Feeding your baby when travelling

When you are travelling you will need consider a variety of food and feeding related products to help you.

Highchairs There are several styles of travelling highchair:

• A folding highchair which is compact enough to go into the car boot
• A fabric harness design chair cover which fits onto almost any dining chair, very lightweight
• A clip-on fabric seat suspended from a solid frame which clamps onto the table, fairly heavy but compact enough to go into the bottom of a suitcase
• A smaller plastic seat that can be strapped onto a normal dining chair but your child can easily get out, or fall out, of this booster-style seat.

Of course you can also feed your baby in their pushchair, in the upright position. This risks getting food all over it but it's one less thing to pack!

Disposable bibs You can buy disposable bibs in multi-packs. They have a waterproof backing, self-adhesive neck fastening and may also have a tummy tape for securing in position, and a crumb catcher. Arguably they aren't very environmentally friendly but it means no extra washing of gunky bibs!

Travel beakers Look for drinking beakers and cups sold specifically for travel, with leak-proof lids and fold-down, locking spouts. You can also buy ‘sports’ bottles with drinking spouts that retract to lock; these are now available in sizes small enough to be suitable for babies from around nine months.

Travel cutlery sets These are sets of first feeding utensils, such as several spoons and fork in a plastic container, which keeps everything clean and tidy.

Bottle feeding aids For bottle fed babies there are quite a few handy gadgets to look out for:

• Travel sterilisers which may use the cold water and chemical solution method, or be suitable to go into a microwave to steam sterilise
• Disposable sterilising bags with sterilising tablets - you just add water and hang the bag up with your items inside
• Insulated bottle carriers with milk powder dispensers
• Travel packs of bottle teats, sterile and ready to use
• Disposable travel bottle kits with everything needed for feeding on the go
• Car bottle warmers to warm a bottle of milk or a jar of baby food, powered by the car cigarette lighter
• Made up, ready-to-feed infant formula baby milk

However, it's worth noting that any new system you introduce may not be as popular with your baby as it may be for you. If you opt for disposable bottles, for example, try them out at home first before taking them away with you to get your child used to them. It's always best to take at least one normal bottle with you in case your little one suddenly gets fussy!

Formulas and ready-made baby food: It's impossible to lug a week's or fortnight's worth of baby food and formula on holiday so check out our feature on what you can buy abroad . Most European countries offer the same or similar food, nappies and formulas as the UK so you should find something. However, if your baby is on a special diet or taking a formula on prescription it's wise to take the supplies you need with you.

Another option is to use the services of a company like www.Tinytotsaway.com whose mission is to make your travel with babies and infants easier, by providing you with a one stop ordering service for all your baby and toddler needs, and to ship them to your holiday destination in time to coincide with your arrival.

Shop@babyworld for a good selection of travel products and fantastic offers