What to do about Bottle Feeding in the Park?

[mjaclyn]

My son is just turning 1 year this week and we're heading to WDW on Friday. Right now he's on formula - which is pretty easy because you just add warm (or room temperature) water. He's going to be switching to regular milk and I'm not really sure how to go about this at the park. I bought a hydroflask to keep the milk cold all day long, but should I bring a bottle or try using a sippy cup? He has used a sippy cup before for water, but never milk or formula. For those of you who have had bottle-fed children in the park, do you wash them out in the bathroom sink in your hotel? do you get disposable bottles? I'm trying to think of the easiest way to do this...his bottles have five or six different parts to each one so it's not exactly a five minute washing process. If I have to bring his bottles I will, I'm just wondering if anyone has had any other experiences or suggestions?

 

[badblackpug]

I would hold off making the switch until after you come back. We did bottles in the park, we used powdered formula. We just washed the bottles out in the sink. Bring or order a small bottle of dish detergent, and bring lots of extra bottles. When we switched off formula we also switched off bottles and went right to the sippy cup, of course, she had been using a sippy cup before that for water and juice.

 

[imthatgirl]

If it was me I would give him formula in the parks, it's so much easier then milk. Carrying the milk around would just be a pain.
If he's still using a bottle I would bring bottles...if not I would give him a sippy and them in the resort sinks in the evening.
You say he's one is he eating full meals...as in not babyfood? Because honestly at that age my kids were eating table food and drinking water most of the day. They only had milk(or formula) when they woke up and before they went to bed. During the day they just ate and drank like the rest of us.

 

[anotherdisneygal]

I didn't bottle feed my sons while at disney, so I can't speak to that, but I do bring sippy cups with us when we travel. To clean them, I also pack a sponge and a small bottle of soap. I wash them at night and put them on a hand towel to dry.

 

[Colinsmom]

I would just buy milk at CS when you need it, instead of carrying it around all day. We did that for DS1 because he needed lactose-free milk, but regular whole milk is everywhere and just as easy to buy as to carry along.

 

[2DisPrincesses]

I would definitely stick with the formula until after your trip- so much easier! On our last trip our youngest DD used bottles. I just rinsed them during the day and washed them at the resort at night. Per a tip on this board- wet a sponge and add some dish soap. Let it dry, cut into pieces and put into a ziplock bag. Just rewet one when you need it- cheap, easy, and small to pack.

 

[ccgirl]

I'm another one that would stick with formula. Many children do not handle the switch to milk well immediately. Pediatricians usually recommend doing 1/2 formula and 1/2 milk in order to get their digestive system acclimated. I would just bring baby bottles of water and powdered formula and add the formula to the bottled water when ready. Good luck.

 

[merger]

Maybe you can wash the bottles at the baby care centers

 

[scrapquitler]

Why not just buy milk at a counter service place? Then you aren't lugging it around all day. If I had a bottle child at WDW I would use the bottles where you stick the plastic bag in the holder and pop the nipple and ring on. Toss the plastic bag part out, and just wash the nipple in the baby center, or bring enough nipples for the day and toss the used ones in a ziploc bag and clean them in the room at night.

I'm not sure when your child turns one, or how far off your trip is, but it might be easier all around to teach your child to use a sippy cup or even a straw before your trip. My children never actually used bottles, they went straight from the breast to using a straw. Both were easily able to use a straw by about 11 months or so. Here's an article that tells you step by step how to teach your child to use a straw: http://www.ehow.com/how_2104272_teach-baby-use-straw.html

 

[Mrs. Charming]

Maybe you can wash the bottles at the baby care centers

Thats worked well for us!

 

[*Seanaci*]

I wouldn't switch him to cow's milk cold turkey right now. My ped told me to replace an oz of forumla with an oz of milk every day until he was on cow milk (ie day one add 1 oz regular/cow's milk and subtract an ounce of formula to each bottle, day two add 2 oz regular milk and subtract two ounces of formula, etc).

Take formula. And maybe try giving him it in a sippy cup every day this week before you leave. If he'll drink the formula out of it, then take sippy's (take-n-toss are heaven for trips like WDW). If not, take bottles.

 

[disneycruising]

I would leave him of formula until after the trip.

How many bottles a day does he get?

Can he drink from a cup with a straw? If so you could do that at all meals and then do a bottle in the room first thing in the morning and at night before bed?

 

[E3yore]

I would not switch him off of formula until you get back as this could stress both of you out.

Have you thought about the bottles with the disposable liners? Those would be the easiest to clean because all you have to clean is the nipples and you can do that at the baby care center.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Do not switch him the week you go to WDW!! DGS had a hard time switching to milk and that is not what you want at WDW. The comfort of a familiar food is going to be important to you all.

Just buy bottle water to make his bottles in the park. Wash bottles in the room sink at night. No big deal!!!

 

[owenoliviamom]

If he's still on formula and the bottle and you are 4 days away from your trip, I would just stick to formula and the bottle. No sense messing with his routine. Once you return, I might stick with it for another week to get him adjusted to home.

If he was on milk, I would just buy milk at the park to give at meal times and/or other times he is drinking it.

Baby care center sounds like a good place to wash out your bottles. Otherwise, I would wash them out in the hotel room. In the past, I have brought a little bottle of dishwashing soap and a brush to wash bottles (when I was pumping breastmilk and away from either kid that was nursing at the time)!

Have fun!

 

[beaniebeepooh]

My DD transitioned from formula in a bottle to milk in a sippy cup without a problem. However, my nephew refuses to drink milk out of a sippy cup. He drinks it from the bottle without a problem. (My sister has even poured the milk out of the bottle into the cup in front of him so that he can see it's the same.) I wouldn't switch unless you're sure your child is going to take to it right away.

 

[set1208]

We went with bottles for my son last year and it was just fine. We bought a slim Britta pitcher and filled it from the sink in our hotel. It was perfect! Not too bulky in the suitcase and when we packed, we put stuff inside it too. We brought a few bottles and pre-filled them before leaving in the morning. I packed formula in a Ziplock food container with the twist on lids so we didn't have any accidental formula spills in the bag.

To wash the bottles, we just rinsed during the day and at night, we washed it with soap.

 

[mjkacmom]

Why would you switch during your vacation? I transitioned around 11 months with my kids, slowly adding milk to the formula, and then switching from the bottle to a cup (a transition that was easy with some, but not with others). You wouldn't start potty training during your vacation, right?

 

[mjkacmom]

My DD transitioned from formula in a bottle to milk in a sippy cup without a problem. However, my nephew refuses to drink milk out of a sippy cup. He drinks it from the bottle without a problem. (My sister has even poured the milk out of the bottle into the cup in front of him so that he can see it's the same.) I wouldn't switch unless you're sure your child is going to take to it right away.

Tell your sister to pick a day, and only offer milk in a cup as the only beverage. Thirst is a very strong motivator (this was advice from my pediatrician, and it worked with my ds, who would throw the milk cup at me).

 

[scrappinannie]

I would hold off making the switch until after you come back. We did bottles in the park, we used powdered formula. We just washed the bottles out in the sink. Bring or order a small bottle of dish detergent, and bring lots of extra bottles. When we switched off formula we also switched off bottles and went right to the sippy cup, of course, she had been using a sippy cup before that for water and juice.

I agree. My DD took pretty easily to a sippy & never had any trouble with milk, but just to be safe I'd wait until you get home. It's easier to deal with the bottles in the parks. When DD was 9 months we went to Disney and just brought a handful of bottles and our bottle cleaning brush from home then we washed the bottles every night. Worked out fine.