Baby Milk Sachets in case??

[amystevekai&bump]

Hi, I think i've found the answer re my baby milk powder dilemma - what do you think??

The brand we use do individual plastic sachets for each feed - they will be great for packing as they are small and light and I can put some in each case (just in case any bags go astray!! ).

But I'm just worried about customs - Even though each packet is sealed and clearly shows it is baby milk - do you think customs may think its some elaborate drug smuggle!!! - Its alright I get paranoid about everything - DH thinks i'm nuts to even worry about it!!

Plus - I've rung Gatwicks Boots and they stock cartons of baby milk for when I get through customs - but they didn't know whether I would be able to take them off of the flight at the other end?? (DS may well need feeding straight after flight and it will be easier to carry one off the flight then route through my cases!!)

I never thought it would be such a headache feeding a 9mth old baby!! (Another case for Breast is best - I know!! )

thanks alot!!

 

[kellie37]

we went in may 06 and our youngest was 11 months old.
we put a sealed tub of baby milk in our case and it was ok, our travel agents told us that as long as it was unopened it was fine.

i know what you can take on the flight as hand luggage has changed since then but im sure what you put in the case is ok.

i know how you feel when we went our youngest still had baby porridge and i worried about taking that and the milk but we took both and it was fine.

im not sure if that helps

kellie

 

[lexie32]

We took the sma baby milk powder sachets in 2005 we packed them in the suitcases and also had them in our handluggage for the plane, i just took loads of empty bottles and then mixed them with bottled water before giving them to an air hostess for heating u.

alex

 

[amystevekai&bump]

thanks Kellie and Alex - that has made me feel better - If baby milk is ok, then hopefully packet food would be too??? (He is very fussy and we don't get to the villa until the second week so I won't be cooking until I get there - so I hope to find some packets that he will eat - fingers crossed!! )

thanks again!!

 

[babystar]

I can definatly help you!! When my daughter was young we brough sachets that would hold individual powder feeds (they were such a brilliant life saver, I recommend them to all my friends with bumps and babies!!) Basically we took about 7 seperate sachets in our hand luggage (i think she was on about 4 oz feeds at the time) and then about 4 bottles of boiled water, I put a tiny bit extra in each bottle so as when they asked me to try the liquid I could pour some into the lid of the bottle and not de-sterilize the bottle or teat,security were fine that I had got extra powder (it was really just for an emergency) and they did not batter an eye lid at the fact it was just water in the bottles. I would be very worried about getting the baby milk at the boots in the airport as they only offer 1 or 2 brands and I have often seen empty shelves! The sachets really are brilliant as you dont have to worry about keeping the milk cool and you dont have to try mixed baby formula at security (not sure if you've ever tried it but its absolutly horrid! )

 

[Clared]

Maybe I'm just blind, but where do you get the sachets from? I don't remember seeing these anywhere.

 

[babystar]

I used to travel to the States at least 5 times a month and brought them out there, they are just steralized little powder sachets (think they hold up to 7 scoops i.e 7oz) If you want some pm me and I will see if I can get you some on my next visit.

 

[T16GEM]

Amy, just a word of warning on the premaid cartons that you can buy - they taste different to the powder milk mix and Shelby wouldn't touch it she knew it was different. Also when we were changing flights they wouldn't let us take any liquid through with us - even what we had bought in Birmingham Airport after checkin. I took 3 big tins of formula with me in the suitcase for while we were away and ran out 2 days before we flew home - Harley didn't mind the US brand but again Shelby is a Farleys girl and wouldn't touch it. Plus US formula was absolutley ridiculously priced - I saw one that worked out to be £26 a tin!!!!

Harley loved the Gerber foods there too so I don't think you will have a problem with that - they seemed to be much better than what we have here!

 

[lawlesslovewdw]

Another little tip, the sachets are great for travelling but work out expensive and you can only get them for certain brands. We brought a powder milk dispenser from boots that has 4 sections each one holding your own required amount. You can then take this along with bottles of water to the parks. The water warms through the day but germ free, then when baby wants feeding you tip the powdered milk in. Dont have to worry about keeping milk cold! They wont allow ready made milk cartons through customs! They also sell infant water in big containers in walmart (and other supermarkets )as the water over there takes horrible. Dont have to worry about boiling or cooling water! Buy few gallons then ready to go! Nappies are more expensive, we took our own which gave us loads of space for shopping in the cases on the way home. I was surprised about how easy is was to take the lo. we have been taking our little one since he was 15wks old, he was harder work on the plane the last time we went (2yo). Have you requested a skycot on the plane? It is a lifesaver on the arms, plus you can get a bit of a rest when they are asleep. We started booking lo a seat on the plane from the age of 1 just because it is somewhere for them to sleep when they are too big for the skycots.
HTH

 

[kristieuk]

DD was 6 weeks when we went. I was feeding her myself, but she was having some formula and I wasn't overly comforting b/feeding on the plane. We took the Avent powder dispenser which holds 3 feeds. We then bought some cartons in Boots in duty free as an emergency (Cow & Gate, but they did have SMA too, maybe others), but we only used the 3 feeds in the container.

We took tubs of formula in our cases (2 tubs in 2 different cases, just in case). I think they weighed a kilo each.

I had no problems. I even had a bottle of expressed breast milk going and coming back, and customs said it was fine. I wasn't going to taste it, but they didn't ask me too !

I found nappies super cheap! I wouldn't take many, Pampers Active Fit were about half price.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

thank you all so much for the advice - you are all stars and always make me feel happier about things!!

I've tried to note everyone's comments so I hope I will get it right!!

My plan - to pack sachets of SMA in my cases (I know its more expensive but it saves me measuring things over there - lazy I know!!). I will also get the infant water (great tip thank you) to carry in the bottles and just add the milk when needed. And I think I will just try the Gerber food as you suggest when I get there (I'm trying to spend the next couple of months getting him to eat 'regular' food and hope that I can get him to eat veg/fruit/sandwiches etc to make it easier!!

And yes, I've (fingers crossed) got a sky cot through Virgin - so hopefully that will help the flight!

thanks for all your kind words - I was really chilled about taking the children to begin with, but as it gets closer the more I've started to panic - so thank you all!!

 

[amystevekai&bump]

sorry - one more question - do you need to store the infant water in the fridge or will it be ok in the hotel room once its been opened??? - thanks again!!

 

[lawlesslovewdw]

We stored it in the fridge. If you havent got a fridge, buy a cheap cool bag, fill with ice from ice machines, put container of water in, store in bath (incase cooler bag leaks) refresh, morning and night,
Relax and enjoy, you can buy everything you need in US (they have babies there too , it didnt stop me from panicking first time round, but at the end of the day if they are hungry, they will eat)
Make sure you pack in your hand luggage a few extra bottles and feed, just in case you are delayed. Try and delay bottle feeds till take of and landing, not always possible but it does help the little ears

 

[amystevekai&bump]

oops and another couple of questions - do you use the infant water as drinking water for the baby or do you use tap/boiled water???

And something totally different - I was going to buy sterilising bags from Mothercare (we've used them before - they are basically drawstring bags with individual sterilising tablets in that you just add cold water to - saves worrying about electric/microwaves etc) - do you think customs will have a problem with these in our cases???

thanks again for all of your help??

 

[lawlesslovewdw]

Yes use the infant water for all drinks and food prep, we even used it for our 3 yo juice! The sterelising tabs should be fine in luggage, just leave them in original packing, you should see how much medication we take with us, half of boots...just in case you know...every year dh laughs at me

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Yes use the infant water for all drinks and food prep, we even used it for our 3 yo juice! The sterelising tabs should be fine in luggage, just leave them in original packing, you should see how much medication we take with us, half of boots...just in case you know...every year dh laughs at me

thanks ever so much - you've made me feel so much happier - I will relax about customs thinking I'm smuggling drugs, especially as you haven't had a problem even though you do actually carry drugs!!!

thanks again!!