Help please: how on earth does one manage to travel by plane with a bottle fed baby?

[Kingsroadie]

Title says it all really - I mean, along with buggy, travel cot, etc, you also have to pack steriliser and all the bottles and formula. How does it all ft? Or does it not and you drive ? . Thank you!

Hi I have travelled a lot by plane with ds since he was 5 weeks old but always with someone else, so that one of us carries the baby, and the other carries all the stuff!

You can check in the travel cot and everything at the desk, so you will just have baby, buggy and bag with milk/bottles etc on you. Then you can leave the buggy at the door of the plane.

Depending on how much space you have, I would probably just do cold water sterilisation eg Milton. as the packs of these are very small if you use the tablets.

Leave loads of time to get through security though!

Thank you! Yes I would be traveling with my husband I think. Aha - I think I need to investigate cold water sterilising as if flying that sounds like a better option...

Do you mean on the plane or when you get there? You can take formula through, it is exempt from the 100mls thing. You have to have a swig of it though. My dd would only drink cows milk when we flew to Australia so I took nine baby bottles of cows milk and they kept them in the fridge on the planes. I did have to drink from all of them.

Cartons of formula and ready-sterilised bottles? That's what we did for twenty-four hour flight (!)

Car seat went as luggage, as did pushchair.

oh read op properly - yes it does take up space! We managed fine with it all (the formula) in hand luggage, though.

You take hardly anything for you! Everything is for the baby!

Pack as much as possible. Why do you need a travel cot? If staying in a hotel they can usually provide.

I took a largeish tupperware type box which I filled with extra bottles, milton sterilising tabs and other bits and bobs and then used that as a steriliser. You can also buy sterilising bags but I found the box was easier.

For on the plane I took powder decanted into formula holders and just got water from the stewardess.

Yes definitely ditch steriliser. Cold water tablets or microwave bags. I also take disposable bottles for the plane. One use and then chuck. That way you can one or two proper bottles in your luggage.

I mean when we we get there reslly. I was mainly wondering what one does with the steriliser as it's fairly bulky. I am not au fait with cold water sterilising so I suppose I can do that or just pack the sterilser in a big bag.

I can't take cartons of formula as my daughter has a milk allergy and so is on neocate and they only have powder. Actually - can I take bottles of boiled water through with me or do I have to buy evian on the other side? And I assume powder is acceptable to carry in hand luggage? I need to take a tin with me as if I packed it in our luggage and that got lost then she wouldn't have any food!

Thanks guys.

Buy Evian once through security. Not sure about taking the tin through. I would phone and check. How long are you going for? How many tins will you need?

Also, another really stupid question - I feel such an idiot as I grew up all over the world and have traveled a lot. BUT if the water in a country is undrinkable, presumably you must also use bottled water to sterilise? I know, I know, but just wanted to check as I assume that is the case...

Buda - possibly going for 4/5 days - but Neocate make ridiculously small tins (and of course you can't buy it anywhere - it is on prescription, but apart from that it costs £35 per tin) which only last about 5 days and I wouldn't want to run out - so possibly 2 tins....

oh, and re travel cot - I hadn't thought of the fact that hotels can provide them. Thanks.

micro bags

what about these?

not sure about the bottled water q.

Take tupperware tub and steriliser tablets and a couple of bottles. Use evian for making up bottles. You will have to pack formula in your case, but only take enough nappies for the first day or so and buy them when you get there.

Don't take too many clothes. You can always wash things out. I aways used to get a box of nappisan and soak stuff in the sink if necessary. As already said, it is normally possible to get a travel cot at the other end. Travelling light, I have bought cheapy beach towels at the other end and left them behind - these things take up loads of suitcase space. Ditto inflatable things for the pool.

I've always packed a few small toys and books. Stacking cups are fab - they take up hardly any space. Great in the bath, on the beach etc - ours will be going again this year and dd is 6!

Think I should mention she is almost 4 months and exclusively bottle fed so will need a few bottles! She is also (as of a week ago) in a spica cast from waist to toe. So no swimming anyway. And I'll have to take quite a few clothes as she has reflux so is sick a lot and soaks her clothes all the time (god she sounds like such a special child )

Good point about nappies. Basically the situation (this time) is that my husband is going to Rome for work and we might go with him. But we might not as it may well be more hassle than it's worth!

What's a spica cast?

I feel for you - my ds is on Nutramigen and also had reflux - I remember all the changes of clothing for him and me!!

Where are you off to?

It is pretty hard work, and certainly not as relaxing as when I used to swan off places, seat reclined, G&T in hand , but it is do-able.

Especially if you have hubby there too.

Spica cast is this: hvelink.saintlukeshealthsystem.org/library/healthguide/en-us/images/media/medical/hw/h999123 2.jpg

It just means she is slightly less easy to cart around although it doesn't really make that much difference - just heavier and no swimming (or moving ) for her.

Well, we're not actually sure I am going yet. Basically my husband has to go to Rome for business and we thought I could go too - have a nice break in Rome and see him in the evenings. However, it might be more hassle than it is worth as we will probably sleep wth her in the same room, he will be in meetings or working all day and sometimes into the night so although a nice city break for me, it might not be worth moving her from her own environment etc - need to decide!

Thanks everyone...

when we went to cyprus last year we brought boiled water through security, dh had to taste it (luckily wasn't boiling hot!!). they didn't say anything about the powder.

for sterilising I bought all sorts of tablets and tommee tippee special "one bottle" size steriliser plastic thingy and this that and the other, it all piled up and ended up taking more space than the steriliser which just plugs in, in the end we just took our steriliser and it was really conveninent.

evian gave my baby the runs but cyprus do special "baby" water that you can buy at the chemist (its just mineral water with very little mineral or something).

nappies we bought some there (though they were a rip off!!!!)

you can sometimes ask that your pram be taken in the cabin which helps when you come back to the UK where you only get your pram on the carousel and for heathrow and gatwick for exemple you have to walk for aaaaaaaaaaaaaages before you get the pram, so you end up having to have to carry the baby on top of the two cabin luggage and handbag, laptop bag, and the shopping bags from duty free....

I have travelled with both my DC when they were little and bottle fed. You can take boiled water in bottles but you have to taste it and I took a flask of hot water too to make up in case we were delayed although to be honest both aiport staff and flight attendants were helpful and provided hot water for bottles.

I found the microwave bags were brilliant - just remember to take a bottle brush with you to clean the bottles. Personally I prefered putting the pushchair in and having a sling but I don't know if you can use one with your DD. In relation to the mineral water I used the lowest sodium content and didn't boil it as this makes more sodium iyswim.

Good luck whatever you decide. I presume you will be travelling with DH which will be easier

Kingsroadie- do it! It will be liberating and at worst you will get to push buggy on other streets! If she's holding her head well don't bother with big pram, just take a maclaren. If you have a pram with carrycot though you could use that instead of a travel cot for night sleeping too...
If you won't have access to a kettle and microwave (for sterilizing bags and boiling water) then take tuperware, cold water sterilisation and buy bottled water.
Lots of new bells, rattles, crinkly things (withold some for return flight!) will keep her entertained while travelling.
Buy nappies etc as suggested but do take milk powder- maybe sealed one in hand luggage in case bags get lost, and doc note perhaps.
You really can survive with v little and people are people wherever you go, if you get into a sticky situation everyone will bend over backwards to help you get what you need for your baby.

Thank everyone - that is really helpful!

Can't use a sling with her in the cast. Have a bugaboo cameleon normally (and have had to change to the grown up "seat" version already as it works better with her little legs in plaster.) But we also have a maclaren for travelling and also becasue we weren't sure which buggy she would fit in! I assue I can take buggy to the gate and maybe if I show them her cast they will sort something so we can collect it off the plan as she is quite heavy in the cast - it's odd because the extra weight just isn't spread out evenly!

TBH given that we may well fly BA I think the luggage allowance is 23kg so we could just take a bigger bag and pack the steriliser (with some bottles inside it to ake use of the space). Yes, might get a Dr note re milk powder as it would be a disaster if it got lost!

Oh bless her, how long will she have the cast on for?

If I were you I would ask the staff if you can have the buggy brought to the plane door - or they may even take it in the cabin. We always used to take ds in his car seat and leave it at the door, but sometimes if they had room we could take it on board and put it in the wardrobe.

I always travel BA, and I have found that they are extremely helpful and considerate when it comes to people travelling with infants.

If you explain about her cast and the extra weight, I'm sure they will go out of their way to make things easier for you.

12 weeks - with a cast change at 6 weeks under general anaesthetic again. Great. She will be 6 1/2 months by the time it is off and yesterday I found out that after the cast she then has to wear what is known as an abduction brace for a further 6 weeks 23 hours a day (so at least we can bath her) - similar to the cast but not plaster obv and only to above her knees I think. Apparently they can learn to sit up in that... and then after 6 weeks she only has to wear it at night. So she won't be free in the day until 8 months - and rather far behind physically as a result! Hopefully she wll be very verball instead - I was anyway...

Yes good idea re asking BA - I am sure they wll be very helpful as they usually are - and who can't help but feel sorry for a 4 month old in a pink cast?

Thanks a lot - I wonder if I will end up going now after all of this! But invaluable for the future anyway...