First trip abroad with a baby - Can I buy baby food and infant milk formula on the Greek Islands?

First trip abroad with a baby - Can I buy baby food and infant milk formula on the Greek Islands

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Our son Luke was nine months old when we went to Pefkos on the Greek Island of Rhodes for a two week holiday, our first holiday abroad since his birth. At home he was eating three pulverised meals a day, which generally consisted of baby porridge every morning, meat and vegetables for lunch and fruit with rusk for tea. All of these were prepared by us with fresh ingredients and each meal was accompanied by a bottle of infant formula milk, with an additional bottle at bedtime.

Although we had carefully chosen our accommodation to ensure that we had a kitchenette, we knew it would not be practical to cook and prepare all of Luke's meals from fresh ingredients with only basic facilities. It would also not have been feasible to pack enough of Luke's food in our suitcases to last two weeks. We simply didn't have the space or flight weight allowance to do this.

We decided to pack enough baby porridge for two weeks, as this was dried and didn't weigh a lot. We also packed a full tub of infant formula powder. This alone took up almost one kilogram of luggage allowance! We also bought some ready-made formula milk, along with a couple of fruit pots, in the departure lounge for use during the journey.

Once in Pefkos we found that the local supermarkets offered plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Bananas, one of Luke's favourites and an easily mashed and ready food, were widely stocked in the local supermarkets. As many of these supermarkets were open until around 10pm, this ensured that we always had an available supply of suitable food. However, without more kitchen equipment, such as a food blender, we found it difficult to prepare many of the other fruits and vegetables to the required consistency.

Many Greek resorts have quieter areas where tourist numbers are slightly lower than in the resorts' centres. We were staying at the quieter end of Pefkos, which had a few smaller supermarkets and a limited stock of baby food. But only a short walk brought us into the more tourist orientated area of Pefkos , where the slightly larger supermarkets offered a small but adequate range of both dried and pre-prepared baby food. Although we preferred to give Luke freshly cooked food, we reasoned that a bit of convenience baby food while on holiday was acceptable when facilities for preparation were so limited.

About 10 days into the holiday we realised that we would shortly be running out of infant formula powder. This was cause for concern, as we had not seen any for sale in any of the supermarkets we had visited. Upon asking one of the supermarket owners, we were directed to the local pharmacy where we were able to buy infant formula powder. It was a different brand from the one we generally use, but this didn't worry us. The pharmacist spoke excellent English and was even able to instruct us on how to mix it.

We didn't visit any of the larger shops on the island as we would have needed to hire a car to get there. Even so, we found that we could manage easily with the items we took with us and those available locally in Pefkos.

Of course, all babies have their own individual needs. What works for one baby won't necessarily be right for another. And the availability of items at other times and in different parts of the Greek Islands may vary. These are just our experiences from our family holiday in 2010.

For advice about childcare and travelling with a baby, consult a healthcare professional.

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