Feeding the baby on the truck

I know this will be a fairly mundane subject for most of you, but I imagine it will be useful for someone. I know that I was almost completely clueless on this subject and ended up on going on a very long couple of weeks of extreme self discovery.

Most of you will also know that there are 3 different ways to feed a baby.

 1) Breast feeding only
The natural way and in our current society it is heavily advocated (if not overly so) as the proper way to feed a baby. It provides the best nutrition for the baby and a few added protections passed on from the mother. It is time consuming, but wonderful and helps the mother bond more quickly with the baby. However, sometimes, due to either genetics, health problems, allergies or a busy lifestyle; a mother may not be able to accomplish this task.

2)Breast Feeding, supplemented with Formula
This is what a lot of Mums I have talked to do. They will breast feed as much as possible so the baby gets the nutrients and added benefits. By supplementing with formula, it helps ensure that the baby gets a full stomach and may help him/her feed less often.

3) Formula
Sometimes you do what you have to for the life you have been given and don't condemn yourself for it. I have met so many people that have absolutely condemned and accused me of abusing my child for taking this route. They are wrong, out of line and don't know anything (particularly you mayor of new york).
Anyway, back to business. Modern formula, provides almost all the same nutrition that breast milk does, it has all the vitamins and nutrients. There are different brands, types, some are designed for gassy children and some with allergies. There should be at least one that you can get your child on that will work. Just a side note, be aware that when you switch brands or types your child may have a little constipation, but it is nothing to worry about.
So what about the added protections from the mother? Well, I spoke to my sons doc and shes says that the little bit of breast milk I was able to add into his formula during the first 2 weeks will have passed those on anyway (something to consider). Downsides? There is a double edged sword though. Your baby will feed less, however there can be occasional digestion problems early on which can be fixed by half a teaspoon of prune or apple juice and occasional bottle of water.

So whats the best route for truckers?

It is entirely up to you, but here are some things to consider.
Breastfeeding alone is incredibly time consuming and you may have trouble maintaining the necessary level of nutrition and rest needed to maintain it alone. That being said, your baby also needs to have the ability to latch on despite the vibrations and truck movement.
Supplemented Breastfeeding would be easier, but also difficult for the same reasons as breastfeeding alone.. I am sure it can be done though.
I would love to be able to give your more advice on breast feeding, but to be honest I was stuck using formula from the get go so I don't exactly know the full details.
Formula is incredibly practical, however you lose a lot of space in doing so. My husband and I have had to increase our water capacity in the truck from 2 gallons for drinking and cooking to four gallons. We have 4-5 large bottles and then two small ones that i use now for a little water for the baby. I always keep a can of formula readily accessible (on the floor :( ) and then at least one in reserve under the bunk just in case we get stuck somewhere (like california - where they hate truckers and you can't access a walmart for the life of you).

Making Formula in the truck

With formula you also need the ability to heat it.
Now, one of the latest popular opinions and for that I say that I have proven it wrong - is that you cannot microwave formula. You can, but carefully.  Place a bottle of formula - with the lid removed in the microwave and cook for 20 - 25 seconds. Test for heat, if it is too hot and you really don't have time to wait, add in a little water so it reaches the desired temperature. This will not harm your child and maybe help by giving them a little added water in their system. Then your ready to go.
If you are totally against microwaving there are electric bottle warmers that you can purchase. They require a regular electrical outlet (not much use unless you have one in your truck) and a lot of patience. You cannot run these while the truck is moving, because they require heated water and the last thing you want is boiling water over yourself and you especially over your baby.

 Storing Formula 

 I am incredibly lucky. I have a fridge in my truck so I can store formula and only I keep a bottle for each day of the week.
So what do you do if you don't have a fridge? 
Well, you can keep a cooler on your truck they come in different sizes and you can even get coolers that are designed for bottle of drink. They are readily available at most truck stops, reasonably priced and plug into the cigarette lighter spots.
Alternatively you could clean your bottles every time you make a bottle in which case they only keep for about 2-3 hours depending on the temperature. You can increase the length of these bottle by placing them next to the truck air conditioner vents in warm weather and outside in the side box in cold weather.

Bottle Cleaning

I absolutely recommend purchasing a bottle cleaner. They are so useful and when your done using it, shake it off and place it under the baby support frame in your bath tub so that it can drip dry without getting anything else wet. Also, keep plenty of paper towels in your truck to help with drying them (which you probably do already for other things). You'll want to make doubly sure you separate out the teats each time and give them an extra good dry  - I have noticed they like to pick up residue and it doesn't always come off with the bottle cleaner.

So as always, do what works for you and your baby and drive safely!