First holiday with 9 month old, advice PLEEEEASE?!?!

[CaptainNemo]

We're off for our first holiday with 9mo DD1 in 5 weeks' time (PFB, hence need for this post ) We're going to Kefalonia, to a villa for a week, and I'd really appreciate some advice from the wise ladies of mn on all or any of the following.... (pretty pretty please?)

DD still has formula, made with cooled boiled water... Ok to take cooled boiled water through airport security? If not then ok to give her bottled water from duty free?

And on that topic... What to do about bottles while we're there? Don't think you're meant to boil bottled water because of the salts, but am a bit uncomfortable about giving her boiled tap water.

Any good tips for toys to take on the plane? Preferably something interesting enough to keep DD entertained that won't make all the other passengers want to kill us?

Mosquito repellant... anyone know what's suitable for babies?

Formula, normal nappies, and swim nappies, take with us or buy out there? (V limited luggage allowance, don't want to wast it on stuff we don't need to take but don't want to be panicking about shopping)

Worth taking any baby food or just cook stuff for her out there?

Many many thanks in advance for any wise words.

Hello CaptainNemo

We're not exactly seasoned travellers but we have just done our first trip to Germany with 9-month DD. Here are some thoughts:

I'd bring cartons of formula for the plane journey. No faffing about with water and powder and the fact that they're sealed makes the security people much less suspicious.

I was asked to taste one of my pots of baby food in front of the security people, so would advise taking re-sealable pots of things for the journey (and to practise not making retching noises when eating baby food ). They might make you open one of the formula cartons and taste it, but if you have more than one they shouldn't make you open all of them. I also put some in the checked in luggage in case everything got confiscated and I had to feed DD the minute we got off the plane.

Not sure about mineral water - I thought you were supposed to avoid that for little ones? What would be the problem with boiling Greek tap water (I may be showing my ignorance of Greece here)?

I don't know Greece very well but was surprised at how different formula and baby food in general was in Germany to the UK, so if you're at all concerned, I'd suggest taking formula and at least some baby food. Can't comment on nappies and swim nappies.

As for the plane journey, DD was quite intrigued by the seatbelt, so that helped a lot!! I resorted to favourite and slightly banned 'toys' (like my phone) a couple of times and also brought one or two new things - the novelty factor seemed to help.

Whew. That feels like a long post for not that much helpfulness. So I will add that we had a wonderful time, much less stressful than I'd feared, and I hope and trust that you will, too!

Thanks ExistentialistCat, I really appreciate it And good to hear that you had a good time at the end of it all too! I found a link to this website on another thread earlier, which seems pretty helpful too.

Anyone else out there with any clever ideas??

Shameless bump

CaptainNemo - you'll have a great time.

Formula - call up the airside boots (i.e. one on the other side of security)at the airport and reserve maybe 8 cartons of your DC's formula. Then take empty bottles and pick them up for the flight. Saves on all the hassle of water for the making up formula and security. Take your powdered milk with you and when you're at your holiday destination use the bottled water that the locals use for their DC's bottles of formula (what we did in Tenerife when DS2 was only 10 months old).

Toys on the plane - wrap a few up in tissue paper, board/flap books are good, few soft toys, sit by the window and let them play with the flap, plastic cups and spoons are good distraction at that age too. Take more nappies than you think you might need, 2 changes of clothes for your DC, one for you and DH (to cover all eventualities). Take buggy up to plane and have a sling for the other end (as you often dont get your buggy back till you're at the luggage carousel). Feed baby on take off and landing.

When on holiday, stick to your routine if you have one established re nap times/bedtimes. If you dont, dont worry about it though (just means a few days of upheaval with unsettled child when you arrive and when you get home - not the end of the world). And enjoy - you'll have a great time.

That's great dinkystinky, thank you! So would you use the local bottled water for bottles without boiling it?

To be honest, I used the local bottled water AND boiled it for DS2's bottles.

My other top tip is to not expect too much excursion wise on your holiday with a little one - maybe one big trip or two little trips a day. Just enjoy chilling with your family in a nice villa...

Think I would go along with the cartons of formula idea. We have been to Rhodes many times and there are often families with babies. We have never had a problem with drinking cooled boiled water in Greece but there again our DS4 was 4 years old when we first went so I am not sure about if it should be given to a baby.

Have a wonderful time and remember the Greek people love families and adore babies....they are allowed in all restaurants and are spoiled rotten by the locals.

Think I would ask your GP about the mosquito protection - both my son and myself are allergic to mosquito bites so we always have some Piriton with us.

dont know if this is of any use to you?

I thought I'd probably boil the bottled water too, thanks dinky.

Good idea about the piriton too shabba, thanks. I guess I'd need a doctor's appointment for baby piriton? Assume the normal stuff isn't allowed for babies?

FINALLY managed to get DD's passport application sent off this morning, who would have thought a one week holiday could be the source of SO much work?!? Am sure it will all be worth it though!

Nemo

Second or third the cartons of formula at the airport.

We went to Eygpt when DD was 7 months and boiled the local bottled water. Some brands are better than others, you should check the mineral content. I can't remember what the recommended levels are but I did google it before I went. Think there's information on the Department of Health website or NHS.
In the end there was only one brand available which had mineral levels above the recommendations but it was that or nothing and she was fine. I'm sure there's lots of brands in Greece.

You can arrange for pack of baby stuff to be delivered directly to your villa saving the need to take everything like nappies etc. here
It's expensive but might be worth considering. I didn't use this in the end. You will still need to pack things for the journey, though.

Would also recommend having quite a few packs/bottles of baby food whilst on holiday, even if you don't use them at home. I made the mistake of thinking DD would eat whatever we ate (on a different trip when she was 10months) but ended up having to prepare lots of separate food for her, and it wasn't as much of holiday as I had hoped.

I took nappies and swim nappies (enough for 1 swim per day and a couple extra, but we didn't use them all). Am glad I took them with me, as it's a hassle to have buy everything there - it is a holiday afterall.
Also, I took a totseat to use a high chair, it was great.
Have a wonderful time, if you organising stuff now, you'll be well sorted!

Thanks Freezing, I was looking at that website yesterday, it has some good tips in the parent guides even if we don't end up using the service they provide. Not sure what a totseat is, but a friend has said we can borrow her one of these if that's the same thing.

Shabba crossed posts with you earlier sorry, that website is amazing, thank you! One thing it mentioned which I'm sure I would have forgotten is a bottle brush... basic, but a complete pain to be without!

Am starting to think we might just get there in the end!

You will be just fine - I have only ever been to Rhodes - but we have been for the last 10 years LOL - and wouldn't go anywhere else. The Greek people are so very friendly - they are amazing. They treat us like their family. When they make their evening meal they ring our room, or find us wherever we are, and share their meal with us. We keep in touch all year.

Roll on the last two weeks in August xx

Avons 'Skin so soft' is used a lot as a midge repellant - has citronella in it and I think, no nasty chemicals. We used it last summer on holiday in the Highlands. The spray oil moisturiser is the one we had.
Baby piriton over the counter is for 1 yr and above, so worth getting advice beforehand.

I really reccommend this www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000UO410Q/ref=oss_product

I first used it in the maldives when I was 27 weeks pregnant and it worked a treat and I have continued to use it on DD including when we went to corfu last year and she never got bitten at all. Quite frankly it is the best repellent I have used full stop and it is suitable from 3 months.

Forgot to sav swim nappies don't exist in greece so take your own (buy a reuseable).

Nemo yes that's the same as a totseat.