Advice please on formula feeding in West Africa

[idag]

Hi MNers, any advice gratefully received..

My DH and I are planning to go to the Gambia for a week with our 9mo DD who I am mix feeding (BF morning and evening, 3/4 bottles in the day)We are going to stay in a hotel on a B&B basis and I am not sure about feeding her when we are out on day trips etc. I was thinking of fully BFing again but I'm worried I won't be able to get my supply back up in time as we have been mix feeding for 2 months. Un-boiled water outside urban areas is not safe to drink but I can't exactly carry a kettle around with us! Any advice? Thanks xx

cartons?

am amazed how much you are feeding her still - dd, 9m as well, just (BF) morning and evening, and sometime in the afternoon.
you must have a hungry girls!

i would do as you say in your post and maybe just try completely breastfeeding. your supply will adjust to the demand and she will be ok if she is having other food/drink too

Thanks for the quick responses everyone. Think I will take a few days supply of cartons but follow your advice too thisisyesterday and try to just breastfeed before I resort to the cartons.
2jamsandwiches I think i have the hungriest baby in the world (grin) - she has three meals a day, as well as bf morning and eve, and 3/4 150ml bottles of follow-on milk during the day. I read she needs 500/600 ml of milk each day until about 12 mo so I can only presume I am not giving her much breastmilk at each feed!!

Why not just take those small individual packets of powder and then make it up as you need it? Just use mineral water, even in Africa we get mineral water. Even in rural areas.

If she has a bottle warmed just start to make it cooler so that she gets used to it not being warmed.

Even for a 9 month old hanaflower? I thought you could after 6 months.

hana, surely after 9 months you are not still sterilising bottles/cups etc? Certainly we haven't in my house. Boiling water kills germs and bacteria. In theory mineral water is clear of germs and bacteria also.

If you want to be extra careful then make sure all the cups/bottles are sterilised with boiling water then use the mineral water to make up the formula. The hotel kitchen will happily supply you with a thermos of boiling water for you to clean the cups yourself.

Yes but at 9 months - surely the solids have got more chance of causing an upset stomach than the formula? They arent sterile either are they...not is all the other stuff they pick off the floor and put in their months at 9 months.

Its got nothing to do with whether you sterilise bottles or not - it is not safe to make bottles up with cold water (bottled or tap) - it needs to be boiled first - it says it on the tin, its says it in all WHO guidelines. There are bacteria in powdered milk that can be potentially fatal - or at least give a nasty tummy upset. Besides it tastes foul with cold water - it doesnt disolve properly - like mixing bisto with cold water.

Try increasing your supply, advice on Kellymom.com on how to do this, although if she is eating 3 good meals a day, and b/f morning and night she isnt going to starve , make sure you keep her hydrated with bottled water - I have forgotton the brands that are most advisable for babies - have a look online, as some have lower mineral count in than others.

Have a nice holiday!

Yes I see where you are all coming from and don't dispute that you are right. However formula does mix with cold water, I have done it many, many times with no problems and none of my dc have ever suffered. Perhaps in my 8+ years of living in Africa we have just been lucky.