Water Used to Mix with Powdered Formula

I suggest not using distilled because distilling removes elements such as oxygen, that contribute to flavor. Taste it and you'll understand. Tap water is fine. Some parents prefer to use filtered or purified water. If you drink filtered water, use filtered for your baby.

The down side of using filtered water is that we're not exposing them to tap water, which at some age they will be drinking. The more we "protect" our babies from exposure to ordinary things we are decreasing their bodies abilities to build up antibodies to protect them from exposure to the things that are in the environment that we cannot avoid. Studies have shown that the baby and child who is not allowed to crawl on the floor or play in dirt, or drink tap water, etc. are less healthy than those raised the "old" way in which exposure was not so much of a concern. My daughter's sister filtered her babies water, shampooed the rugs weekly, mopped hard surfaced floors several times a day, kept them away from anyone with a cold or who appeared ill and her babies were sick all the time. My daughter didn't do any of those things and was not concerned about exposure of anything except for chemicals and her babies were healthier.

We do have chemicals to which we do want to limit exposure but unless your city does not do a good job of clearing out pathogens there is little need to not use it for formula. There is some legitimate concern for flouride too. If you drink filtered water, then it makes sense to filter your baby's water because they will continue to drink filtered water after they're weaned. But if they will continue to drink filtered it makes sense to start with filtered.

Use whatever temperature of water that your baby prefers to drink. Yes, we are told to not microwave formula or breast milk for baby. The reason is that the microwave heats unevenly. They have to tell us to not microwave it because of liability concerns. There are some people who do not use common sense. If you shake the bottle a minute or so before feeding it and then test the temperature on the inside of your wrist there is not danger that your baby will be burned.

If you're using water out of the fridge, you can heat it first in a measuring cup, so that it's easy to pour, and then pour it into the bottle containing powder. If you're going to be away from home for awhile you can put heated water in a thermos and the formula in bottle(s) to be mixed later. That way you don't need to be concerned about the formula spoiling.

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Most tap water is fine, as long as there's no floride in it (you can look up online if your local water has floride). We have a water filter in our fridge, and used the water out of there. Ideally, formula should be body temperature (like breastmilk obviously would be). So slightly warm but not hot to the touch. You can run hot tap water over the bottle for a couple of minutes and that will usually do the trick. Some babies are fussier than others--my daughter would be fine with room temperature or even cooler, as long as it wasn't actively cold, but every child is different. Do be careful to do too hot, however--if you warm it in a pan or microwave, be sure to shake the bottle to mix the temps, then test on your inner wrist first, to make sure it's not too hot.

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When we mixed formula, we just used the filter on our tap. We would also use Brita or any other filtered water. It is less expensive than distilled, and it is safe to drink. If you would like to use it cold, at room temp, or warm, they are all fine. Our son took his formula either right from the refrigerator, room temp, or warmed up... he didn't care. The reason for warming the formula up is to make it easier on their tummies.

Good luck! I hope this helps.

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I always use nursery water with my kids. It has that added fluoride they need for their teeth. And I know they don't have teeth out yet but I have read that their teeth under the gums still need it. I don't recomend tap water because where I live there are just too many boil water notices. I don't like that and I feel tap water is not safe. My older child who is 3 drinks drinking water now and my child who is almost 2 drinks nursery water still untill she turns two because she doesn't use fluoridated toothpase yet. My kids go to a nursery so they are already exposed to many germs so I don't want to add to it by using possibly contaminated tap water to it also. I never refrigerated their water before age 1 and also I stopped warming it after about 4 months old.

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i used purified water because i have well water. i was specifically told NOT to use the water with added flouride as this would be too much for infant & will cause chalky white & brown stripes to develop in permanent teeth. As for temperature, well, I never heated mine just left at room temp it just seemed to be easier. especially when your out & about. I used distilled for awhile before I realized that it is not recommended. So, you could probably use it if if you need to, but wouldn't long term. Best of luck.

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I don't think you are supposed to use distilled. The minerals in tap (or even purified) are actually good for most kids. (An exception may be sick kids with weak immune systems or something--in that case I'd ask the doctor).

Warming it is just more work for the parents; I never did for either of my kids. (It was room temperature.)

Use purified or distilled water.

Tap water is not even that great for adults. Do you have any idea how much chlorine and heavy metals are in tap water? Even if they tell you it's okay to drink - it's at safe levels. They tell you that so you won't freak out if you really knew what you were drinking or bathing in.

If you are in Chicago, unless you are in an old building with bad pipes, then tap water is just fine to be honest---no need for bottled water. As for temp--whatever is easiest for you. I would do room temp if the baby doesn't mind it, less hassle with warming it up, especially if you are out some where =)

I would use tap water at room temp (unless you are both breastfeeding and bottle feeding, then I would warm it a little to keep the temp consistent.) The tap water has flouride and other things in it that are actually helpful for your baby. My first child had flouride drops when she was a baby, but my second didn't need them since the flouride in the tap water was providing what he needed.

We have well water, and our dentist and pediatrician both recommended floride supplements for our kids. My parents have city water, so we opted to fill bottles there instead. I was told by dentist and pediatrician that floride was very important and not to use bottled water.

Also, I asked my pediatrician about temperature, and she said it does not matter ... as long as you don't burn the baby.

I did not use formula for my baby but I did w/ others and I am pretty sure not distilled. that is a different kind of water it is pure water and you dont need that. you can just use regular old tap water (if you have a well and have not had it tested then you need to, or you can use a water pure filter as well water is much different than city water). yes you need to warm the bottle, but not in the mike!!!! they can create hot spots and you can burn the baby. you need to either buy a bottle warmer, run it under warm tap water, or my personal fav boil water in a little pan on the stove and put the bottle in it for a while. you should then swish, not shake bc it causes bubbles, the bottle to mix it then put a drop on the inside of your wrist as that is the best place to feel if it is too hot. Is ther someone you can talk to and ask questions to about your baby: family, friends, dr? does your town have a program for first time moms called nurturing connections or something similar? they work with first time moms they call you at home once a week and you can talk to them and ask them questions? they are all professionals, it is a great program I highly recommend it.

Hi V.,

Personally I would use distilled water because it is just water. Distillation is the process of boiling the water, collecting the vapor and bottling it. All minerals and heavy toxins, like chlorine and fluoride are removed. Purification of water is a process where water goes through a filter of some kind and contaminants are removed. Purified water can vary greatly from source or brands. There will be more consistency with distilled if you shop in several different places and consistency can be an issue with a little one.

My two cents :)

M.

most people use infant water, but distilled is fine. Depending on where you live tap water is just fine too. Almost all of us could use plain ole tap water for our babies.
Room temp makes life easiest on you, but if your child is breastfed then they will want it warmer

You should use purified. To the best of my knowledge, you can use distilled. Depending on the quality of the water in your area, you can boil it and then let it cool. Some babies prefer their formula warmed, so you can warm the water, or warm the bottle after the formula is prepared. Just a reminder - DO NOT put it in the microwave.

I alternate a bit. I used nursery water, then plain old bottled water. He gets some of the fluoride, but not a ridiculous amount that way. And no you dont have to warm it, room temp is ok. Sometimes I warm an evening bottle for him. You can also boil your tap water (to get rid of impurities & what not) and let it cool then use that.

for the short time we used formula,we used tap water out of the faucet.

We used nursery water and kept it at room temperature. But, I think you can use tap water too.

PLEASE TELL ME U DID NOT USE DISTILLED WATER!!! What you need to do is boil a kettle of either tap or purified water and let it cool down to body temperature (lukewarm). Test the formula on the back of your wrist. If it's too hot, run cold water from the tap on the outside of the baby bottle and shake it. Keep testing until you have the right temperature. It must be warm but not hot. NEVER DRINK DISTILLED WATER AS IT CAN CAUSE A SEVERE ELECTROLYTE IMBALANCE!

No need to warm a babies bottle as if you get them used to room temp you can fix a bottle anywhere.When mine were below 6 weeks I used nursery water, after that tap/filtered in a pitcher. Distilled may have a flat taste to it and it is possible that the baby may not like it or get used to it and not easily accept something elsed. It has no minerals left in it.

We used Nursery Water but only because our house is over 60 years old with old pipes. We never warmed it because we didnt want to be in a position where we were out and about and had no access to warm it or in the middle of the night we didnt want to have to go downstairs. Good luck with whatever you decide.

i awlays bought nursery water for my daughter and gave it at room temp....im not sure if it matters if it is purified or distilled but i think distilled is okay. you can warm it up if you want but not long sometimes if i felt it was to cold i would mic it for 10 sec check after a shake and if it needed another 10 then i did it again just check it on your wrist it should be luke warm an make sure you shake it so there its any hot spots that can bur te baby's mouth and throat. or just be safe and dont warm it up if your not sure on warming it.:)

We always used Nursery water, but our pediatrician said we could use tap water.

Hi V. S. You can use either one and you can warm if you want too but you don't have too.

Tap water is fine. Just use warm water; no need to use microwave.

Read the instructions on your formula, but of course you can warm the water before mixing it. However, it is recommended that you do not microwave the water because it can create hotspots in the water. I highly recommend using a crock-pot to heat your water (this is also how I heat bottle breast-milk - it is slow and effective). Good luck.

We used nursery water (from Jewel) with fluoride AFTER our son got teeth. I would not use flouride water before the teeth come in and I read somewhere that you should wait till the baby is at least 6 months or older to introduce the flouride so they don't get the the spots on their perminent teeth (from too much flouride). I would check with your doctor what you should use. Also, we always did room temp formula and I am so glad we did - it was so easy when we were out and I didn't need to find anything to warm it up.