Advice for in the parks with a 6 month old (also how to manage Formula feeding on the trip)

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

Hi, I could use some tips for being out in a hot park (not only Disney, any amusement park) all day with a 6 month old. I have never done this so I really could use some major advice. My infant is also formula fed and the particular brand we use does not come in little travel packs nor does it come in ready to feed 8 oz bottles. I know I could use the little formula dispenser, but can powdered formula be kept in a stroller on such a hot day and stay ok? The package says avoid extreme temperatures for the powder.

So I really could use some tips on how to best manage formula feeding while out at the parks, also tips for keeping bottles clean, etc in the room. thank you!

 

[meggers628]

What is your plan for a stroller? I would definitely recommend bringing or renting a city mini. That way you'll have a big sun shade, can clip on a battery operated fan and some toys, and recline the baby for easy napping. When we rented our stroller it came with a parent console on the handle, with a smaller insulated section, that seems perfect for formula packets. Maybe you could throw in a ziploc of ice to make sure they stay cool. Then you would just have to bring along or buy some bottles of water to mix.

As far as the bottles, medela makes wipes that are used to clean breast pump parts, but they can also be used for bottles and nipples. Medela also makes microwave bags to sterilize pieces.

 

[BlueHippo]

We've gone a few times with babies using formula. For the parks we'd fill up our bottles with water from the food court before we left. We'd use those pre measured formula containers that have the three separate sections. Pretty easy to mix on the go. Just brought dish soap and a bottle brush and would wash the bottles later back in the room. Didn't need to do anything special with storing formula, but we'd keep the bag with us (didn't leave them baking out in the sun with parked stroller). The baby rooms in the parks are great to take a break or I'd you forgot something for the day.

 

[LiaNWillsmom]

1. renting a city mini is a good idea., is your 6 month old your only child? If not, the double is great! kingdom strollers is a great rental company we have used and are happy with.
2. the 3 compartment formula dispensers are perfect for on the go feedings. I had one of those, and a single container for my son when he was around 9 months at the parks. i kept them in the diaper bag, and in the shade they were just fine. if you are concerned about the high temps, try an insulated bag, like a cheap lunch bag and a freezer pack.
3. Keeping the bottles clean in the room is easy, just get a bottle brush and dish soap. the bottle brushes from the dollar store work great

 

[Bbguy5]

don't forget to use the baby rooms!

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

1. renting a city mini is a good idea., is your 6 month old your only child? If not, the double is great! kingdom strollers is a great rental company we have used and are happy with.
2. the 3 compartment formula dispensers are perfect for on the go feedings. I had one of those, and a single container for my son when he was around 9 months at the parks. i kept them in the diaper bag, and in the shade they were just fine. if you are concerned about the high temps, try an insulated bag, like a cheap lunch bag and a freezer pack.
3. Keeping the bottles clean in the room is easy, just get a bottle brush and dish soap. the bottle brushes from the dollar store work great

Silly question but did you wash the formula dispenser thingy every night too?

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

We've gone a few times with babies using formula. For the parks we'd fill up our bottles with water from the food court before we left. We'd use those pre measured formula containers that have the three separate sections. Pretty easy to mix on the go. Just brought dish soap and a bottle brush and would wash the bottles later back in the room. Didn't need to do anything special with storing formula, but we'd keep the bag with us (didn't leave them baking out in the sun with parked stroller). The baby rooms in the parks are great to take a break or I'd you forgot something for the day.

Did you wash the formula dispenser nightly too?

 

[Bbguy5]

we didn't. we also took pre-mades.

 

[tcufrog]

I had one of those formula dispensers that had different compartments for different feedings. I'd send one to daycare (my son went part-time) at the beginning of the week and then it would be returned to me at the end of the week which is when I'd wash it. They make soft sided coolers that attach to the bottom bar of a City Mini stroller. Some of the rental companies will rent them out. You can pack the formula container in it with ziploc bags full of ice.

I prefer reusable freezer packs at home but I never assume when I'm traveling that I'll have access overnight to a freezer for them. Restaurants are pretty good about giving you ice if you explain that you need to ice down formula or breast milk and hotels usually have ice machines.

Bring from home: formula in original container, empty formula dispenser, ziplocks, bottles including an extra in case one gets damaged or lost, microwave sterilizer. Rent or buy a soft sided cooler for formula.

You can order bottled water from a grocery delivery place. If your kid expects formula to be heated start slowly lowering the temperature of the formula until she's used to room temperature formula.

 

[BlueHippo]

Did you wash the formula dispenser nightly too?

Probably every few days, as needed.

 

[LiaNWillsmom]

Silly question but did you wash the formula dispenser thingy every night too?

Only if its empty. Every couple of days is just fine

 

[danielocha30]

get the formula dispenser, a big bottle of water and disponsable playtex bottles, that way you will use 1 bottle /nipple at the park, they are wonderful and save space, after each feeding you only need to wash the nipple.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

Everyone on here has given solid advice. I agree with using the formula dispenser and there's no need to wash it every night. My little one had to have 3 oz of expressed milk in a bottle followed by 5 oz of allergy formula so I always traveled with a cooler bag that I got for free from Enfamil's rewards program. The bottles, a bottle of water, and the formula dispenser all went into the cooler bag with an ice pack or two. The ice packs would usually last several hours. If you stay at a hotel without a freezer in your room, fill the ice bucket half way, put the ice packs in it and fill the rest of the way up with ice and leave overnight. By morning, they should be frozen again. I always try to rinse the bottles out in the bathroom after each use so they don't get too congealed sitting in the heat.

I'd also recommend some sort of cooling towel like a Frog Togg or similar to occasionally rub against baby's skin to help keep him/her cool. I also strongly recommend bringing a thin receiving blanket. Those things are great for helping to block the sun whether baby is in a stroller or a carrier. They are great for helping to block light when baby is trying to take a nap.

 

[hskaggs11]

My formula only comes in a big can, no smaller cans or to-go packets either. I did use a formula that had the packets, and I fell in love with them for on the go, so I decided to make my own. I found these neat little ziplock pouches online, and I plan on trying them out before our trip to see if they would work. They look the same size as the packets, and are re-sealable, so you could even re-use them if you wanted.

https://www.amazon.com/Zipzicle-Zip...8&qid=1497881448&sr=8-2&keywords=ice+pop+bags

I have the cooler bag for my City Mini, and I plan on putting a few freezer packs in it and keeping some frog-togs in there for baby, as well as a bottle of pedilyte for infants, so he can drink that if looks like he's getting dehydrated. If there's room, I plan on putting a few water bottles in there as well. I'm a little worried on him not liking the fountain/or tap water at Disney, I know it can have a different taste, and I don't know if he could taste it through the formula.

 

[LMO429]

I just brought a bucket similar to this one to soak bottles in over night with dapple wash I would wash with the oxo travel brush and let it soak during the day while we were in the park and air dry over night:

https://www.amazon.com/Medline-Plas...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=5AQ64SE4TMCHBC9JXS4B

I got the oxo bottle and drier rack to clean bottles and air dry:

https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Travel-D...id=1497887001&sr=1-1&keywords=oxo+bottle+rack

As far as formula goes. I would just put the formula in the bottle and used bottle water from the parks. You could do the opposite and put distilled water in the bottle from your hotel room and use a formula container I preferred this one as oppose to the 3 compartment one just because it was easier to transfer:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0198NW33Q/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[tracaline]

What we used when my son was still on formula was this- I had several bottles each one had enough formula in it for his regular bottle- then I had an extra bottle with the amount of water needed-- so if I thought he would take 2 bottles while out, we actually had 3 with us- 2 with formula, 1 with water. As we made a bottle we would refill the water bottle. We had the space for it, so that wasn't an issue. Then we kept all the bottles in a small cooler, and once they were used (and rinsed out) we just threw them into a big Ziploc at the bottom of the stroller until we got back to the hotel to clean them. I used to use the 3 section thing, but we had an instance when I was bumped into and the formula went flying everywhere (not to mention I could never get all of the formula out of that thing).