Traveling with formula?

[rbp]

We are flying to Seattle with M next week. We will be gone for eight days. I've started transitioning him to WCM, but he's not ready to quit formula cold-turkey.

How do I transport enough formula for eight days? Just a big box of powder and our entire bottle collection? We'll be staying at a friend's house for part of the trip, so at least doing dishes will be easy.

Should I do something besides powdered formula for the flights? We haven't traveled with him since I weaned. 

[penguingrrl]

I would bring enough for the flight and buy more there. When we flew to KY to visit family I did that with formula and diapers and just hit up a target out there. Much easier.

[Deleted]

I would do a tub of formula in a carry-on with 2-3 bottles, sponge and (sealed) soap. We put pre-portioned formula in bottles for the plane and added water (either warm water from Starbucks or bottled).

[cricketwife]

Two schools of thought -take the powder that you need for on the plane and buy water after security = getting through security faster/easier,

Or (I personally preferred ) ready to feed for the flights = no mixing/bottle mess on the plane since there was no mixing. You can take as much as you need for the baby on the flights. They will test it, but you can bring it through security. So this method is a bigger pain on the security end.

I was just purchase the powder for the time there once you get there or order it and have it waiting, but you can pack it if you like. I'd put it in the checked luggage so it's less hassle.

If you are washing bottles you don't need your whole collection...just enough to survive the flight.

[jeaniebueller]

Take what you need for the flight and maybe one day for buffer and buy more once you arrive. Bring maybe 3 bottles with you and just wash as needed. Another idea, you could just start offering WCM or mixing bottles with WCM since he is almost a year old.

[krystee]

We did ready to feed while on the plane and on the go (I had 8 bottles in my carry-on and no one cared), and I brought a tub and four bottles.

[mcfelix]

I agree with the recommendation for the ready to feed bottles. They are so much less hassle!!

[magpie]

I liked bringing those pre-measured envelopes for the plane and mixd it bottle by bottle, as needed. On my long flight to Australia, they had water on the plane, which made the whole ordeal very easy, but on shorter flights, I have brought my own water. I also brought a tub of formula in my suitcase for the destination, but that was because they don't have the same brands in Australia and I didn't want to mix things up. If it weren't for that, I'd probably have had my MIL purchase some to have ready for us. It worked fine to bring a tub though.

[dcrunnergirl52]

Bring enough for a day or two, including some pre-measured out (we had a travel formula container) and then have some shipped to your destination or buy some when you get there. We just used tap water from the fountains after security or bought a bottle of water for the plane ride.

We only brought 1-2 bottles per baby when we traveled. It wasn't hard to handwash them after each feeding, and meant we could travel lighter.

[SJ]

Bring RTF on the flight & buy whatever you need once you get there.

[rbp]

Jul 28, 2015 12:00:29 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

Take what you need for the flight and maybe one day for buffer and buy more once you arrive. Bring maybe 3 bottles with you and just wash as needed. Another idea, you could just start offering WCM or mixing bottles with WCM since he is almost a year old.

I have given him some WCM, but he's not 100% sold on it yet. Also, I'm not sure how this would help much if I still needed to have milk on me at all times!

[thebreakfastclub]

I think I'd have a few RTF bottles in my purse, and then buy a chocolate milk at the airport coffee shop. Is that flammable, LOL?

[rbp]

Jul 28, 2015 13:41:38 GMT -5 @vicmo said:

Jul 28, 2015 13:38:45 GMT -5 rbp said:

I have given him some WCM, but he's not 100% sold on it yet. Also, I'm not sure how this would help much if I still needed to have milk on me at all times!

It's a lot easier to find milk on the go at restaurants or convenience stores.

Fair enough. I just don't think I'm going to get him 100% transitioned in the next five days. I have to mix WCM with formula right now to get him to drink it at all. 

[rbp]

Jul 28, 2015 14:12:51 GMT -5 @choco said:

Jul 28, 2015 14:05:54 GMT -5 rbp said:

Fair enough. I just don't think I'm going to get him 100% transitioned in the next five days. I have to mix WCM with formula right now to get him to drink it at all. 

When DS1 first transitioned, I discovered that he would only drink organic whole milk. He outright refused the other stuff, even if mixed with formula. I would test out the boxed Horizon organic milk you can buy from Starbucks to see if he likes it. 

I have a big carton of Horizon (not the shelf-stable boxes) in the fridge. He refused it the first few times and now will drink a few sips of straight WCM, or a couple of ounces if it's mixed with formula. 

[thebreakfastclub]

I will add that DS is 2.5 and is still not a big milk drinker. It doesn't bother me, because I don't like milk and therefore never drink it.

He might have 4oz at daycare, and maybe half a small cup in the morning? He eats yogurt and cheese too.

I just don't think milk is the be all, end all for a one year old, provided he's eating other things. I might bring along some shelf-stable greek yogurt pouches or the Ella breakfast pouches for the plane as well.

[rbp]

Jul 28, 2015 14:34:17 GMT -5 @choco said:

Jul 28, 2015 14:17:49 GMT -5 rbp said:

I have a big carton of Horizon (not the shelf-stable boxes) in the fridge. He refused it the first few times and now will drink a few sips of straight WCM, or a couple of ounces if it's mixed with formula. 

Then I would go the easy route and buy some RTF and some of the shelf stable boxes. I didn't realize he's just about one anyway, time flies! IIRC, M is a big eater, right? Give him lots of yogurt and cheese and you will be fine. 

Yeah. He'd maybe eat the whole carton of Fage if I'd let him. 

He's one next week! 

[rbp]

Jul 28, 2015 14:20:43 GMT -5 thebreakfastclub said:

I will add that DS is 2.5 and is still not a big milk drinker. It doesn't bother me, because I don't like milk and therefore never drink it.

He might have 4oz at daycare, and maybe half a small cup in the morning? He eats yogurt and cheese too.

I just don't think milk is the be all, end all for a one year old, provided he's eating other things. I might bring along some shelf-stable greek yogurt pouches or the Ella breakfast pouches for the plane as well.

He's a big eater, but he's still getting a decent amount of nutrition from formula (~16 oz/day). I know it won't be like this forever, but I don't really want to make a big change while we're on the other side of the country. So formula it is. 

[savan]

I'm was a big fan of buying what I needed for my babies once I arrived. I always brought a can of formula, a bottle, and a bottle of water on the flight. I packed some extra bottles in my luggage. If that can wasn't enough to last a trip, I bought some more at my destination. I did the same thing with diapers, packing enough to survive 2 days and buying the rest upon arrival.