How would you feed your baby in an emergency?

[ShanandBoc]

This really worries me about switching to formula feeding.

If there was some kind of natural disaster....how would you feed your baby if there was no access to fresh water, electricity etc.

I think we should all have some kind of survival kit just incase (even BF mums as u never know what could happen)

Ready made formula would be good but here they only come in a size that is 2 feeds worth and only one brand make them.

Even then u would need clean water to wash . sterilise bottles etc.

So i guess having a stash of bottled water maybe?? and of course formula

Anyone have any tips on what could be done??? You never know whats gonna happen and being prepared could save ur little ones life.

 

[ke29]

Aptimel and cow and gate do ready made formula. I didnt think you were supposed to use mineral water to make formula so I guess if you could get some you'd get the SMA single use bottles with formula already in. What a scary thought!!

 

[ShanandBoc]

I know, i thought i was just being paranoid as my DH said you dont know whats gonna happen so cant base decisions on 'what ifs' but its a very real possibility i mean with all the natural disasters that have been going on, with no supermarkets to get formula and as i said no water or electricity what would you do??/

It seems to be something no one thinks about but id rather be safe than sorry and plan for that possibility iykwim

 

[Mrs A]

all brands do ready prepared formula, although not all types ie sma do first milk, hungry baby, follow on and toddler milk ready prepared but dont do soya, staydown iykwim

 

[MrsRabbit]

We live in an area with tornadoes - we have warnings even spring and summer and even one New Years Eve. I NEVER get lower than 1 week's worth of formula and bottled water. I also have a week's worth of medications -- at least the meds who allow it. The controlled ones - I can't get some to put up just in case.

When I get the new cases of formula for the month - I switch out the cans put up just in case same with the water so they don't get old.

When we leave town I put an extra FULL can and a gallon of water and enough packets of thickener in the trunk [along with a day's worth of diapers, changes of clothes for all of us and our meds] in case we're stuck on the road in a white out or something.

SIL says I over think things and am paranoid. Maybe so but I can't just pop into any store and buy EleCare - it's a special order from a Pharmacy.

 

[bubbles123]

Bottled water can have varying amount of minerals but in an emergency (ie no water) it would be fine. It is unlikely you would have no water at all as you could always collect rain water and use that to sterilise bottles by boiling or steaming, over a camp fire if necessary (as it's not ingested). Water purification tablets could also be used to clean rain water/river water for washing and sterilisation if necessary. It's likely emergency water supplies would be set up and you could boil water for baby's formula from this. I'd always have a small amount of pre made formula in the house for emergencies as well. Also, any baby who has been weaned can just have other animal milk to drink as they get it in their food - small amounts of time would do no harm (in the past formula was not used after 6 months any ways). Or they could have juice or solids etc if there was no formula - short periods would do them no harm.
So it would be fine!

 

[OmarsMum]

We have bottled water with very low menerals here. I use it for Omar's bottles since he was tiny. It has less than 3 mg/lts of sodium, doesnt have cloride & less than 1 mg/lts of floride. I alway keep a box at home (12 bottles of 1.5 lts each) & I always stock on formula. We also have gas stove, in addition to electrical stove heads & electrical kettle. So, if there is no electricity we have gas. To sterilize bottles, you can boil them or wash them with hot water boiled on gas stove. We also have a large water despenser, & we always have 2 additional large water bottles.

 

[ShanandBoc]

Thanks for your replies, u have some great ideas there ladies and have put my mind at ease.

I really think its something every mother should prepare for x

 

[bky]

Urf, when we had our big earthquake we were unprepared as I hadn't planned on FF at all. OH managed to get to the store and get some ready made cartons and I keep some in the emergency kit now but it was a horrible feeling.

 

[ouchwithNo.2]

We have stacks of tins of formula at home (prescription sma staydown and get 8 at a time) plus it is made from cold water, although you are supposed to pre-boil and cool my LO is now 7mths so I wouldn't bother - I would just go with the evian if I had to.
Failing that my next door neighbour is happily breastfeeding her 4mth old and has more milk than a dairy so I am sure I could hand LO over with a few lessons!!

 

[AppleBlossom]

Lol I can honestly say I've never heard anyone have this as a reason why they might not FF

I mean, if there were a natural disaster you would do what people do in every situation, including feeding yourself and your baby, you would do whatever you could. If you are genuinely worried, make sure you have a stash of ready made formula (SMA, Aptamil and Cow and Gate all have ready made) Sterilising tablets so any water you use would keep the bottles sterile, as for the bottled water, strictly you aren't allowed to give babies mineral water BUT in a natural disaster situation, needs must and giving mineral water would be better than letting your child starve

 

[ShanandBoc]

I know apple blossom i totally over think things...paranoid much haha

 

[Crannog]

Dear, and I thought I was a worry wort!

 

[ShanandBoc]

I think its all part of the guilt trip with switching over from breast feeding, there was information on a breastfeeding association website about how breast feeding could save ur babies life in an emergency......made me start over thinking.

I think its good to be prepared tho, after hearing that mothers couldnt get formula for their babies during the recent floods here in Australia x

 

[MrsRabbit]

Maybe I'm a worry wort but in natural disasters here sometimes it takes days or weeks to get help out. I think it comes from the idea I don't like being too dependent on other people. In a perfect world I'd like to become self sufficient for as much of our daily needs as possible.

 

[ShanandBoc]

Yep Mrs Rabbit, you just never whats gonna happen. I think everyone should prepare for a disaster.

Better to be safe than sorry!

 

[kiwimama]

I have never actually thought about this possibility. Once when Ella was younger, our power was off for several hours and I paniced about how the heck I was going to heat up her bottle until I calmed down and realised I could just put some hot water into a bowl and heat it that way.
But I have never thought about what we would do in an emergency. Infact we don't have supplies for any of us, let alone formula etc.

 

[Tegans Mama]

Tegan doesn't have formula anymore but we do have 4 days worth of bottled water and at least a week worth of medications at a time.

 

[Farie]

Since the earthquake (I live in NZ, 5km from the epicentre of the recent shake) we have a full survival kit food water etc. I never thought LO would be an issue as we were BFing but since she's moved onto neocate I've had to have a think about it.
We have low sodium mineral water, neocate is supplied in 3 month blocks so as long as I always reorder in plenty of time we'll be ok.
Sterilising bottles I think you just do the best you can! We do have cold water tablets if necessary.

IMHO it's naive to think the supermarket will always be open and power will never be out for long. We were lucky and had power back in under 24h after the quake, but friends were without power and water for over a week. It's a good thing they had bottled water and cook on gas!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I always had a large supply of ready made formula at home anyway but I think this is a perfectly reasonable thing to think about it! I definitely had these thoughts when Ruby was small.