Feeding baby on cruise vacation

[tilly2321]

Hello! OUr ninth month old is traveling on a cruise for the first time this month and I have so many questions regarding his bottles and feeding. We currently use ready to feed and Playtex disposable premium nursers. I don't want to lug the huge ready to feed containers on board with us. WE tried using powder, but that poses a whole new host of problems. THe disposables only take 8 oz (not like the 9 oz Avent) and when we pour the scoops into the bottle, it totally overflows. i thought about bringing a container on board just for mixing the powder, but then that defeats the purpose of using disposables since we don't want to have to wash out the container each night (We want to use all bottled or boiled water while on board since the Norwalk virus is still out there on cruise ships). The disposable playtex bottles don't do all that well in bottle warmers either which doesn't help my problem either. Can anyone offer any advice on traveling with a bottle fed baby with a similar system? Does the powder dissolve in room temp water?
TIA!
Elle

[COElizabeth]

Elle,

I shared a cabin with my nephew on a cruise when he was about the same age. It's been a few years, so I don't remember some of the details, but I don't remember having any problems with feeding. My sister was using powdered formula at that time, too. We always added the water first, then the powder. If we put the powder in first it wouldn't mix as well. I think we just used warm water out of the faucet (I know that hot water can have more lead in it, but if your ship is newer that shouldn't be a problem, I wouldn't think). If you want the water boiled, you might be able to ask for a coffee maker in your room and just run water through it. And there is almost always some buffet or something open where you could get hot water for tea and use that mixed with bottled water to get the right temp. We found the cruise staff very accommodating and eager to help with the baby. Every night at dinner our waiter had a glass of apple juice waiting at Andrew's place, and the sommelier would stand for ages letting Andrew play with her special opener, which was very shiny and hanging around her neck. I'm sure you'll have a great time.

Elizabeth
Mom to James
9-20-02

[bnme]

Never travelled with baby, but Just thought I'd mention if you want you can bring a plug in hot-pot so you have something in the room to warm water with. You can usually get these at any major drugstore. And the tea urn at the buffet was a great tip! You'll never have to worry about warming the bottle if you use warm water. Also, if you make a few and store them in the mini-fridge (if you have one) you can use the hot pot to warm water to heat the bottles with.

If you can't use your disposibles to mix single bottles, bring a few spare larger bottles (like the Avent 9oz) and you can mix in there and pour into the disposible.

Have fun!!!

[egoldber]

I was never satisfied with being able to adequately mix formula in disposable bottles. When traveling, I always ended up using an Avent 9 oz bottle to mix in. I didn't like Avent bottles, but I did love them for mixing. You may also want to try weaning him away from warmed bottles before you go, at leats to room temp bottles.

If you have not used powder with him before, definitely start before the cruise. You want him used to the different taste and texture before you go.

If you are really concerned about the water quality, then the coffee maker idea is a good one. Or you could get a small water filter (like for backpacking). These are available at almost any outdoor store like REI, North Face, Galyans, Eastern Mountain, etc.

HTH,

[brubeck]

I totally understand what you mean about the powder overflowing in the 8 oz bottles. Why don't you mix 6 oz of water with 3 scoops of formula at once? This should make about 7 oz of liquid all together and then you could mix in your disposable bottles.