Flying With a Baby
Anyone who has even flown with a baby knows how difficult it can be. Between making sure that everything you packed meets TSA regulations, getting through security, and keeping your baby happy and content on the plane, it can be a harrowing experience. Heather Jones expected a few bumps on the road while flying with her baby daughter for the first time, but she never expected things to get out of hand the way that they did.
Denver To Los Angeles
Heather and her three-month-old daughter, Amelia, were taking a flight from her home in Denver, Colorado, to Los Angeles. Heather’s husband, David, was staying behind, so she would be flying with her daughter alone for the first time. She was a bit worried about flying alone with her daughter, so she made sure to make sure that she was thoroughly prepared. She was breastfeeding her daughter, and she wanted to make sure that she knew the rules when it came to traveling with fresh and frozen breast milk.
Heather’s Research
Heather learned during her research that breast milk is allowed in larger quantities than other liquids. Most liquids are restricted to 3.4 ounces or less. Also, they need to be able to fit comfortably in a quart-sized bag. The rules for breast milk and juice are different. According to the TSA regulations, breast milk is permitted in larger quantities, and it doesn’t need to be in a quart-sized bag. Breast milk would need to be scanned separately from other liquids. Also, you are permitted to bring freezer packs, ice packs, or frozen gel packs to keep the formula and juice cool in the carry-on bag. When she learned everything she could, she was sure that she would have no problems getting on the plane.
Trouble At the Airport
When Heather got to the airport, she realized early on that things wasn’t going to go as smoothly as she had hoped. One of the security lines had been shut down after a man began to experiences the symptoms of a heart attack. Another lane was shut down because a car seat had become wedged, making it difficult for people to get through. Amelia was starting to get fussy, and all Heather wanted was to get through security so that she could sit down and give her a bottle. With a restless baby who was waiting for a bottle, Heather started to worry.
The Front Of the Line
Finally, Heather and Amelia made their way to the front of the line. She went through the metal detector and thought that everything was fine. When a TSA agent told her to move to another area, she started to get stressed out. They wanted to inspect her bag, so she assumed they wanted to check out the frozen breast milk. They told her that the frozen milk was fine, and it was the fresh 4-ounce bottle of breast milk. She was sure that she followed the TSA rules when it comes to traveling with breast milk, so she was convinced that it would be resolved quickly.
Fussier
Heather was waiting patiently for things to be sorted out, but it was getting harder and harder. Amelia was starting to fuss a lot, and she needed to be fed. She asked the TSA agent if she could feed her daughter while she stood there waiting. She was shocked when they told her that she wouldn’t be able to. They told her that they put the breast milk in a machine, and it tested positive for something shocking. This mom got detained at security after her breast milk tested positive for explosives. Heather couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
Shocked
Heather couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She had no idea how her breast milk could contain traces of explosives. She had pumped the milk, and it went directly into the bottle. Then, she stood there in line, in complete shock. The TSA often remains tight-lipped when it comes to the substances. It can trigger a false reading on the screening machine. The machine is designed to detect the compounds that are used to make bombs. Two of these substances are nitrates and glycerin.
Glycerin and Nitrates
While these two ingredients are often used to make bombs, they are also found in everyday cosmetics and personal hygiene products. They are also found in baby wipes and baby lotion. It appeared that Heather could have transferred the glycerin from her hand to the bottle after using a baby wipe. She just couldn’t believe that she was being held by the TSA because of it.
Six Agents and a Pat-Down
When the test came up positive, six agents surrounded Heather and told her that she would be subjected to a detailed pat-down. While this was all going on, Amelia was getting hungrier and hungrier, and Heather was getting more and more upset.
Innocence
Finally, after a detailed check of the breast milk and Heather, the TSA realized that she was not carrying explosives, and she was just a mother trying to board a plane with her baby. She got on the plane and promised herself that she would be more careful with the bottles before her flight home.
