I have heard so many people complain about how difficult it is to travel with babies and infants. The complaints seem to mostly increase when the baby is formula fed. However, we have traveled with our son quite a few times before he even started solids and was mostly bottle fed and have never found it to be that tedious. The key to traveling with formula fed baby is to remember to pack everything you need and have a plan for routine tasks like cleaning bottles, warming formula etc. This is definitely easier when you are going on a road trip, instead of on a flight since there is plenty of space. But we have successfully managed it during air travel too and have had quite relaxing vacations. Here are a few things to pack while traveling with your formula fed baby.
Formula
Duh! We recommend carrying at least twice the formula you expect to go through, because of growth spurts. You never know when your baby is going to hit one and want to feed more often. We especially recommend it if you use a special formula that isn’t easily available.
Baby Bottles
We love the Philips Avent Natural ones. I carry at least 6-8 bottles on a trip which is enough to last me through the day. In addition, I keep washing them wherever possible in between.
Dish Soap And Bottle Brush
I keep some dish soap handy in a travel sized bottle and wash the bottles whenever I can get access to a clean bathroom and water. I carry Ziploc bags for the brush and soap so that it doesn’t get everything sticky or wet.
Steam Sterilizer Bags
These bags are a big favorite of mine and I can’t imagine traveling without them. These are simple Ziploc type of bags that are microwave safe and can be used to sterilize baby bottles, parts, pacifiers, teethers, spoons, sippy cups – pretty much everything that your baby will need. You just fill them with water and pop them in the microwave to sanitize everything!
Bottle Warmer
If you are traveling in winter then having a portable bottle warmer is a must. The portable ones are lightweight, often battery operated, and easily warm a 4 oz or 5 oz bottle in less than a minute.
Formula Dispenser
While not a must, I love carrying a formula dispenser – especially for road trips. That way I don’t need to buy the pricy formula single-use packs. I can buy a large value pack, keep it in the car and keep refilling the dispenser as needed.
Bottled Water
We always start our road trips by purchasing a huge pack of bottled water (36 or 48 bottles) for everyone to drink. That ensures we keep ourselves hydrated since we have the bottles handy plus makes certain that we are drinking clean potable water. This is especially important when traveling with a baby since the baby has a weak immune system and needs to be kept away from germs or other water-borne diseases.
Portable Bottle Drying Rack
This is also optional depending on the space you have. I have tried to carry the bottle drying rack whenever possible but if there’s no space I simply let the bottles air dry for a minute or two before sanitizing them.
That’s it. If you buy portable versions of the above items, they easily fit into a standard sized diaper bag and are quite lightweight to carry! Happy traveling with the baby.