Woman Says Breast Milk Kept Her Off Plane
Jun 26, 2007, 3:53 pm
#76
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,410
The flight has a stopover, the delay is long enough she will need to express milk during the stopover. There is *NO* solution at present.
Jun 26, 2007, 4:13 pm
#77
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 253
Jun 26, 2007, 7:30 pm
#79
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: AUS
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 82
That silly woman should have arrived at the airport earlier than normal, gone through security and then expressed her milk. She should have set up to do so in the gate area so that she didn't miss any announcements, or, if she were too modest to express in public, she should have perched on a toilet seat in the women's restroom.
It's not hard for a businesswoman to research the rules, understand them, and work within them. That said, I still think the rules are STUPID. But I'm not willing to sacrifice my baby's health (as a pp suggested, by offering formula to my baby because I had to dump milk) so I play by the rules, or I don't play (don't fly). My 2 year old has an anaphylactic peanut allergy and the best way to avoid this lifethreatening condition in my baby is to exclusively breastfeed - that means NO formula.
The flight has a stopover, the delay is long enough she will need to express milk during the stopover. There is *NO* solution at present.
I've found Admirals' Clubs have mothers' rooms (private room with electricity and seating to express milk) and supply ice to keep it cold. All breastpumps come with coolers; fresh breastmilk can be kept at room temp for up to ten hours with no problem. A properly packed cooler can stay cold for 24 hours or longer - I've kept milk cold on flights from Asia to the US. And yes, I've pumped in the O'Hare restroom as well. Where there's a will there's a way.
Jun 26, 2007, 7:41 pm
#80
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Baloney. I managed this and plenty of other travelling moms do.
I've found Admirals' Clubs have mothers' rooms (private room with electricity and seating to express milk) and supply ice to keep it cold. All breastpumps come with coolers; fresh breastmilk can be kept at room temp for up to ten hours with no problem. A properly packed cooler can stay cold for 24 hours or longer - I've kept milk cold on flights from Asia to the US. And yes, I've pumped in the O'Hare restroom as well. Where there's a will there's a way.
I've found Admirals' Clubs have mothers' rooms (private room with electricity and seating to express milk) and supply ice to keep it cold. All breastpumps come with coolers; fresh breastmilk can be kept at room temp for up to ten hours with no problem. A properly packed cooler can stay cold for 24 hours or longer - I've kept milk cold on flights from Asia to the US. And yes, I've pumped in the O'Hare restroom as well. Where there's a will there's a way.
That's great that AA is accommodating, but that leaves a lot of other moms out of luck.
Jun 26, 2007, 9:18 pm
#81
Join Date: Dec 2004
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Posts: 3,122
Jun 28, 2007, 1:20 pm
#82
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,410
Baloney. I managed this and plenty of other travelling moms do.
I've found Admirals' Clubs have mothers' rooms (private room with electricity and seating to express milk) and supply ice to keep it cold. All breastpumps come with coolers; fresh breastmilk can be kept at room temp for up to ten hours with no problem. A properly packed cooler can stay cold for 24 hours or longer - I've kept milk cold on flights from Asia to the US. And yes, I've pumped in the O'Hare restroom as well. Where there's a will there's a way.
I've found Admirals' Clubs have mothers' rooms (private room with electricity and seating to express milk) and supply ice to keep it cold. All breastpumps come with coolers; fresh breastmilk can be kept at room temp for up to ten hours with no problem. A properly packed cooler can stay cold for 24 hours or longer - I've kept milk cold on flights from Asia to the US. And yes, I've pumped in the O'Hare restroom as well. Where there's a will there's a way.
Jun 30, 2007, 9:16 am
#83
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: AUS
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 82
Option A: Pump outside the 'secure' area. Put expressed milk in cooler, check it as luggage. (Pray that luggage isn't lost.)
Option B: Wait to pump after clearing 'security' checkpoint, including in the Admiral's club/in the lav/while on the aircraft/in transit/changing planes. Continue to carry that expressed milk with you, on any plane or in the airport, til you exit the 'secure' area. Only if you have to exit the secure area or clear customs after arriving international, then you have to check the milk into your checked luggage before going back thru screening.
(I will add that if there's a jetbridge screening, like in SNN airport, milk expressed in the airport lounges may get dumped at the jetbridge. I was able to carry it on once with some begging and pleading but it was clearly against the rules).
I guess what I just don't get is why the Chicago woman chose to pump OUTSIDE the secure area, knowing that she'd have trouble getting the liquids thru the checkpoint. She could have just waited til she got past the checkpoint. If the AA folks were willing to let her use an office, they might have let her into the Admiral's club or somewhere else inside.
Again, I will reiterate the current rules are inconsistent and STUPID. I'm just saying that there ARE ways to make it work within the rules.
Jun 30, 2007, 9:19 am
#84
Moderator: Coupon Connection & S.P.A.M
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Just like Comrade Hawley's lies about liquid explosives being a credible threat - we're supposed to accept his word that they exist. He's a liar and a poor one at that.
Jun 30, 2007, 9:56 am
#85
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Here! (Or there - I'm not sure)
Programs: Peon in all
Posts: 4,358
Isn't that what TSA is "protectng". Wait - I assume the "frightening liquid explosive" is for the child! So she is giving explosives to her child!
She must be a terrorist - send her to Gitmo!
Jun 30, 2007, 9:58 am
#86
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Salish Sea
Programs: DL,AC,HH,PC
Posts: 8,974
Where do you get that she knew or was expecting trouble ? She had done exactly the same thing previously with no problems. Says so in the article.
Jun 30, 2007, 10:20 am
#87
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 57
So, the objection is actually to taking air on the plane, rather than breast milk?
Jun 30, 2007, 5:22 pm
#88
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,410
Sure it does.
Option A: Pump outside the 'secure' area. Put expressed milk in cooler, check it as luggage. (Pray that luggage isn't lost.)
Option B: Wait to pump after clearing 'security' checkpoint, including in the Admiral's club/in the lav/while on the aircraft/in transit/changing planes. Continue to carry that expressed milk with you, on any plane or in the airport, til you exit the 'secure' area. Only if you have to exit the secure area or clear customs after arriving international, then you have to check the milk into your checked luggage before going back thru screening.
Option A: Pump outside the 'secure' area. Put expressed milk in cooler, check it as luggage. (Pray that luggage isn't lost.)
Option B: Wait to pump after clearing 'security' checkpoint, including in the Admiral's club/in the lav/while on the aircraft/in transit/changing planes. Continue to carry that expressed milk with you, on any plane or in the airport, til you exit the 'secure' area. Only if you have to exit the secure area or clear customs after arriving international, then you have to check the milk into your checked luggage before going back thru screening.
Jul 20, 2007, 9:47 am
#89
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Salish Sea
Programs: DL,AC,HH,PC
Posts: 8,974
Bump.
Also announced along with rescinding the lighter ban was this:
No guesses as to how long it will take for this to filter down to all the boneheads.
Also announced along with rescinding the lighter ban was this:
TSA is also modifying the procedures associated with carrying breast milk through security checkpoints. Mothers flying with or without their child will be permitted to bring breast milk in quantities greater than three ounces as long as it is declared for inspection at the security checkpoint.
Jul 20, 2007, 9:54 am
#90
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: PDX
Programs: TSA Refusenik charter member
Posts: 15,978
Bump.
No guesses as to how long it will take for this to filter down to all the boneheads.
TSA is also modifying the procedures associated with carrying breast milk through security checkpoints. Mothers flying with or without their child will be permitted to bring breast milk in quantities greater than three ounces as long as it is declared for inspection at the security checkpoint.
