Packaging breastmilk for shipping
The following table gives information regarding how long breastmilk can be safely stored under various temperature conditions.
Before storing, all breastmilk (even that collected at home for use at home) must be labelled with the time and date of collection. Milk that will be used in the hospital must also be labelled with the baby's name and medical record number.
| Breastmilk | Hospital Use | Home Use |
| Fresh, room temperature | 4 hours | 8 hours |
| Fresh, refrigerated | 72 hours | 8 days |
| Thawed, after freezing | 24 hours | 24 hours |
| Frozen (-20° to 0° F) | 12 months | 12 months |
| Frozen in home freezer (5° - 15° F) | 6 months | 6 months |
| Frozen in small interior freezer | 2 weeks | 2 weeks |
*Do not store milk in the door compartments of the refrigerator or freezer
If you are flying home, we recommend you call the airline for their breastmilk packaging/labeling recommendations. For long flights you will need dry ice. You will need to let them know the milk is a ‘bodily fluid’ and may need to declare the dry ice as a ‘hazardous substance'. Plan to ship your milk frozen.
If the airline charges a prohibitive amount (as the containers will be heavy), consider overnight express service via FedEx. A list of dry ice providers with their location and contact information is listed below.
You will need the following items to package breastmilk for either airline transport or for shipping.
- Coolers large enough to hold milk bottles, newspaper layers, and dry ice (if needed)
- Duct tape for sealing coolers after inspection (in the event the airlines needs to inspect the containers)
- Shipping labels per airline instructions
- Markers
- Old newspapers
- Large zip lock bags
- Dry ice (about 2 lbs per cooler)
Target or a large drugstore will have the coolers, tape, markers and bags.
For packaging, use frozen breastmilk and follow the steps below:
- Put as many bottles of milk into zip lock bags as will fit.
- Seal the bags.
- Wrap dry ice in paper and put in bottom of cooler.
- Layer newspaper over the ice.
- Put the bags of milk into the cooler.
- Pad the bags of bottles with crumpled newspaper.
- Have shipping labels and tape on hand on hand when you check in.
We advise you to number the containers and have labels both on the inside and the outside of the cooler.
FedEx nationwide: 800-463-3339
FedEx San Jose: 408-268-9600 or 800-845-4647
They can provide you with shipping charges and information on how to pack the milk.
Information for some of the dry ice providers in the San Francisco Bay area is listed below. We recommend you contact the providers to determine availability (may be seasonal), price, and hours of operation.
Aeris-Wesco Gases Division
947 Broadway St, Redwood City, CA
(650) 368-2821
Airgas Dry Ice
961 Bing St, San Carlos, CA
(650) 592-4212
Alliance Gas Products
411 Old County Rd, Belmont, CA
(650) 593-1838
America's Ice Cream
2297 Spring St, Redwood City, CA
(650) 780-0416
Peninsula Ice
820 S Amphlett Blvd, San Mateo, CA
(650) 344-5667
A-One 76 Gas Station
376 Lewelling Blvd, San Lorenzo, CA
(510) 481-9260
San Lorenzo 76 Gas Station
376 Lewelling Blvd, San Lorenzo, CA
(510) 481-9260
Glacier Ice Company
43960 Fremont Blvd, Fremont, CA
(408) 923-3371
Ice Carver by the Wise Carver
45 Williams Ave # A, San Francisco, CA
(415) 671-1055
Safeway
12876 Saratoga Sunnyvale Rd, Saratoga, CA
(408) 867-0180
San Francisco Ice Company
45 Williams Ave, San Francisco, CA
(415) 431-8818
Praxair Inc.
1690 Evans Ave, San Francisco, CA
(415) 826-8627
On August 4, 2007 the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lifted the restrictions that were previously imposed on mothers who wanted to carry expressed breastmilk in their carry-on luggage. Mothers are now permitted to bring any amount of breastmilk on board, along with cold packs, as long as these items are declared prior to security screening.
For more detailed information, see the Transportation Security Administration website.
Stanford Lactation Services, 3/08
