what type of water for formula?

[hulagirl87]

so I'm reading conflicting things on this... when preparing formula, do you use cold tap water or do you boil it first? Just curious thanks!

 

[Mrs. Charming]

Our tap water is horrible, so I used to buy gallons of purified water from the grocery store. I never really bought into the "Nursery Water," etc. Come to think of it again, I better get back in that habit of buying gallons of water!

 

[golfgal]

When DS17 was a baby we lived in a town where NO ONE drank the tap water so we got bottled water from the store. We also had to supplement with fluoride drops too. When the twins were babies we just filled the bottles with tap water and warmed them in the microwave.

Just some unsolicited advice, don't go overboard with all the sterilization and germophobic ideals, you child will actually get sicker the more you do this stuff. Throw the bottles in the dishwasher before you use them and they will be fine.

Most of the sterilization processes for bottles are hold overs from before milk was pasteurized, heck before there was even formula.

I mostly nursed the kids but they did get bottles as well.

 

[HelenePA]

Tap water is fine with out boiling.

ETA I was also told by NICU nurses that you do not have to boil bottles unless you live in a 3rd world country

 

[Mrs. Charming]

Just some unsolicited advice, don't go overboard with all the sterilization and homophobic ideals, you child will actually get sicker the more you do this stuff. Throw the bottles in the dishwasher before you use them and they will be fine.

ITA with this advice

 

[Ohiodislover]

Agree with all of this. Baby will get used to whatever you use. With my first, we didn't like the tap water in our neighborhood, so I used bottled (the same bottled we drank) With my youngest, I used tap water (we had moved and it was much better quality)

Just be careful about switching waters. That is when my DD seemed to have issues. I learned to take water w/ me when going to Gma's house, etc.

And I never boiled bottles/nipples. The dishwasher does just fine. When my dishwasher broke, I did heat some water in the teapot, and poured over them, but that was it

 

[LuvOrlando]

If the water is drinkable for you it should be fine for the baby... unless it's well water or the Pediatrician says different.

Since my bottles were the plastic kind I didn't use the dishwasher. In order to disinfect I would soak them in a bleach & water solution for a few minutes after washing.

 

[RangerPooh]

The water in the community that we lived when our oldest was born was terrible! Water should not be green ad smell like sewer (sadly the whole community was like this ) So we installed a reverse ossmossis system that cleaned up the tap water. After we moved, and with our other children we just used tap water. No problems with it.

 

[testifyoncruises]

DD very rarely had warmed bottles and would drink them straight out of the fridge. We always used tap water and in a pinch when traveling filled one of her bottles from a water fountain in NYC.

 

[ZachnElli]

I used tap water and never boiled anything either, except before first use on the nipples. I did live in Minnesota and I wouldn't have used that tap water, it was just nasty.

 

[happygirl]

so I'm reading conflicting things on this... when preparing formula, do you use cold tap water or do you boil it first? Just curious thanks!

I have two kids and never once boiled water for a bottle. Do people really do this? I can't image having a scream baby and taking the time to boil the water

 

[NAB]

I guess I was the only one that boiled the water first.

I think it says to do that on the can but I could be wrong it has been awhile.

Only sterilized bottle for maybe a month after that not. But always boiled water to make the formula.

 

[golfgal]

I have two kids and never once boiled water for a bottle. Do people really do this? I can't image having a scream baby and taking the time to boil the water

The boiling doesn't take that much time but COOLING IT DOWN so that baby can drink takes for ever. Sorry, in a civilized society with clean water you don't need to boil water.

 

[Magic Mom]

DS drank formula and I always used tap water (unboiled.)

 

[Mickey Fliers]

Just some unsolicited advice, don't go overboard with all the sterilization and homophobic ideals, you child will actually get sicker the more you do this stuff. Throw the bottles in the dishwasher before you use them and they will be fine.

Sorry. This just struck me as funny.

I never boiled any water for formula. I BF, but when babes had formula, it was just straight from the tap and often served cold.

 

[golfgal]

Sorry. This just struck me as funny.

I never boiled any water for formula. I BF, but when babes had formula, it was just straight from the tap and often served cold.

OOPS, I fixed that--dang spell check I guess.

 

[Magic Mom]

OOPS, I fixed that--dang spell check I guess.

You've got to admit that was a really funny typo!

 

[Mickey Fliers]

OOPS, I fixed that--dang spell check I guess.

No worries. It gave me a giggle.

 

[golfgal]

You've got to admit that was a really funny typo!

Yes it was--my spell check just underlines words and I click and correct--I must not have been paying attention to that---

 

[NAB]

I have two kids and never once boiled water for a bottle. Do people really do this? I can't image having a scream baby and taking the time to boil the water

I only boiled water once to to make the formula. All done in one shot.

Doesn't take that long at all.

I also heated the formula before giving it to them. Way I was brought up to do it I guess. Granted some times it was'nt warm if we were in the car traveling.