How to Travel with Baby Formula

Feeding our babies is the most important thing we do as parents. And the amount of pressure we put on ourselves over what to feed them and how to feed them carries over into travel. Travel with baby formula definitely requires planning in advance. The length of your journey and your destination will determine exactly how much you need to bring and how you need to bring it.

Packing Formula

You’ll need to pack formula for your travel day, and for the duration of your vacation if you aren’t certain your brand will be available where you’re going. Depending on the age of your baby and their tolerance for change, switching brands or formulations while on vacation is not recommended. Baby items are difficult to come by in airports and on the road. Always, always pack more feeds than you think you will need in your carry-on. And even if your brand is available at your destination, not having to rush out to a store when you arrive is worth packing extra.

FAA regulations allow for more than the allowed liquid requirements when traveling with a baby under two. Within reason. They aren’t going to allow you to go through security with a gallon of distilled water. However, it is safe to prepare powdered formula with bottled water. It must be below 200 mg/litre of sodium and no more than 250mg/litre of sulphate. Most brands fall well within these amounts.

Powdered Formula vs. Ready-to-Drink

If you are already feeding ready-to-drink formula, and you don’t think it will be available at your destination, it’s safe to say your luggage will be very heavy. Consider switching before your trip if possible. For ease of identification, travel with a can of the formula powder. The travel formula containers make life very easy in terms of portioning and mixing while en route. Although having the can handy for identification makes life easier while going through security.

Mixing Formula

Probably my biggest and best tip for travel with baby formula is to get baby accustomed to drinking room temperature bottles. Mixing formula while traveling is not such a big deal, however heating it up might be. Juggling cups of boiling water is no picnic if you’re also managing a hungry baby. Certainly there are portable baby bottle warmers designed for travel. If you have the money and the carry-on space for an extra gadget, and baby can’t tolerate a non-warmed bottle, then it’s worth the investment.

Traveling with Bottles

Bottles take up a lot of space. Although the powdered formula doesn’t take up a lot of room, the pre-sterilized bottles do. If your travel day is 12 hours, and baby feeds every four hours, that’s three bottles (plus at least two extra in case of delays). So there’s five empty bottles (plus nipples, plus caps) you need to pack and keep clean.

The pre-sterilized bottle liners definitely save space and make life easier for travel.

Washing and Sterilizing Bottles

Is it really a vacation if you’re still washing and sterilizing bottles? Of course! It’s not necessary to travel with a bottle sterilizer if you have access to (or pack) a travel kettle. However, if your accommodation has a kitchen or at least a microwave, the steam sterilizers are fairly compact and the sterilizer bags even more so.

Making bottle maintenance a part of your routine while on vacation is just part of travel with baby formula and once it’s done you can enjoy your evening together.

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How to Travel with Baby Formula