Shipping Breast Milk: A Complete Guide for Surrogates

Surrogates are often faced with the question: Do I pump breastmilk for my intended parents?  But even if the answer is a clear “yes,” then there are follow up questions “How do I exclusively pump?” and “How does shipping frozen breast milk work?”  Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered with our best tips for surrogates pumping and shipping breast milk.

Pumping

Pumping for your intended parents is a wonderful gift, but it takes a lot of time and disrupts your ability to sleep and recover physically.  While that sacrifice would certainly be appreciated by your intended parents (and their newborn!), you should also make sure it’s the right course of action for you.

If you do decide to pump, it’s important to have the right equipment and setup.  Exclusive pumping requires a hospital grade pump.  Check with your insurance as to which pumps they will cover, but it is worth the extra few hundred dollars for your IPs to purchase (or rent) the right pump if insurance is not coming through for you and your IPs.  Our favorites include the Spectra (S1 Plus or S2 Plus) or Medela Symphony.

Freezing & Packing

Do not fill the bags to the brim.  It’s important to leave space so that the milk can expand and contract without problem and to minimize leaking.  (It also helps avoid waste if the baby does not need the full amount for a given feeding.)  In addition to the date and time of freezing, try to remember to write the amount on each bag before you freeze because it’s difficult to tell how much is in any given bag when frozen.

To save space, we recommend freezing the bags of breastmilk flat between cookie sheets.  If you have a deep freezer, use that.  If you don’t, the coldest spot of your freezer is likely the center bottom (unless you have an ice-maker at the top, in which case the top is likely coldest).

When you are ready to pack, we recommend using Polar Tech coolers, which are styrofoam boxes that fit inside cardboard boxes.  Put ice packs or dry ice at the bottom, cover them with newspaper, and then stack the breast milk bags.  (Pro tip: group the breast milk inside gallon-size plastic freezer bags so that if anything happens to leak, it doesn’t spill everywhere.)  Leave some space at the top so you can line again with newspaper and place ice packs or dry ice again at the top.

Shipping

Write “PERISHABLE” on all sides of the box and seal it up tight with packing tape.  For shipping, most surrogates and parents use FedEx or UPS.  You can ship overnight to your intended parents and have them send back the empty cooler box via 2-day shipping and keep up a rotation that way.  If both you and your IPs live close to an airport and want to save some money, you could also look into using airport cargo (like Southwest Cargo) for shipping.  In any event, check with your shipping company and local site about their pickup times and guidelines for shipping with dry ice (if you’re using it).

If you or your IPs would prefer to simplify things, there’s also a great service offered by MilkStork.  MilkStork offers a surrogacy-specific bundle that includes a cooler, pre-addressed FedEx labels, and support when questions arise.

Another great resource is the Facebook group, “Exclusively Pumping Surrogates.”

Of course, Brownstone is also here for you whenever questions arise.  Whatever you decide is right for you and your intended parents, we celebrate your ongoing sacrifice and commitment!