Little Babies

            Man, am I glad I don’t have a baby in the home. A prepping nightmare! First off, there is the food. If you are nursing, you’re golden. But what if mom isn’t available? What if mom’s nutrition is very poor, affecting the quality of her milk (and her own health)?

            Well, babies are actually pretty resilient. So let’s deal with food first. You need to put some formula away. I know formula is expensive, but it is necessary, especially if your baby needs special formula for a sensitive tummy. Again, this type is even more expensive, but having an extra month supply of formula will give you piece of mind. You may want to buy a month’s worth of the single serving packets. Don’t forget the extra water!

Let’s look at an example using the packets at the link above. In the first month, they will be eating at least 2 ounces every 3 hours or so. That means a packet that makes four ounces will be good for two feedings. At 8 feedings a day, you would need four packets a day, so a 16 packet box will last 4 days. You would need about 8 boxes for a month which would run you about $100. If the baby is older, it would take more.

Of course you may go with a cheaper brand since this is just your emergency backup. Just remember, the shelf life is not great, so you want to buy an emergency stash of formula that you can use and replace. Also, for older babies consider getting some powdered or instant milk (there is a difference). You can mix a little of the powdered or instant milk in with the formula to make it last longer. The powdered or instant milk is much cheaper, but less nutritious.

That being said, you need vitamins. Vitamins are an essential part of all emergency supplies, but especially necessary for babies. Get some for your stash, but remember to rotate out the vitamins with fresh supplies often.

Disposable diapers are good, but bulky. Always keep at least an extra pack, but invest in some cloth diapers. They are lighter and fit in a backpack better. Just set aside a ziplock with some Dreft or other baby detergent in your bug-out bag. Extra powder and lotion should be bought and placed in their own ziplock bags.

Extra pacifiers should be packed along with some small toys (not rattles or other loud toys) and teething rings. Onesies, blankets, socks and clothes and anything else essential you can think of and can fit in your bug-out bag will be good. I think baby is going to get their own bag, don’t you?

How about carrying baby? If you are on the move, you need a good baby carrier. A stroller is a start, but not so good for cross country travel. A jogging stroller or backpack carrier would work best.