to be totally confussed about babies and airport security

[tryingtobemarypoppins2]

I really can't understand why you can take bottles made up but you can't take cartons of ready made (you can order them and collect them from boots after security. I am missing something??

Also baby food in a pouch is ok but only if it has a screw cap so you can taste it?? Is that right??

Totally confussed! AIBU there really isn't enough clear guidlines on the airport website....or am I being dim?

as you said, made up bottles can be tasted, cartons can't.

they want you to taste the bottles so readymade cartons brought through security are not acceptable. THe ones you can buy airside are "allegedly" already security checked so ok.

same with the pouches.

you can buy the cartons from boots just before you get on the plane - they know this stuff is ok as boots don't tend to sell milk mixed with explosives!

anything you want to take through yourself you have to open and taste, so if you buy cartons of milk they can ask you to open and taste every carton.

How do they check sealed cartons airside!?

I'm not moaning about safety....I'm glad its all there just totally going nuts as so confussed.

Can you talk me through changing bag stuff. Am I right in thinking its all got to be 100ml or less. How about sudo cream thats in g??

Would you take bottles chilled and heat them up on board? And take pouches?

I assume the sealed cartons will be ok in the suitcase.....OMG they better not lose the case!

I don't think we will have time to go to boots as we are going standby and will have to leg it!

we travelled alot when dd was having bottles. I took a coope of empty bottle in hand luggage and bought the cartons airside - boots are usually very good and will hold them for you. You can put cartons in your hold luggage no problem (we always took tins of powered milk and made with boiled bottled water)
Re changing bag, just take what you really need in your hand luggage - nappies and wipes. Take sudo cream ect in the suitcase, you will probably be ok without it for a few hours. Again if you really want to have sudo cream and that kind of stuff on the plane buy a new tub airside.

I don't think they'd count sudocrem as liquid so that'll probably be ok.

I don't know that they will heat bottles up on board either, although I might be wrong.

Yes, cartons fine in the case. TBH I only ever had to open one carton and taste it. Generally they were pretty relaxed about baby stuff.

you can i believe measure out the powdered milk in to the bottles and get boiling water on the plane to fill them up - but you won't have a bottle for take off if you do this.

Been there done all this.

Cartons bought airside are fine because they know the "provenance" of them. If you are going very long haul (Heathrow - Sydney for instance) they will seal half for you in a special bag for your Singapore-Sydney journey.

You can buy jarred food airside too.

You can preorder and prepay very easily too.

You can bring powder in a powder dispenser with Steribottles and get them to give you boiled water on the plane.

You shouldn't need purees and jars because they should also provide this on the plane, unless its a really budget flight.

In terms of cream - liquid weighs what it measures. That goes the other way. So, for isntance, 100g of butter will melt down to approximately (within a bees dick) 100ml of melted butter.

Sudocreme is the same, but if its not liquid, they shouldn't care. But for the avoidance of doubt, dont take more than 100g.

Good luck doing a nappy change of sufficient quality that they get creamed up in an airplain toilet!!! - they'll be lucky if they come out of there with a straight nappy and a done up vest.

Creams and gels (such as lip balm and vaseline) do count - but you can get small tubs of sudocream which are ok or just decant a small amount into another container.

TattyDevine I have a picture in my head!!

I think I will take a few chilled bottles as I know the airline say they do warm them.
I guess on the way home I will need to empty the cartons of milk into bottles before getting to the airport. As we are going standby we will buy DS a seat but they won't be able to pre order baby food for the flight so I will need to take pouches.

Once abroad (carribean) is any brand of bottled water ok to boil in hotel kettle and then use power or shall I just stick to cartons????.....the suitcase is getting heavier as I type. I have those sterial bags for the bottles and will take bottle brush etc.

THANK GOD for MUMSNET!!

Do you have any friends who have just ad babies? I think you get a tiny pot of sudocreme in the bounty bag.
I have one I'd happily send you but it has had a few uses

Ah thank-you thats so lovely of you but DH just reminded me that we do have one of those tiny tubs! xx

Arghrrr. Bottled water the problem is sodium. I'm not sure boiling kills that, my college knowledge (culinary) makes me thing if anything it would concentrate the sodium. Normal water should be fine IF boiled. Either go bottled and not worry about the potential sodium for a short time, or use local and boil.

I think bottled and boiled is tecnically less safe than one or the other on that basis...

Remember, they are pretty tough - we are not talking a lot of sodium here. And/or, nothing much survives boiling.

I've taken ready made cartons through a few times no problems. I show security as I go through and they don't even ask me to taste them

Blackpool seems easier???

The other thing is poor DS only goes to nursery one day a week and they have had loads of chicken pox! We have 2 weeks to go before flight.....is it OTT to pull him out for 2 weeks to try and aviod catching it?? How likely are they to get it at 7 months?

The website says you have to open and taste HALF of what you bring. Half seems a bit strange - all or nothing I understand but half??

I think tatty is right, the mineral content in the water might be a problem, spring water??

Lead is definatley worse in water once its been heated not sure about sodium, but sodium levels need to be v low for babies.

Heathrow are really arsey about the "rules". Just bring double!

Yet Singapore and places like that aren't.

It just goes to show, its down to discretion.

Even Australia which scan you again on the way out didn't make me taste half

Word of warning - Leeds Bradford would not let me take through bottles of boiled cooled water in summer 2009 - even though I had an email from their Head of Security. We had formula powder with us, and made it up with Evian bought airside. Luckily HV had told me that Evian is OK a few days before hand. AIrline could not warm it up - short haul flight, no meals, not warming equipment.

Superdrug at Leeds Bradford did not have formula cartons.

Ella's kitchens were OK.

Thats terrible BikeRunSki poor you, just so stressful. Thanks for the heads up re Evian.

If I take made up bottles colded in the fridge I can't take an ice pack can I!!?? Bloody hell!

Honestly, guidelines aside, no baby is seriously going to come to harm from having formula made from ambient temp Evian and formula powder for a week. Before Tittybangbang pipes up and goes on about Salmonella and Enterbacter Saganaki or whatever its called, it wasn't Cow&Gate, SMA, or Aptimil/Hipp Organic/Heinz that had that problem, so just go with it.

Ellas kitchen were okay for me too yet they didn't like jars. Aussie Ellas Kitchen "Raffertys Garden" (!!!) were also okay.

you will be able to check on teh airport website what shops are airside, so you can see if there's a Boots to buy forumla and food etc.

I had nine bottles of milk and I had to taste all of them. You can usually order the cartons to pick up at the Boots 'on the other side' as it were.

My fuss-pot wouldn't drink the formula so I had to take cows milk. The airline kept it in the fridge and then brought it to us when we needed it. With one of those hot towels which was nice.

What do you think re chicken pox??