formula feeding long haul

[hiphophip]

I'm sure this has come up a lot but I can't find a specific thread for it.

Just looking for advice on how to feed a formula fed baby on a long haul flight. The formula my baby uses doesn't come in ready made cartons so I will have to make some up.

I've seen online that some people just make them up with bottled water and then ask the flight attendants to warm them up.

I asked my health visitor about this and she was not happy with this suggestion as she thinks it better that the formula is made with boiling water. She thinks I should make up a flask of the milk. But I know that formula milk shouldn't sit out for more than two hours, and know that a flask only keeps milk warm for four hours.

I'm not sure what's the best option since neither of them seem ideal. can anyone tell me how they did it? The flight is around ten hours.

I've done this quite a few times when travelling as we live in Asia. I made the bottles up with bottles of water. I didn't ask for them to be heated up. This may be against advice but we never had a problem.

Ask cabin crew for hot water to make up the formula on the plane?
Never done it mind!

I would ask the cabin crew for hot water. They serve tea and coffee so shouldn't be a problem to serve you plain hot water

Take an empty thermos and get filled after security. I would do this before you get on the plane, buy a round of coffees somewhere and smile at them and ask for hot water.

You can make bottles really quickly, safely, and easily if you just replicate what the tommee tippee machine does manually.

I've done this loads with both my kids for long flights, journeys, day trips etc.

You can buy little individual powder containers that fit inside bottles (if you use TT bottles) or Babies R Us do a 4 compartment formula tub which allows you to do all the scoops individually before you leave. Just take empty bottles and powder.

When your baby needs to feed, ask the cabin crew for a cup with a small bit of boiling water in it, (or ask them for a shot of hot water in the bottle). For a full 8oz bottle right now I put about 3ozs of hot water (less if smaller bottles, you can start making them this way now to practice).

Then add the powder to the "hot shot" of water and shake to break up the powder and sterilise it. So many people think its the water that must be boiled to sterilise, but this just isn't true. The chances of catching anything nasty from water in the developed world are absolutely miniscule- its the formula that contains the nastys and has to be steriliesed!

You can then top your bottle up with cold water to get it the perfect temp for baby to drink immediately. Use a flask you've brought with you or filled at the airport after security, or buy a bottled water with a low sodium count.

Literally makes a bottle ready to feed in about 2mins and is the most safe way of formula feeding when you don't have 30mins to wait on the feed cooling! HTH

*Should add, the cold water can be tap water and doesn't really need to be sterilie if you get it in the UK!

One thing - check how much sodium is in the water if you're using bottled. Some brands have harmful levels for babies.

Couldn't you try using a brand that does ready made milk for a few days? If your baby is fine with it, then you can just buy some cartons at Boots once you've fine through security.

Vegas the lactose free and anti colic/reflux milks don't come ready made so it might not be possible

Either ask cabin crew for hot water (they must boil it to make the tea!) or, better plan, take an empty flask and get a cafe after security to fill it with boiling water for you.

Thanks for all the helpful replies. I find it so crazy that there are so many different options! I don't know why I'm making the decision so difficult. I wish someone could just slap me and tell me what to do! The only reason I can't bring the ready made stuff is because the gaviscon My baby takes for reflux makes him constipated so he takes a formula made to keep things moving. Anyway, I think I'll try the half hot half bottled water solution. Thanks again for all the replies!

Back in the old days (8 yrs ago) it was fine to just warm up the water and add the powdered milk - I know advice has changed now though...

How old is your baby? Could you use cows milk for the journey? Maybe not if is too young and needs specific formula??

Just measure out your powder and
Ask the flight attendants to give you hot water. I have done this on 12hr plus longhaul flights about 8 times now 😰

Not massively helpful with making up the bottles and what's best practice verses ease when on a plane. Another thought with regards to the formula you use. We took dd to Australia when she was 6 months old (long story, but not through choice) I ordered DD's formula through Boots and picked it airside at Birmingham airport (the airport we flew out of). Australia have very strict quarantine rules on food etc that can be imported into the country (New Zealand is another country), so by ordering it and collecting the formula once through passport control ensured it covered all quarantine rules. The formula was sealed, and I had a receipt to prove where it had been bought, so covering quarantine and import rules. Something else to consider.
I do remember having some formula made up as we travelled through airport control in Birmingham and being made to taste it before we were allowed to proceed

rugbychick

Who is the first sentence of your post directed at?