How to Send Frozen Breastmilk from Singapore to the Philippines

Background: I'm an OFW mommy who is based in Singapore.  I went back to work 2 months after I gave birth to my daughter.  She stayed with me in Singapore for 2 months but she had to go back to the Philippines because she was just on a Tourist Visa and could not stay permanently (so sad...) I exclusively breastfed her for 4 months and I wanted to continue feeding her with my milk even when we were miles apart. I managed to do this by sending my frozen BM to the Philippines. 

Sharing with you some tips so you can do it as well :) Yes Mommy, it’s possible 😊

My supportive hubby :)

Find a "Courier"

I am referring to someone who is flying back to the Philippines and who will help you bring those  frozen BM as part of their check-in luggage.  Unfortunately, there isn't any courier service (or if there is one, lemme know) which can help you ship your BM from Singapore to Pinas.  So your only option is to bring them back yourself if you are going back for a vacation (or dahil sobrang namiss mo ung anak mo - huhuhu.  Or you can ask favor from friends or co-workers or churchmates.  Practically anyone who is kind enough to help you. Ask around or post a message sa FB  and ask who will be flying back.  

Your cooler bag (I will share options below) will be checked-in as part of the luggage allowance. Usually, 1 medium-size styro box or cooler bag with BM PLUS ice gels weight around 15-20KG.  When I'm just asking a friend to bring them home and she has no checked-in luggage, I will ask her to add and I will just pay her. Minsan naman, konti lang dala nung tao at me extra luggage allowance so wala nakong babayaran hehe. Hug and kiss ko na lang sila. 

Check the Airline Policy

Not all airlines allow passengers to carry frozen breast milk. If you are asking someone else to bring it back for you, ask them which airline they are taking.   Or if you are flying back yourself, find out the airline's regulations even before booking.  It is better to email or message them as some policies are not stated clearly and could be misinterpreted. You can print out their reply and bring it with you in case there is confusion or dispute when you check-in. Note: Sometimes, counter personnel are not sure about the policies.  

I've sent BM through these airlines:

• Philippine Airlines (PAL) 
• Singapore Airlines (SIA)  (The best to, daming nakapaskil na "Fragile" stickers sa package mo!)
• Jestar (Their website states that frozen items are not allowed but I've flown with them several times already and they've always allowed the BM package nman).

I've never sent frozen BM through CebuPacific. And never will. Alam niyo na siguro kung bakit.

Calculate and Plan Your Travel Time

By this I mean that you need to know how long your frozen goodies will be out of the freezer.  How long is the flight? It should be a direct flight xempre.  How long will it take to commute from your HDB to Changi Airport? How long is the check-in process. Sa Pinas, are you just staying in Manila? Or will you still travel all the way to Cavite? Dadaan ka ba ng EDSA? Naku! 

Our house is located in Pasig and it usually takes me a total of 8 hours. And so far, the BM packs have always stayed frozen.

• 30 mins from our house to Changi Airport
• 2 hours check-in and waiting time 
• 3.5 hours - Flight from Singapore to Pinas
• 1 hour to clear Phillipine Immigration and  collect our luggages
• 1 hour from NAIA to our house

There was one time that I sent them through a family friend and he reached Manila around 5PM. He got stuck in a really bad traffic jam and he managed to reach home only after 2 hours. Kastress!  I kept thinking what will I do if tunaw na lahat! Thank God that the BM were still frozen except for some melting around the sides.

Note: I usually take the early morning flight (around 2am) so that I could avoid the notorious Manila traffic - both on the road and at the airport.  You know nman Pinas, airport pa lang traffic na!  Taking early morning flights also helps me avoid the hot weather.  Kasi xempre, ayaw natin mainitan ang frozen BM natin. 

Additional Note (from a friend who travelled from Manila to Bicol pa): Don't put the cooler in the hood where it's hot. Put it inside the car instead and make sure there's no direct sunlight. 

Styro Box Versus Coleman Versus Cooler 

Option 1: Styro Box

They are cheap. But. But let me earn you that if you use them, you better pray over your package that it will stay intact until it reaches your home.

Styrofoam Box from a shop in Ubi. 

External Dimensions: 36.5 cm x 48 cm x 32.5 cm

Option 2: Coleman Cooler 

I personally have not used a coleman ice box because I find them pricey and bulky and heavy. But if you already have one, you can go ahead and use it. But Option 3 is what I have been using and for me, it is the best cooler bag!

Option 3: Quechua Cooler Bag 

This is what I have been using aside from the styro box and for me, it is the best cooler bag!  It is actually called a "CAMPING/HIKER CAMPING ICE BOX" and the description boasts that it can preserve items for 11 hours. Pero never ko pa naman natry. Well, a friend of mine did - she used this to bring some BM from SG to Manila to Bicol - and it lasted more than 11 hours! 

What I like about it is that it a soft bag (kahit ilang beses siya tumumbling sa conveyor belt ok lang). And it can be deflated after use. So when I need to bring it back with me from Pinas to Singapore (which is always the case), I will just deflate it and put it inside my luggage. 

Quechua Compact Cool Bag from Decathlon.

Tips on Packing

Pre-pack the frozen BM in large ziplocks. You can put about 8 bags in each ziplock. By packing it this way, it is easier for you to transfer them from the bag to your freezer when you reach home.  You can do this the night before your flight and just quickly transfer them into your cooler bag before leaving for the airport. Don’t bring them out of the freezer too early.

  

You can also put some ice gels.  Take note that airlines do not allow dry ice.  Put the ice gel along the sides or at the bottom and top.  You can also line the box with a towel or newspapers.  Alam mo yung mga nagtitinda ng ice-candy? Ayun, parang ganun.

Ice gels for S$2 each from Daiso.

Additional Tip from a friend of mine (Thanks Elie!).  If you have super thin packs (around 1-2 ounces) - put them in the middle coz they tend to defrost faster than the fatter packs.  

Seal the package with a packing or electrical tape. This makes sure that no one could open your package and attempt to steal a bag or two of your liquid gold.

During  the check-in, tell the counter staff that that your cooler bag is Fragile (and super precious and that it's very important for your baby's well-being haha). They will ask you what's inside your bag so you just calmly reply that it is frozen breast milk.  The staff will then put "fragile" stickers on it.

After checking-in, pray that it will reach the destination safe and still frozen. Good luck Momma :)  I'm sure your little one will be happy to receive those  frozen goodies.