Formula planning on long haul flight

[JT81]

Hi all!

We are due to travel on a 10 hour flight to Florida next month with a 5 month old. Unfortunately I’ve not been able to Bf so she is exclusively formula fed (aptimal). How have people managed to take long haul flights (with liquid restrictions though security) and lack of anywhere to sterilise bottles? Airline says no microwave on plane (to sterilise bottles). Do you just bring excess bottles for the journey and lots of readymade formula cartons? I’ve read about bottle liners but have no idea how these would work with the Tommee tippee bottles and you’d still need fresh teets! Someone mentioned using Milton tablets (cold water sterilising) - again not sure practically how this works on a plane - and also wont the bottles stink of Milton?! Not even able to rinse off as reverses the sterilising!
Help needed! Am stressing about how I will ensure I have enough milk and sterilised bottles for this long haul flight. Any recommendations gratefully received :-)

Buy the milk after security ready made. I would use some at home first to make sure baby is ok with it, there is a slight difference in texture/taste. Bottle wise, you used to be able to buy disposable bottles - please no lectures about the environment I'm just trying to offer a suggestion

You can take enough pre-made bottles for your flight, you will need to take them out of your hand luggage at security, and you will be asked to taste them
You can also buy the ready made formula from boots once you have gone through security and you can buy disposable sterilised bottles to take on the plane

I’m sure ready made cartons would be the best option.

I flew to Florida with my twins when they were 4 months old. It’s a good time to travel as they’re very portable at that age!

For the flight I had cool boiled water in (many) bottles with ready measured formula in little Tommee Tippee pots (considered very risky nowadays!) I had to take a sip of every bottle in front of security to prove it wasn’t anything dodgy!

You could buy a couple of packs of the pre made bottles that come with the teats?

Or make up the some bottles once you get through security. Or have a flask of boiled water. In my experience they let you take any water through if you have a baby.

I think it's probably ok to just bring a couple of bottles and maybe a few more teats and just rinse them out once if twice. It's ten hours, so not like you'r leaving milky bottles over night to go off or anything.

Pre made formula and Disposable sterilised bottles. Tommee tippee does/did them, not cheap but useful for these situations. They were called 'steri bottles' and are single use.

No liquid restrictions on baby formula. You can also order to Boots and collect after security.

We bought ready made formula after security though I was really worried Boots might have run out! Then lots of empty, clean bottles so we could use a fresh one each time and not worry about washing or sterilising during the flight.

www.boots.com/steribottle-5-pack-10276650?cm_mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppc--PLAs_HeroCompare--Baby_Accessories-_-UK_Smart_Shopping_Baby_Accessories&gclid=CjwKCAiAs92MBhAXEiwAXTi250U9bVg6X_frW0DrD0KauB5S0hCz1zE0jwmxOsF2vDcJKdRKxwr3uxoCbecQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

You can take it made up as far as I know - it’s like medication, there is an exemption. Check with the airport/airline on their guidelines

Security don't take baby items from you. We went through with our sons water, as they told us baby liquid don't need to be thrown away.

Also, I've never been asked to taste formula at security.... how strange! They do sometimes teats the water though.

Honestly, grab a few ready made Aptimal bottles, it'll be fine. Ring the airport prior to your journey if you're not sure, but they aren't supposed to take baby liquids from you

I think ready made bottles will be your best bet. You also get aptamil ones that come with teats on but they are for newborns so just 70ml.

Please don't take cooled boiled water to mix with formula. You need water that's at least 70C to kill the bacteria in formula. You could probably get boiled water on the plane though.

We flew to New Zealand with 4 month old and used the mam self sterilising bottles. We took a tupperware box and cold water tablets which we used on one leg, but on the other legs the crew were happy to sterilise them in the aircraft microwave for us. I just washed them with washing up liquid in the loo first!

We used the ready made formula cartons which we bought in the airport before the flight.

Yes, take enough sterilised bottles for the flight time plus 4 hours - 2 hours pre flight time plus a buffer for landing, passport control, hire car, get to hotel.

Depending on the airport there is separate security for families (I.e Gatwick with less queues) and they scan the milk.

Don't forget to pack enough pre made bottles for the return flight. Yes they sell formula in Florida but for a flight you really want the milk they trust

You can order online to collect from boots in the airport after security - get enough powder formula for the whole holiday plus some ready made for the flight and take your own sterile bottles. They won’t take it from you - Google your airport’s policy on baby items. Also, something I wish I’d known before our long haul flight with a baby -
You can also check in your pram and car seat to the hold for free as part of your baby’s luggage- use your pram right up till the gate and they’ll take it from you there and have it ready when you get off the plane. Your car seat will need to be dropped in to the oversized baggage drop off before security. Will save you a fortune in hiring one over there with your car hire.

Also - it's more the return leg to consider - so if you have to leave accommodation at 10am and don't fly till the afternoon evening you need to factor how many bottles you need to cover the time from check out til arrival home.

I travelled with an older baby to the Caribbean and I just took as many bottles and milk as I could fit into my hand luggage. My main luggage had the extra pre made cartons and powder for the holiday.

Before having my children - I was on a 5 hour flight with a toddler with allergies who didn't have food and it was awful listening to him cry with hunger so vowed to never let my child go hungry on a flight

www.heathrow.com/at-the-airport/security-and-baggage/hand-baggage-and-liquids

Which airport are you travelling from ?
You can google baby milk/airport name and the rules
will
come up. You can take formula/breast milk through security.
Formula in the States are very different brands so I'd def get enough for the whole trip just in case.
When my DC were small
the crew would give me hot water to prepare my formulas, it's a few years back but they do
have boiling water taps in the galley and assume nothing had changed re health/safety aspect.

"
The following exceptions may be made to the 100ml rule:

Baby food or baby milk: breast milk can be carried in the cabin; when it is stored in a clear, transparent container or bag. Flasks cannot be permitted. The volume of each container / bag should not exceed 2litres. Breast milk should be in a liquid format and not frozen. When travelling without an infant only breast milk can be carried in quantities greater than 100ml, this does not apply to formula milk or other baby juice / food. Please check with your airline as individual hand baggage allowance can vary.
You may also wish to take advantage of our pre-order service for collection after security by calling us on 0800 678 5324 or email us " email
link is under " liquid " sublink on previous post.

Ready made sounds like the best option but our little boy won’t drink it. He did once as a newborn and projectile vomited shortly after. He will now just scream if I try to give him it. For us now we have to take pre boiled water anywhere we go to just make up a fresh bottle if it’s been over 2 hours (or 4 hours if I have freezer blocks in with the milk). I think if it was him I’d probably take empty sterilised bottles, get boiled water after security to fill the bottles, take that on the plane then get a shot of boiling water to mix with the formula when they’re making teas etc and add the cooler boiled water to it. If your baby will take pre-made formula you’re sorted but if you have to buy this after security, what if your baby isn’t on the ones the airport sells and how do you know in advance what they sell? 🤷🏼‍♀️

I got the formula powder in a container with 3 compartments (one per bottle), 3 empty bottles and got a big bottle of water from the airport.

My bottles were self sterilising bottles, so I just gave them a wash on each airport and ask the people of the restaurant/café we were using during the stopover, to microwave the empty bottles for us.

You can also get little cartons of Aptamil through security but it was much less stressful to carry the formula powder than having delays in security while the liquids were waiting to be checked.

Ah! But then do you reheat the cooked boiled water on the flight before adding formula powder? As need boiling water to kill the bacteria?

I didn’t know you could get disposable sterilised bottles!!

I wouldn't give a baby the water on a plane (even hot) ...recent studies have shown on many airlines its not even considered clean enough to wash your hands in (!) with very high levels of bacteria and recommends avoiding tea/coffee, so I doubt it's safe for making formula with...
www.google.com/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/airline-water-dirty-unclean-flight-jetblue-spirit-airlines-a9185711.html%3famp
time.com/4978498/airline-drinking-water-bacteria/

Misread the title as Family Planning

I really don't think taking loads of sterilised bottles is needed. I only ever stuck boiled water in mine for a few mins, at 5 months too they'll be fine. Have a fab great holiday