Traveling with formula is no big deal, it's just about having the right equipment. The first thing I did was that I never fed my baby anything but room temperature bottles. Keep in mind, he was a summer baby, so it was hot outside. I've never warmed up his bottles!! It's not too late to switch your baby to room temperature if he'll take it!
The secret to my success is the formula dispenser.:
Obviously, it's gotten a lot of wear the past 9 months!! This one is from Babies R Us, and I really like it because I've never had one pop open! This thing is amazing--you pre-measure 3 bottles worth of formula into it, throw it into a diaper bag and go. When it's time to eat, I just dump in the formula, shake up the bottle and stick it in his mouth! I HIGHLY recommend getting two so that you can have 6 bottles worth of formula if you need to be out all day. We also send 6 bottles worth for him to go to the sitter. He's never drank more than 3 there, but I like knowing that he'd have enough to make it through a whole day if he needed it. Deo valente.But, my dear, the formula dispenser isn't just for travel--fill it up before you go to bed and your night time feedings just got about a million percent easier.
Here's the formula we use.
You'll have to turn your head--I couldn't figure out how to flip it! Anyway, the one on the left costs $25 at Wal-Mart and the one on the right (which is twice the size) costs $20 at Sam's club. I take the formula out of the huge can and put it in the smaller one so that it fits in my cabinet. I do this using an old measuring cup (it took me months of dumping formula all over my countertop to figure that one out!). However, another secret is this:
It's the scoop from the more expensive formula. It just works better. I don't ask questions, I just go with it!!
Another little trick I've learned is having a "food" bag. This one hasn't been unpacked from the sitter today yet!! (And my nails need a fill, but whatever!) When I send him to the sitter or if we're going to be gone alllllllllllllllllllll day (like at Christmas) or over night, I don't bother trying to jam this stuff in the diaper bag. This is the cheap-o diaper bag that they gave us at the hospital. I put all of the bottles, formula, burp clothes, and now his pre-measured cereal and homemade baby food (I'll teach you how to do it--it's easy and you save a bundle), bibs, spoons, etc in it and away he goes! It's easy to pack and see what's in there because I don't have clothes/toys/diapers/etc in there. I would never take this bag to church or out to dinner, but it works great for through the week!
Last, I wanted to make another plug for the Dr. Brown's bottles. Totally expensive, totally worth it. The vent thing keeps the air out--no more slowly swirling the formula into the water, just give it a good shake and this bottle does the rest. They also have these awesome discs that you put under the nipple so that the water doesn't leak out when you travel. I fill up 14 bottles with water from the Brita pitcher that I keep on my counter (it's in the picture if you turn your head) once every 3 days or so. It saves sooooooooooooooo much time! Also, if you have a dishwasher, buy a cage for the nipples and USE IT! I hand washed bottles for months and it is sooooooooooooo time consuming! Our time is more valuable than that! Throw the dishes in the dishwasher and spend the extra time cuddling your baby (or husband ;)!!That's all for now!!! Good luck! Keep me posted on how things are going!! Good luck!
2 comments:
Thank you for the post!! I have one of those little formula caddies. Works really well! And I do give Ben room temperature bottles. And a few times when he was frantic to eat I have given him a bottle from the fridge. He doesn't seem to care and it doesn't seem to bother his tummy.
Here is my latest question. Right now Ben takes anywhere from 2 to 4 oz at each feeding. So what we always do is make two 2oz bottles. We give him the first 2oz and if he wants more we pour some from the second bottle into the first and just add as needed. That way we can put whatever is left in the second bottle in the fridge and not waste any. (because we were told you can't save anything left in the bottle he was drinking from....?? true??) So now I feel like when do we stop making two bottles for every feeding? As you know from the powder formula you can't make a 3oz bottle and it is pretty rare he takes a full 4oz so I would be wasting an oz every feeding. But once he goes to 4oz regularly what if he wants 5oz sometimes LOL...you see my dilemna????
This is so funny... I do all of that too. I have so many friends that warm their kids bottles... I didn't start so now I never have to!!! So much easier! Also that formula dispenser is awesome.
You can make a 3 oz bottle... I use Enfimil Lipil and I just do a scoop and a half with 3 oz of water. My daughter has always taken it. I have two formula dispensers... one for 2 oz bottles and one for 3 oz bottles. My daughter sometimes likes only 2 oz but sometimes (before and after nap time) she likes 3 oz. It makes it so much easier to just have two premeasured... it took me a while to figure out her pattern of eating.
And Dr. Brown is the man!! I tried so many other bottles but the first time we tried Dr. Brown's we knew we would never try another bottle. We love them and her gas is gone. Yea!
Also gripe water works wonders. Try it for gas and hickups... it makes hickups go away instantly.
I had to leave a comment because it was too funny to read something that was just what I do too. :)
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