Travelling long haul with a baby
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Topic: Travelling long haul with a baby
Posted By: kiwiking
Subject: Travelling long haul with a baby
Date Posted: 29 April 2012 at 12:20pm
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We're going back to the UK in six weeks with our baby (he will be 4 months) and I'm starting to get a bit panicky about how he's going to be fed on the plane.
He's on formula and our flights alone add up to 24 hours. Has anyone had a formula fed baby on a long haul flight? How many bottles did you take and what did you do about water as formula needs cooled boiled water and airports are quite strict in taking liquids through security (never flown with kids before so don't know if the same rules apply). I guess I could wash the bottles in the wash basin. Emirates said I could take on snaplock bags of measured formula but do you think the airport security would confiscate that? Should I just buy sachets? So much for 4 months being an easy age to fly with! TIA ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: pumpkino
Date Posted: 29 April 2012 at 1:15pm
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Liquid formula is the easiest, you can buy 250ml cartons of ready made stuff at the supermarket which you just serve at room temp (or you can heat it if you want to - ask the hostess to bring you some hot water and stand the bottle in it before serving).
That can present other issues though because it is a liquid. I think leaving NZ you will be OK but might have trouble at stopover airports and leaving the UK (if you're coming back). This i what I posted when someone sought advice about flying to NZ from London: "Also be very careful about bringing liquid formula in your carry on. Formula is exempt from the 100ml limit BUT the rule is that you have to taste half of what you are carrying in front of security staff to prove that it isn't something else. ie if you are bringing a dozen cartons/bottles, you would have to open 6 of them and taste the contents - which of course then makes them totally useless to you. Different security guards take different approaches with this and you would hopefully have no trouble but I remember reading about a woman who was sobbing at security because they were making her open half the bottles she had brought with her and she wasn't going to have enough to feed her baby on the long haul flight. The safest option is to buy the liquid formula airside at the airport, ie after you have gone through security - then you definitely won't have to open/taste anything. I know Boots airside at Heathrow will take advance orders and put stuff aside for you so that you know they will have what you want when you're there and I'm sure other retailers/airports do the same." If you go with powdered formula rather than liquid you won't have that problem obviously but as you say then you have the water issue. I would probably ask the hostess to bring you some hot water as soon as you are onboard, and then put some (about 2/3 of the volume of a total feed) in each bottle. That will cool between then and the time you need to feed your baby. Then you just ask the hostess to bring you some more hot water at feeding time and top up one of the bottles before adding the formula - that will warm the formula up while still only using boiled water iyswim? Sometimes restaurants have a policy not to provide boiling or freshly boiled water for making up bottles (health and safety risk) and the same might happen on a plane - if so then just ask them for a cup or pot of tea with the teabag separate because you are picky about how long it steeps for :) re washing/sterilising bottles, I know you can buy disposable sterile bottles in the UK, not sure if they have them here but you could investigate that. Otherwise as you say I would just wash them immediately after the feed with the water as hot as it will go. Flying longhaul with babies can obviously be done but it's not easy - good luck!! |
Posted By: kiwiking
Date Posted: 29 April 2012 at 3:11pm
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Thanks!
Another February mum tells me I could use bottled water by then (due to his age) and the airline state they warm bottles for infants. Looking a lot less complicated by the minute. We're staying for almost three weeks and I'm going to take a couple of tubs of formula as I know S26 isn't available (and I don't know the equivalent). Think I'll just stick to sachets for the flights. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: catisla
Date Posted: 29 April 2012 at 3:17pm
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Having done Wellington to Heathrow and back last year (via singapore) i have come to the conclusion there is no consistency in the security arrangements!
I took a few bottles with cooled boiled water, some empty bottles, some formula measured in dispensers, and one whole unopened tin of formula (i was thinking worst case scenario and being stranded somewhere for hours and hours). Leaving Heathrow was the only place that made me take a sip (not half) of the water out of each bottle. Everywhere else sent me straight through. The aeroplane staff were great at warming and refilling and washing bottles for me (this was singapore airlines). Funnily enough the only time i was made to take DD2s out of the front pack and put it through the xray was flying between Auckland and Wellington. Even Heathrow let me walk through the metal detector with her strapped to me. What kind of formula do you use - just a word of warning - DD2 was on reflux formula which proved really really difficult to find in the UK cos they get it free on prescription there so not many places bother selling it ------------- |
Posted By: Bexee
Date Posted: 29 April 2012 at 4:11pm
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Is he fully FF Kiwiking?
One thing we found really helpful when travelling with DS when he was a similar age was taking a thermos with us when we were out an about during the day, meant we always had hot water on hand to mix with cold water if we were somewhere where there weren't facilities to heat a bottle (and he was Mr Fussypants and liked it at the right temp). We only really flew short haul with him but I'd recommend the powdered formula and if need be, buying a bottle of water once you're through security. It's what we did. We also had the thermos and got a cafe to fill with hot water once through, so that on the plane we could make it up ourselves. Sometimes the air hostesses get quite busy (esp around takeoff/landing) and it's nice to be able to do it yourself. Best of luck for the trip!! |
Posted By: kiwiking
Date Posted: 29 April 2012 at 6:02pm
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Thanks Bex (hope bump is behaving) - yep we've had to switch to FF at 8 weeks.
My nipples were bleeding at 7 days (and I don't think he was getting enough as it was taking him up to two hours to feed) so I switched to expressing but had to mix feed as I couldn't get enough. Finally got to 80/20 EBM/Formula but by then I was so exhausted from all the pumping (and not spending much quality time with him) so now FF and 100% happy (all of us). Also means DH can do the odd night feed :-) We're flying Auckland-Sydney-Dubai-Birmingham and back with about two or three hours to kill at each change. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: pumpkino
Date Posted: 30 April 2012 at 8:54am
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Just to add that the equivalent of S26 in the UK is SMA although that doesn't necessarily mean they would taste exactly the same (equivalent of Karicare is Aptamil).
Have a great trip! |
Posted By: tishy
Date Posted: 30 April 2012 at 10:17am
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I've taken an open formula container and dispenser containers long haul and it never got questioned. I also had Pamol & Nurofen and only got asked to taste it leaving Auckland.
One thing is that it might be difficult to get your bottles perfectly clean (I did the trip when babies were 10months so wasn't bothered about sterilised stuff by then) between each feed so I would recommend taking enough clean bottles or even just the teats. |