airport in Boston, recently. Nobody touched my Medela Bottles etc-nothing.
They just sort of like it when you announce beforehand that you have these containers. THey were happy enough when I opened the Medela Cooling Bag with the bottles in them and I kept repeating it to them so they were not "surprised".

Sorry they made you jump through hoops.












(and I had cow's milk in them...)

[julie128]

F***ing terrorists.

I think it's against the rules to make you open your containers of breast milk. Ask to see a supervisor if that ever happens again. I have also heard that you do not have to remove your baby if you are wearing him/her.

[julie128]

Originally Posted by MittensKittens

I agree, but I also doubt there would be ANYONE sick enough to blow up a plane with their own baby on board by means of a "breast milk bomb"

I don't. People can be very mean. Have you heard of the Khmer Rouge or the Holocaust or the Rwanda massacres?

[MittensKittens]

Originally Posted by julie128

I don't. People can be very mean. Have you heard of the Khmer Rouge or the Holocaust or the Rwanda massacres?

Yeah. And I was in Serbia during the most recent war. Oh, and I visited North Korea as well. Never seen anyone blow up there own babies, though.

[kriket]

I see you're a C-bus mama, did you fly out of c-bus? I walked through security with 1/2 a bottle of gatoraid (I forgot I had it ) I can't believe they gave you a hard time.

Isn't there an amount that you can carry on a certain amt? Like 2 or 3 oz?

I normally comply with the rules because I have only flown 2x in my entire life. I can see if you had to for business where you would be cranky

[Geofizz]

You had problems at LaGuardia, but does your message also mean you had problems at CMH?!? You wouldn't believe what I took through this morning without a blink from the CMH TSA. (scientific equipment that looks like a bomb... seriously, wires hanging off and everything.)

I've never had a problem at CMH with breastmilk, pumps, or babies! I have had TSA people ask me how old my baby was after scanning my pump. I took it as a nice way for them to confirm it was a pump without yelling out "So is this a breastpump?" I've found that they are generally quite familiar with the major brands of pump.

The change in the TSA policy on breastmilk came about because people wrote to their senators and representatives. Maybe a letter might go a ways for you?

[Dame]

Wow! I've traveled numerous times with breastmilk and never had a problem. I did have my pump swabbed, but they never opened the bottles or even really looked at them after I said they were breastmilk. I do understand why they have such rules though.

[AnnR33]

I'm not saying it wasn't a hassle but it sounds like they did everything right. Except for not understanding how a breastpump works (which is not surprising) they didn't step over their bounds which is good.

As far as opening the bottles, that does not surprise me at all since they may have needed to smell them. I've seen this done on one flight I went on. I may not like it but I certainly understand it.