Do they have babies in Turkey?

Today while Alia napped, I got busy planning. Since I've already traveled in a plane with Alia a couple of times, I know just how much planning it takes. And those were domestic trips. This will be Alia's first big trip outside the country, where I don't speak the language, and the locals barely speak my language. So like a good girl scout, I want to be prepared!

First, let's talk about milk versus formula...Alia will turn 1 when we're in Turkey, which is, from my understanding, typically when you change from formula to whole milk. However, since fresh whole milk is hard to come by in Turkbuku, and they mainly carry that strange shelf-stable type of milk, I'm thinking we'll stick with formula until we're back in the U.S. So with that in mind, I began my neurotic, Type-A calculating. We'll be gone for count them 1-2-3-....23 days. And if Alia has about four 8 ounce bottles per day, that's like, 92 bottles for the entire time we're away. 

Now, let's think about the options. Option 1 would be to throw caution to the wind an expect to be able to find some sort of formula for Alia. Okay. How many things can go wrong with this? I mean, I'm sure they have formula...but Alia's only had her brand of organic formula her whole life...is it really such a good idea to try something new while abroad where communication is challenging and her pediatrician is really really far away if she doesn't tolerate it? So we'll bring her formula with us. How do we go about this process? Well, one option would be to throw a bunch of canisters in my bag, and hope that I have enough. But the option I chose was meticulously calculating how many bottles could be made per canister. Okay...so I'll need about 4 of the mother load sized canisters. Done.

 Right? Well, sure, we could be done there, but let's think this through....do I really want to carry a whole freaking canister of formula onto the airplane, and pray that some flight attendant will give me the water that I need when I need to mix it? I imagined my rowdy girl kicking over the mother load size canister and leaving me to sit in sticky milk dust for 17 hours. That's when I thought of the to-go packets. Each to-go packet makes a 4 ounce bottle. Less waste...less bulk. MUCH easier to carry in the carry-on. But still, we have the problem of getting water when we need it in flight. That's when I thought of the pre-mixed 8-ounce nursers. Oh yeah, now we're talking. Aside from needing the check on the liquid regulations for baby formula, I think we'll be going that route for the flights, and then doing the to-go packs for the rest of the trip. Decision made. And see? Hardly any neurosis. HA! Seriously...you should see the math worksheet I did to calculate Alia's 23-day supply of formula needs, as broken down by canister, pre-made nursers and to-go packets. Actually, you should see my worksheet....here you go:



Now let's talk diapers, wipes and face wipes. If my calculations are correct, we'll need roughly 10 diapers per day for 23 days, or 230 diapers. That breaks down to two xtra large cases. And while we're at it...wipes. Shouldn't I consider taking those with me too? Let's say I'll need 2 wipes per diaper change. That's about 460 wipes. And with 88 wipes per pack, I'll need 6 packs of wipes. And now that we're talking about keeping baby clean, how long will we be in transit? Shouldn't I consider some baby face wipes too? Three packs of those ought to do it.

Now that we've got the basics figured out, let's place the order! I mean, sure it seems like we're taking a lot of stuff along with us, but Alia gets her own suitcase since we bought her a seat on the plane, so we should have plenty of space...I mean, after all, her clothes don't take up too much room! Right?
Okay, maybe I overdid it. Maybe they do in fact have babies in Turkey, and I'll bet they have diapers, too.