If DS had one of his FF mixed with cooled boiled water instead of at 70C would it be the end of the world ? It's because of those pesky airline regulations on baby milk.

[bitofadramaqueen]

We're taking a short flight with DS this weekend and he'll be due a FF on the plane.

I normally follow the guidelines of mixing the formula with boiled water before it goes below 70C (although instead of making up a bottle as required, I make a day's worth and store them in the fridge as per the 'second best' option contained in the current guidelines).

I was going to take a carton of milk on the flight, fully expecting to have to open it and taste it, but have realised that I wont have any scissors with me as they're understandably banned. I'm worried that I wont be able to open the carton, the security people probably wont have scissors either and I'd end up on the flight with no milk. I thought about arranging to buy some cartons once I'm 'airside' at the airport, but it doesn't help with the scissors.

Obviously, I can't guarantee being able to get boiling water once I get through security, so I'm feeling tempted to take a feed's worth of cooled boiled water and powder and just mix it. He's nearly 7 months old btw.

Any thoughts (or better suggestions)?

I've managed to rip open a carton with my teeth before.

Would be absolutely fine I would say. The cartons are rippable with teeth though! I've had to do it myself!

OK, this I can tell you: You can take 1 bottle of baby milk onto the plane. You will have to taste it first. You can take open weaning food onto the plane.. You will have to taste this too...

So, you have a limit of about 4 hours in which to use it.

If you are flying from the UK, far easier to clear security and buy cartons of formula. You can take safety scissors (try a first aid kit - mine came from a dog first aid kit nd are great.. can cut paper / card, but no way could be used to cut / stab a person...

I've been to France and Italy with DS (Now 8 months) and have never had a problem flying back with cartons of formula or food... Never been asked to open / taste it.

HTH xx

I use SMA and the cartons can easily be opened by hand in an emergency when the baby is screaming!

When I flew with ds the steward on the plane asked me if I wanted any milk heated for him. It was longhaul though...

Thanks everyone. It never occurred to me to try ripping carton with teeth.

Actually, when coming home I'll not have any powder with me so teeth ripping will be required. A job for the DH I think .

I've got little baby round nail scissors - will see if they do the job too.

if you want hot water, carry an empty thermos through security. At the other side, ask a coffee shop to t give you a cup of boiling water and fill it to take onto the plane.

You can cow and gate follow on in bottles which are much easier to open but I have never noticed what their first milk comes in.

I have just flown to Australia. I took 12 bottles of cows milk! The airlines put them in the fridge. I had to taste EVERY one at heathrow and at Singapore and then throw the lefovers at Melbourne!

wont the nice ladies on the plane give you hot water?

never flown with ds plus bf so ignorance rife here...

Could you make it up the way you normally do as your second best option just before you leave home, then stick it in a small cool bag with an ice pack?

You can't take any scissors, even roundy ones. I had the plastic craft scissors from the front of a Charlie and Lola comic taken off me! And I bought the comic at the airport!

You can take as much water as you like through security as long as it is in babies bottles. Baby food is excluded from the restrictions but you do have to taste each one.

I got through with scissors - roundy ones from a first aid kit... but they were looked and 'passed' IYSWIM... Not overlooked...

But, the spare carton of SMA I had with me (which I wasn't prepared to open) was taken off me.

Cartons are easy. Pull the end up as if you were going to tear if open. Instead peel away the outer layer of paper until you have the layer of cardboardy stuff underneath. Then tear it open. Easy and no spills. Trust me, I'm an old hand at carton opening!

You can obviously use all the methods other people have suggested, and I too have often opened a carton with teeth, but if your son is 7 months, the risk from the bacteria in formula powder is incredibly small, almost non-existent, so I wouldn't worry about mixing with cooled water if this is the easiest solution for you. I realise the guidelines officially apply to all ages, but the main risk is to babies under 6 weeks, premature babies and babies with compromised immune systems, not to healthy 7 month olds.

I agree with Moogmum.. I often make up DS's bottles with water which is less than 70degC (but has been boiled) now... He spends most of his time trying to chew things that are most certianly not clean (including our chocolate labrador) that cooled boiled water is really the least of my worries!!

Have a lovely trip by the way! and (even if your LO doesn't take a dummy) keep one handy for the flight. DS hates a dummy, but really appreciated sucking on it during take off and landing. I had to hold it in his mouth, but given he was on my lap anyway, it's not a big deal and I'm sure it helped.

I always boiled the water. let it cool down, filled up the bottles and then added powder as and when required. After 12 weeks didnt heat it and made for a much easier life.

I never had a poorly baby and neither did any of my friends that did it this way.

I take little tins of rice pudding to eat on places (I am coeliac). they are exactly 100g.

Wouldn't baby food tins be this little?

i had two little cartons and was forced to open both of them to test. they can definitely be opened without scissors - the security lady did it with her bare hands and DH has since done that too.

you can get boiled water from a restaurant though.

You can also get little 100ml bottles that are made from SMA. They are glass bottles that come with disposable teats.

they meet the limit on fluids, so no opening required at security.

plenty of people also make up formula with bottled water - yes there is a tiny risk but probably less than a lot of other things done on a daily basis.

I made up all DS's bottles with boiled cooled water and powder as that was the recommended method at the time. When we flew I just used hot water supplied by the cabin crew mixed with a little bottled water to cool it. I think there have been very few cases of food poisoning by milk powder so I wouldn't worry about it. (I know that there are a few people who think that any risk at all is unacceptable for their child, but those people probably wouldn't fly in a closed environment with hundreds of others who could have any number of nasty viruses.)

And surely opening cartons with your teeth is a good way to introduce bacteria.

we flew recently from glasgow to london and had the cow and gate no 4 milk (we had 3 500ml bottles and they only asked us to taste one), also don't worry about the mixing temp, it doesn't mix as easily in powder when cool but it's still fine for the babies on a short term basis. (remember that formula makers are covering their own acksides from litigation in what they state on their guidelines so they are generally overly cautious)

Thanks everyone, lots of helpful suggestions and comments.

Madmouse - they can't provide freshly boiled water on the plane, just hot water IYSIM (which explains why the tea is always foul )

savoycabbage at having to open 12 bottles. I'm glad I'm only flying to London.

twentypence - the cartons my DS's milk comes in are in 200mls. Given the current guidelines they really are missing a trick not making 100 mls cartons.

I think, all things considered I'm going to make up a bottle and take it with me on the outward journey, and on the return journey I'll take cooled boiled water and some powder and mix it when needed. Just about everyone I know in RL who FF's mixes the powder with cooled boiled water so I'm sure that the risk of any harm will be exceptionally minimal. Although I didn't realise SMA did 100 ml bottles so might try those chandellina.

I don't really want to rely on restaurants etc for freshly boiled water (I've had a few places refuse to give me water to warm milk/food before) and I'll also eliminate all the faff with cartons/lack of scissors.

Anyway, thanks again to everyone for their suggestions. I really actually don't mind the precautions around liquids that are in place in airports, but you think that they'd make it easy for people to comply with the Dept of Health regulations on making up baby milk once they get through security

Cow and gate have started doing 100ml bottles too - only available at Asda though.

I have been having a similar discussion with the security folk at LeedsBradford airport. They have agreed that I can take through as many bottles of cooled boiled water as I want and powder seperatley, to mix up as required.

This is normally how I make up DS's bottles anyway - he is not fussy about whether they are warm.

On the flight we have booked, I would rather take water and powder to mix as required, rather than take up made up bottles, as plain water won't go "off" in the same way as milk.

Can you buy cartons airside?

Will have to look out for 100ml cartons.