To think there isn't enough guidance for formula feeding?

[GinPink]

I have three children. Dd1 bf for 7 months. DS2 bf 18 months. DS3 bf for 6 weeks and now ff. I've read a vague statement on the NHS website that as it's hot and he's formula fed he needs extra water but can't find any guidance any where on how much. My questions are

How much extra water
How often does he need water
Can I just water down his milk?

I get that they need to push breast feeding as 'breast is best' yada yada yada but I'm an intelligent woman, know all the stats and made a decision that bf was not working this time despite my best efforts and shy of going completely insane. I think there should be better guidance for formula feeding - after all the wonders of bf info.

Am I looking in the wrong place? Can any one help answer my qus? Many thanks!!

Can you still give a small bottle of cooled boiled water or has that changed? (My youngest is 4)

I’m fairly sure that diluting formula isn’t recommended (or it wasn’t 4 years ago) so in the heat I was told that an oz or 2 of cooled boiled water would be fine.

Please do check this out though, I may be out of date!

You definitely don't water down his milk. Just offer cooled, boiled water in between feeds and he will drink what he needs.

Can you phone your HV for advice?

@Worlds0kayestmum I'm too worried to call my hv as worried I'll just get a judgemental reply that I wouldn't have this problem if he was bf (I've had bad experiences with hvs) but I might do that on second thoughts xx

I won't water down milk, thanks for advice. Though I didn't know this, does anyone know any links where I might find guidance like this sort of thing? Xx

Sorry to hear that, it's not their place to make judgements. I think I must have been lucky because I had a HV who was very supportive when I stopped bfeeding my first and the one in my new area has also been very helpful. I do know not everyone has had similar experiences though. I hope you get some guidance

OP you never water down formula.

This is one of the reasons WHO recommends breast feeding over formula feeding, as in developing nations one of the issues is lacking money to buy enough formula so parents water down formula and the baby starves as a consequence.

I've got a carton of formula in front of me and it says "add the correct measure of powder to the water. Adding too many or too few scoops can be harmful"

here OP, scroll down to avoiding dehydration

It’s the NHS site, so not a random one

I didn't know that newborns drank water. Is this only necessary for FF babies or EBF babies too?

He probably doesn't need extra water if he's feeding frequently and you're keeping him out of the sun, but if you are worried you could offer 1-2 oz water between feeds. This is definitely the kind of thing HVs can advise on.

@UrgentExitRequired it’s all in the link I posted.

Urgent - breastfed babies don't need water if you feed on demand, they are likely to just feed more frequently if thirsty.

GinPink, all my HVs were constantly trying to persuade me to formula feed whenever I asked them anything

I swear we need to get all these HVs in a room, get them to declare their preference and then marry them up with the appropriate mums. I only ever hear about HVs who are sneery about ff from formula feeding mums, and I only ever hear about HVs who are unsupportive of bf from breastfeeding mums!

Although frankly whichever camp they're in, in my experience their advice is usually about 5 years out of date in any case so it's tough.

If baby is still very young, is it worth giving your midwife a ring?

Totoally my own opinion, but I can't see how giving boiled cooled water could do any harm if baby is having formula - after all, that is mostly cooled boiled water too, there's nothing in formula that somehow stops the water being water or removes anything from it!

Hope you can get a reliable reassuring answer.

The op is FF though so why advice her on BF.

Op dont water down the milk. Offer cool boiled water if needed and keep him out of the sun.

Don’t stress if he’s thirsty he will drink more. It’s not a science or complicate don’t over think it.

Oh and if your HV is judge or rude please report her.

Surely adding an extra half oz or oz of water to a feed isn't an issue as long as they drink it all? They're still getting the same quantity of powder and just having the extra water out of the bottle rather than separately.

We had to add water to DDs bottles when she went onto formula at 8 months as she got really constipated otherwise, but she would drink any amount so guess if she was not finishing bottles it would have been different.

OP I'm inclined to agree. Until I read that link I had no idea about offering water. I've got a newborn so in the last few weeks I've seen midwives x 3, and the HV. None of them mentioned it either!
(Just to add, none of them have passed judgement on me FF)

The comment about the scoops has just brought back terrible flashbacks of catching DH adding heaped scoops to the bottle when DS was newborn fucking idiot!

Anyway OP YANBU when you are FF you are left to find your own way! Just offer 1-2 oz of cool boiled water maybe twice a day but I always found formula keeps them perfectly hydrated when they are very young so you don't need to worry.

Offer him cooled boiled water in between feeds

He will either take it if he's thirsty, or he won't.

He might start then throw a tantrum, in which case offer him his milk.

Not all babies need water. Mine didn't but they fed rather regularly so I wasn't worried about dehydration

Cooled boiled water, couple of oz, if he’s thirsty and it’s very hot and he seems to need it. He’ll refuse it if he’s not.

@Ohmydayslove I think those comments were in response to my question not advising OP on breastfeeding.

Thanks for the NHS link. Very helpful @SoddingUnicorns

@UrgentExitRequired no bother, dehydration was always a panic of mine. (DS1 had it as a sepsis side effect when he was wee), so I’m happy to help anyone find the right advice.

“If you're bottle feeding, as well as their usual milk feeds, you can give your baby cooled boiled water throughout the day. If your baby wakes at night, they'll probably want milk. If they have had their usual milk feeds, try cooled boiled water as well.”

From NHS Choices. A page about looking after children in hot weather. Took 5 seconds to find.

That’s the same one I posted the link to Bertrand

Can posters PLEASE stop advising OP to water down feeds or saying it does no harm please? It does!

Thanks everyone. Also thanks for the link @SoddingUnicorns. There is advice there but I still feel there could be a bit more guidance - for example if I give cool boiled water after a formula feed surely it's going to mix in his stomach and that's the same as watering down his milk - so would it make him ill? I now will leave a time gap between the two but just would like the detail as it's left me feel like I'm missing something.

Also I have a friend who at 5 months was still on stage 1 bottle teats, as she had absolutely no idea stage 2,3 and 4 teats exist (and she is in the child health profession).

As someone's already said though, maybe I'm over thinking everything, but I can't help feeling more central advice would be beneficial all round? Xx