Leaving for Mexico Vaca in One Week

I'm guessing the pediatrician has recommended sanitizing the bottles? I think that school of thought varies with time and from doctor to doctor. When my 6 and 3 year old were babies, we were told to sanitize the bottles. With my 9 month old, the pediatrician (different one than the one we went to for the first two) said "Don't bother. Babies don't live in bubbles.", meaning that we live in an unsanitized world so why bother? However, given that you are the grandparent, I understand that you probably don't get to make that decision. In that case, is there a way you can get access to a microwave at the hotel? Then you could just use a microwave bottle sanitizer.

I think if you sanitize the bottles in boiling water, that should be fine. You can't drink the water when you brush your teeth, because it hasn't been boiled.

If your hotel room has a microwave, you could also use these steamer bags: http://www.amazon.com/Medela-Quick-Clean-Micro-Steam-Bags... They need only a little bit of water to work, so you can just use a little from bottled water.

If you have access to a microwave, I would suggest using a microwave bottle sterilizer. I used the Avent microwave bottle sterilizer. You only need a few ounces of water (I would use bottled water) each time and you can do a few bottles at a time. It is basically a plate with a domed lid. You could pack it in your suitcase (put things in it to not lose space, etc.). Good luck!

Is there any way to sanitize without using heat? Chemically, i mean--like soaking in alcohol and letting it evaporate?

could you use disposable bottles and make the formula with bottled/distilled water? or take cans of liquid formula?

Any bottled water you buy, I would make sure it has been boiled; you don't want some "spring" water from Mexico ending up in the baby's bottles.

If you take anything electrical with you from the States to Mexico, make sure the appliance and its plug will be compatible. Or bring the proper adapter. I don't know whetther Mexico has those differences, but I know Europe does--if you take something electric (e.g. a hairdryer) over there and plug it in without the adapter, you will fry it.

Good luck and have a good trip!

K. Z.

the medela sanatizing bags are terrific you can get them at target(and use one bag maybe 21 times)...they take about 4oz of water and a microwave....i'm sure the hotel has bottled water you could use. How are you mixing formula up or are you taking pre mixed? have a great trip!

You can either wash your bottles with bottled water or wash with regular water and ask the hotel for a microwave and take some bags (like medela) that you can use in the microwave to sterilize bottles.
I'm from Mexico and I would not recomend that you give the baby tap water or just wash the bottle with tap water without sterilizing later.
Good luck and enjoy your trip!
P.S. US electrical products can be used in Mexico without the use of special adapters.

Do they have a microwave you could use? You could potentially use that to steam the bottles (they have microwave stuff to clean breast milk material, I imagine it might work).

Or they sell bottle sterilizers that you could potentially bring.
Have a great trip!

I was also going to suggest using the Medela steam bags. They are pretty awesome! Absolutely do not take a chance with Mexico water...no, no, no, especially not with a 7 month old. Having the runs at his age could be a major medical problem. Although I generally agree with KH's school of thought on santizing, germs, etc...this is a totally different case and you should not use the tap water to clean the bottles as I would normally do at home. The medela bags can be used over and over again (I think 20X/bag) so grab some bottled water (you have to add just a little bit to the bag) and a box of those and you should be set. The hotel should have microwaves you can add to your room for a fee.

Unless your grandson's doctor stated that you have to sanitize his bottles, you don't need to at 7 months anymore. Just wash them really well.