Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Eating on the go.

Obviously, blending meals while at home is easy and straight forward.  But how do you continue the diet on a day full of appointments, or when traveling?
For us, if we have upcoming appointments, I make extra of whatever meal(s) we will need the day before, and take it with us.  I put the food in a baby bottle with a flat lid (not a nipple) like parents use for expressed breast milk.  I then pack a syringe or two, and a bolus tube to do the feeding.  I carry it in a cooler with an ice pack.
The food ALWAYS works better for us if it's warmed.  So if I have appointments, the hospital cafeteria has a microwave available, and I warm it there.  If we are at a restaurant, or on the road, we ask for a cup of hot water to set the bottle in to warm it up.   We've never had any issues with getting a restaurant to comply, or anyone saying anything about us feeding her food we brought in.
If we are traveling and going to be gone for multiple days, we make certain wherever we are staying has a fridge.  I'm not above telling a hotel that our daughter has special needs, and has medicine and foods that have to be refrigerated   Our experience has been that often the higher charge that is paid for rooms with a fridge and microwave are waved or reduced.  We also take the blender with us.  We have even taken the blender to the hospital with us, and fed her the same as I would at home.
I also know of a family who took their blender on an airplane as a carry on.  If you are planning on flying, I would just call ahead and talk to the airline.  Even though it might feel like more work, making certain the item you have to have to feed your kid is with you at all moments, is pretty important.
Our blender has made many trips to visit family, friends, and any other time we are gone overnight.  The hardest part about traveling with it, for us, is that if you are in a hotel, washing it out in a small sink or bathtub is not that fun.

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