Okay, this is going to be an ongoing list until departure. I am requesting all TIPS from BTDT IA parents. If it's a tip that I think I can swing and actually do, I will move your comment onto my list!!! Help ME!!! This is a work in progress and people, I've only got 1 MONTH and 5 days...GO!!!!
Found info below by Truly Blessed she's got a great list of tips here for Guangdong babies.
"Don't bring fancy bottles or too much food for baby (including formula). They're only getting formula at (G's) SWI, and most have never had any other foods in their mouths. If you want to, take along a baggie of Cheerios or Veggie Puffs, but you probably won't use many, as baby needs to learn how to use her tongue to push foods back into the throat, and that takes a while to learn. The orphanage uses basic, cheap bottles with the long nipples some have "wings" on them, and the hole has been cut MUCH bigger for thick formula. I'd wait to pick up a few bottles on Shamian Island (and you can purchase the "winged" nipples at the Carrefour store). All kinds of baby foods and formula are available in China...I'd wait to transition to American formula when you get home."
"Don't bother packing a divided formula container. The formula you'll use packs (settles) way too easily, and is hard to get out of the container. Better: take disposable bottle liners with the large opening and fill them up with a bottle's worth of rice cereal & formula. Twist tie them shut and put several in a Ziplock bag. They're easy to pour into the bottle (even on a moving bus!). BTW, we used SIX of these on the flight home"
"Don't take too many diapers, either. The Chinese Pampers in the green bag work great! In fact, all of my American Pampers leaked, but not one of the Chinese ones did. They're easily available at the grocery store on the Island, and at the Carrefour. Wipes are also plentiful at both stores."
"My husband laughed at me before we left, but he didn't laugh when we used a power strip every single day to charge the computer, camera batteries, gameboys, ipods, etc. We took a converter/adaptor, and plugged the power strip into it. We then had lots of places to plug stuff in."
"Don't bother with snacks for yourselves. Everything is available there, even Oreo cookies and Ritz crackers. We saw so many things we recognized from home. Save the space in your luggage for more baby clothes and extra shirts for yourselves (did I mention that babies are notoriously messy, and some of their mess gets on Mom and Dad?)."
"If you travel after Nov. 1 until probably May, don't bother packing a swimsuit for baby. The White Swan pools are COLD! Even myteenage boys and husband didn't use them much. Same thing with swim diapers. IF you need them, there are tons left at Jennifer's Place. (Prunes too - don't bother packing them, get them from the shelf at Jennifer's Place if you need them, but none of our group's babies would touch them!)."
"Set up a diaper changing area in your hotel room, and keep it stocked with supplies. That way you won't have to keep raiding the diaper bag for things, and forget to replace them"
"Get off the Island in Guangzhou...walk through the market and down to the pedestrian mall and pearl market. It's not far, it's good exercise (carry the baby, don't use the stroller!), and you'll see much more of the local life than you ever will on the Island."
Found info below by Truly Blessed she's got a great list of tips here for Guangdong babies.
"Don't bring fancy bottles or too much food for baby (including formula). They're only getting formula at (G's) SWI, and most have never had any other foods in their mouths. If you want to, take along a baggie of Cheerios or Veggie Puffs, but you probably won't use many, as baby needs to learn how to use her tongue to push foods back into the throat, and that takes a while to learn. The orphanage uses basic, cheap bottles with the long nipples some have "wings" on them, and the hole has been cut MUCH bigger for thick formula. I'd wait to pick up a few bottles on Shamian Island (and you can purchase the "winged" nipples at the Carrefour store). All kinds of baby foods and formula are available in China...I'd wait to transition to American formula when you get home."
"Don't bother packing a divided formula container. The formula you'll use packs (settles) way too easily, and is hard to get out of the container. Better: take disposable bottle liners with the large opening and fill them up with a bottle's worth of rice cereal & formula. Twist tie them shut and put several in a Ziplock bag. They're easy to pour into the bottle (even on a moving bus!). BTW, we used SIX of these on the flight home"
"Don't take too many diapers, either. The Chinese Pampers in the green bag work great! In fact, all of my American Pampers leaked, but not one of the Chinese ones did. They're easily available at the grocery store on the Island, and at the Carrefour. Wipes are also plentiful at both stores."
"My husband laughed at me before we left, but he didn't laugh when we used a power strip every single day to charge the computer, camera batteries, gameboys, ipods, etc. We took a converter/adaptor, and plugged the power strip into it. We then had lots of places to plug stuff in."
"Don't bother with snacks for yourselves. Everything is available there, even Oreo cookies and Ritz crackers. We saw so many things we recognized from home. Save the space in your luggage for more baby clothes and extra shirts for yourselves (did I mention that babies are notoriously messy, and some of their mess gets on Mom and Dad?)."
"If you travel after Nov. 1 until probably May, don't bother packing a swimsuit for baby. The White Swan pools are COLD! Even myteenage boys and husband didn't use them much. Same thing with swim diapers. IF you need them, there are tons left at Jennifer's Place. (Prunes too - don't bother packing them, get them from the shelf at Jennifer's Place if you need them, but none of our group's babies would touch them!)."
"Set up a diaper changing area in your hotel room, and keep it stocked with supplies. That way you won't have to keep raiding the diaper bag for things, and forget to replace them"
"Get off the Island in Guangzhou...walk through the market and down to the pedestrian mall and pearl market. It's not far, it's good exercise (carry the baby, don't use the stroller!), and you'll see much more of the local life than you ever will on the Island."
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