Advice needed: bringing expressed breastmilk into the UK

[tshriley]

My family and I are coming to the UK from the US in January for a 5-month visit. DS will be 5 months old and still nursing exclusively. I have a large frozen expressed milk supply which I would love to bring with me, so that when I start work (shortly after arrival), I don't have to supplement with formula. But it appears that this is not allowed: any food that I bring in to the UK "must not require refrigeration" according to DEFRA. Any advice, or should I just give up?

(It did occur to me to try to get the milk dehydrated, just to stick it to them, but that is probably rather complicated!!)

I would give up. Quite apart from import restrictions, you would have to maintain the cold chain or it would all be useless anyway.

Could you ship using a specialist shipping service? Or even distribute it through your hand luggage as I think that is exempt.

Alternatively I think you have a fairly well-developed breast milk donation system in the US- at least it wouldn't go to waste. I do feel for you- it's not fun to have to throw away a supply painstakingly expressed milk.

Traveling with it is not so hard. You can carry on up to 5 pounds of dry ice on most of the US carriers, and that will keep the milk very solidly frozen for two+ days.

The rules for shipping are the same as the rules for carrying it with you, unfortunately.

Mostly, I am surprised/disappointed at the import restrictions.

There is a Facebook group called exclusively expressing / pumping or something similar. Try posting your questions on there, they are pros and someone will have countered this before.

Sounds more hassle than its worth to me, I know it always feels sacrilege to waste your breast milk but thats the great thing about it, you can always make more and its free! Safe travels