Traveling in Turkey with a Baby: What to Watch Out for

Things we learned about traveling in Turkey with a baby:

1.  Although a Turkish guy told us there are plenty of baby food and all sorts of baby formula available in either groceries or pharmacies all over Turkey, we learned (the hard way) that hypoallergenic baby formula (for babies allergic to milk protein) is not generally available there.

As we spent two weeks in Turkey, our supply of Nestle BEBA HA 2 (the equivalent of NAN HW 2 in the Philippines) naturally ran out.  We were in the city called Denizli (on our way to Selcuk) when this happened.  Though we asked all the pharmacies and grocery stores within a 2 km. radius from the otogar (main bus station) in Denizli, we couldn't find one that sold it. Surprisingly, the clerks in the pharmacies did not even know that such kind of milk existed! Happily, in Selcuk (where there seems to be a high concentration of pharmacies--another oddity), we found a knowledgeable person in the pharmacy that gave us Humana Aptamil HA. We made do with one can (though baby Ir. seemed to be always hungry--we suspected the milk was not appropriate for her age; that it could be for newborns instead of for elder babies like Ir.) until we reached Istanbul.  But Istanbul was no different.  There (specifically in the Sultanahmet area), we spent one whole morning just searching for hypoallergenic baby formula.  After asking ten pharmacies and not finding it, we gave up and enlisted the Tourism Information office for help.  The staff, who was very helpful, methodically searched in the Turkish internet and personally called about as many as ten more pharmacies before finally finding one pharmacy (simply called Sultanahmet Pharmacy) that did sell Humana Aptamil HA.

Also, in Goreme and Derinkuyu which are really small towns, the pharmacies don't have ready-to-eat baby solid food in bottles.  It was our mistake not to have gone to the bigger city Nevshehir first and done our groceries before proceeding to Goreme.  We then fed baby Ir. with rice.  But, Turkish rice usually have peanuts mixed in, and peanuts is a very common food allergen for babies. (We learned that only later.)

2.  They don't generally have high chairs in Turkish restaurants.  We ate out in Goreme, Nevshehir and Urgup (Cappadocia region), Pamukkale, Denizli, Selcuk, Sirince and Istanbul but not one of the restaurants we went to had high chairs for babies.  The only exception, an Italian restaurant behind the Tansas supermarket in Nevshehir.

3.  They pinch your baby's cheeks without any warning!  The Turks (man, woman and even children) are so baby-loving.  Its endearing at first, but it could also be annoying since repeated pinching by dozens of passersby a day can make your baby's face red with irritation.  After a few days, we had to devise means to keep baby Ir. away from pinchers, including ducking whenever a Turk stops to notice the baby's cheeks.

4.  They smoke everywhere, even when they're walking on the street.  The tourists too!