feeding 9 month old at Mexican resort

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

We are going to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico for a week (in 5 days), and I am concerned about feeding my 9 month-old (this question was also included in a post on the general forum - please forgive the repeat!)

I am OK with the bottles - I have a small electric kettle to boil his water just in case there are any issues with the water (thought the resort has a purification system). But I'm concerned about solids. He's not very consistent about what he likes. I make most of his food, but have been trying out jars to see if I can find things that he'll eat. I was hoping I'd find a complement of jarred food that I could bring, but he doesn't seem to like most of it.

He mostly likes fruit (banana, pear and apple), some cooked veggies as finger food, cheerios and puffs, yogurt (if fruit mixed in) and sometimes cheese or tofu. I'd like to bring some yogurt, cooked veggie pieces, and tofu or cheese in a little cooler on the plane, but I don't think they'll let me through customs with it. I'm sure the cheerios and puffs are fine to bring if packaged, and I would be comfortable asking for bananas to feed him at the resort, since they can be peeled.

What do you think about feeding him yogurt, cheese, or produce from the buffet at the resort? I'd prefer to be cautious and avoid it just in case it has any microbes that might upset his stomach, or any other risk of disease, but I'm not sure what else I'm going to feed him. Is it OK to give him just cheerios and bananas for a week?

Any tips? Thanks so much!

[Anonymous]

I would not risk your baby's health in this way.
For a week's trip you should take all the food you need for your baby. He should have only canned ready made formula if he's not breastfeeding. Bring jars, or better yet get the baby food in the plastic containers that Gerber makes. (I usually do organic, but for a week, wouldn't worry too much about that.)

[Anonymous]

Also, the baby food in the Gerber plastic containers should be carefully packed in zip-lock bags.

[Anonymous]

If you can peel it (yourself) or cook it, it's generally OK. So bananas are OK, apples aren't. I'd be wary of any type of melons, since I doubt most people clean the outside of the rind before cutting.

Also check with your pedi about any medicine you might be able to take with you for your child for diarrhea, which would be the primary risk. I'd also make sure you were opening the bottles of water, so they weren't just refilled and capped.

I traveled to Egypt and Morocco with my toddler at about a year old. I do agree with taking some jarred foods with you (and cereal if he's still eating it), to round out meals. I packed the plastic jars in huge ziplocks with the zipper seal to make sure the pressure (or lack thereof) in the plane wouldn't explode their contents all over the place.

My husband and I picked up a little touch of some stomach bug, but my son never did.

[Anonymous]

We go to Mexico every year and just recently with our 8 month old. We brought baby food with us but I also bought a lot of stuff there. What city are you going to and will you have a fridge in the room? At our resort there is a store and many of the items are imported from the states so we were able to buy onsite but if you are going to Cancun you could go to Costco, Sam's Club, Walmart.

[Anonymous]

I would either plan to bring a suitcase full of baby food or else ask the resort in advance if there is a store available that sells it (list the brand specifically) and if available, how much it costs and how much variety there is.

I would not serve my infant food from the hotel buffet unless it was fruit that I washed and peeled myself. I would think the bread and rolls would be okay though.

The last thing you want is your infant to get diarrhea or some other virus while on vacation.