Airport security discarded ALL my frozen expressed milk before our flight

[Nadsthakur]

During security screening, approximately 25 ounces of my frozen expressed breast milk was confiscated and discarded. I was told that because it was frozen, it could not be tested and therefore could not be taken through security.

I explained several times that this milk was for my 8-month-old daughter, who is unable to latch and is exclusively fed expressed breast milk. This was not simply a drink or an inconvenience, it was my daughter's only prepared source of nutrition for our journey. Despite explaining this, I was told there was nothing that could be done, and I had to stand there and watch as the milk was thrown away.

I cannot put into words how upsetting this was. Expressing 25 ounces of breast milk takes an enormous amount of time, dedication and physical effort. It means pumping throughout the day and night, carefully storing every bottle and planning ahead. Every ounce represents hours of work. To have it thrown away in front of me, after explaining exactly how important it was, was absolutely heartbreaking.

What made the situation even worse was the attitude of the officers involved. Throughout the interaction, I felt they showed very little empathy or understanding of how serious this was. I was clearly distressed and repeatedly explained that they were taking away my baby's only food for our journey. Rather than trying to help, showing compassion or explaining whether there were any alternative screening options, my concerns were simply dismissed.

After my daughter's food had been thrown away, I was handed a customer feedback card and sent on my way. It genuinely felt as though nobody cared that an 8-month-old baby had just lost the only food I had prepared for her. The complete lack of compassion shown towards me as a mother was deeply upsetting and made an already distressing situation even worse.

Instead of looking forward to our holiday, I boarded an international flight feeling anxious and devastated, worrying about how I was going to feed my daughter while we were away. No parent should ever be put in that position.

Before travelling, I checked the guidance available to passengers. Ryanair's website clearly states that parents travelling with an infant can bring as much baby milk as needed for the flight, provided it is presented for inspection. I relied on this information when preparing for our journey. At no point was I made aware that frozen expressed breast milk could be refused because it could not be tested, and I was given no alternative option when I reached security.

I do not know the names of the officers involved, but im sure they can be identified through CCTV footage and staff rosters for the security checkpoint.
I want Manchester Airport to provide a full explanation of why my daughter's expressed breast milk was confiscated.
The specific policy or security procedure that required it to be discarded.
An explanation of why no alternative screening method. The time and physical effort it took to express and store it, and the significant distress, anxiety and disruption this caused to both me and my family.im supposed to enjoy my holiday and now im stressed in morroco about how I will feed her. She doesnt latch and only has expressed milk. Besides complaining to the Airport what else can I do so no other family goes through this.

Op I am really sorry for what you went through. I hope your vacatiom or visit will be OK as it was a terrible start.
As others have Said this are the rules and they could not have changed them without getting fired. Though they could have shown more empathy. Maybe you could have been allowed to go back and check them in or defrost one container in a microwave (if there was a nursing room with one which is sounds like there wasn't).

But we as a society need to ask ourselves how did we get to this stage that such ridiculous rules have become necessary. I am old enough to remember how it all begun... and how society justifyingly turned so paranoid that ultimately a mother and a baby are being suspected of potentially blowing up a plane with explosive guised as breast milk.

We could also ask ourselves why we have normalized taking flights to go on holiday with small children in tow.

There is a work around - you take liquid breast milk.

And this is an airport security issue. Of course there should be no exceptions. Anyone wanting to bring a plane down would happily bring a baby along with them if it meant the rules didn’t apply and they could take untested liquid on the plane. There is already an agreed exception that you can take as much breast milk as you like - it’s the OP who chose not to fall within the exception.

Yes it’s distressing, but it’s the OP’s fault.

I agree. I only had to read your headline. It’s not allowed. It needs to be liquid (I’ve never had issues taking milk through this way). I’m sorry you found out the hard way.
Lack of compassion is the real issue here.

I get your upset but they have done nothing wrong
no matter how much you protest and try and justify it they were right
they weren’t being unhelpful they were telling you what you d want to hear and you were going round in circles
doesnt matter how many time you repeat yourself the answer will always be the same

you were in the wrong they weren’t being unhelpful 100% right you need to let this go

The rules are there for good reasons. No they cant exercise discretion. If they could why bother having the rule at all?

I remember when DS was 4 months and I mainly expressed and was in this weird hole with BFing. I was so determined to only EBF that I ended up in therapy. However even I bought Kendamil as a back up because I was not risking my baby going hungry on an international flight.

I remember looking up the rules, as is the bare minimum, it clearly stated no frozen milk so I took milk out the freezer before going so it would be liquid but have frozen particles in it, this then meant I had 6 hours before it was useless.

It’s incredibly sad I get it, but this is 100% your fault.

Just give her some formula. It’s not poison. The ready pour stuff is sweeter than powdered. She’ll probably love it. Great that you’re breastfeeding but be realistic. You need options with babies. What if you were ill and needed meds or in an accident and yes you should have looked up the rules properly.

It sounds like @Nadsthakur created quite a scene so maybe not surprising they ended up being quite curt and dismissive to her. Her OP makes it clear she was absolutely not prepared to take no for an answer so what were the security team ultimate to do?

Frozen breast milk would be required to be stored in hold luggage, not hand luggage. I have breastfed all four of mine and wouldn't consider carrying frozen on board hand luggage. That would need to go in the hold.

Now this is an ironic lack of common sense

I’m so sorry for you op, you must have been distraught, I would have been.
I hope your baby was ok on the plane.
I wonder if the reason they were unemotional as that’s the easiest way for them to stick to the rules, which they do have to do.

Whilst my youngest was in NICU and I couldn't get my milk to come in around day 10 I said its fine for him to have formula from neonatal staff in the short term - babies need fed. He was breastfeeding fed exclusively once home until weaning age. Don't sweat this OP. Grab some formula cartons and enjoy your holiday. Don't let this sour it.

I do think for many women EBF becomes a mental health issue. I went through similar with my first and ended up on antidepressants.

As a society people enjoy travel, need to travel and wish to do it safely!

A mother can’t put others at risk because it should be allowed for them Some terrorists are also mothers

if this is to onerous for some mothers, them they need to avoid air travel,

How were you planning on feeding the baby during the flight when the milk was frozen?

Formula doesn’t work for some kids - mine had CMPA and I had to avoid eating any diary to provide appropriate breastmilk. I get the airport staff stance and don’t think exceptions should be made (clear guidelines are there for a reason) but this attitude of sure formula will do isn’t the gotcha that some people think it is - stop doing the (frankly mainly crappy) formula companies job for them.

I think you are being a but precious. Life does not need to be this hard.

No you don’t, speaking as someone who fend a child who was allergic to formula - I managed surgery, medication, travel etc without using formula. Companies want you to think you can’t cope without their extortionately priced instant formula, but there’s always a work around if you wish to use bm. Better for your child, worse for their shareholders.

How upsetting, OP. I hope you’re ok and that you manage to have a great holiday x

@Notrainingbutpouring wasn’t better for my children all things taken into consideration. I also don’t see the point of ‘managing’ and making life difficult all the time when there are perfectly good and healthy easier options. The op hasn’t said the child has any sort of allergy or special need. She’s just got tunnel vision on EBF.

I think the point some are missing in their eagerness to pile on is that OP operated on the following basis:

"Before travelling, I checked the guidance available to passengers. Ryanair's website clearly states that parents travelling with an infant can bring as much baby milk as needed for the flight, provided it is presented for inspection. I relied on this information when preparing for our journey. At no point was I made aware that frozen expressed breast milk could be refused because it could not be tested"

That seems reasonable. If OP had different info that she chose to ignore then it's fair to blame her for not being prepared with an alternative.

It’s good that Manchester Airport are following the government rules and that terrorists wouldn’t be able to use frozen baby milk as a way to conceal something harmful.

I’m sorry that you didn’t know the rules and weren’t offered the chance to at least defrost one batch in hot water for security.

Hopefully baby will be fully weaned next time you travel.

Nitroglycerine.

I’m absolutely devastated for you, I’m so so sorry that happened! It would have put me in such a spiral and ruined the holiday, but I hope that you manage to adapt and maybe breastfeed and continue the expressing whilst out here (not ideal). To all those suggesting just to give baby formula, for a mother to turn to formula when baby has exclusively had breast milk all their like are being quite dismissively and showing a lack of empathy. I understand it’s the rules but Ryan air are shocking when it comes to customer service and I imagine that the way the situation was dealt with made it ten times worse. We won’t fly Ryan air again after our experience until our little one is much older! Sending a big hug x