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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

making up formula with mineral water??

27 replies

natkingcold · 05/12/2012 18:38

Hi there,
I was wondering if anyone has any advice on what is safer for making up formula - boiled tap water in a country like india or filtered water with added minerals (Bisleri )

on the bisleri bottle is says ozonated water with added magnesium sulphate and potassium bicarbonate.

I think I read somewhere that formula should not be made up using mineral water so I am not sure what to do!

TIA for any help !

OP posts:
SirBoobAlot · 05/12/2012 18:45

Does it have the levels of added minerals on the label? It would need to be less than 200mg per liter of sodium, and no more than 250mg p/l of sulphate.

Mineral water is not sterile, and obviously neither is formula, so you would need to boil it to 70 deg. c before making up any feeds.

Bottled water isn't favorable to make up feeds with, but if the local tap water isn't safe / there has been flooding etc in the area, then its the preferable option between the two. HTH.

Ohhelpohnoitsa · 05/12/2012 18:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tiktok · 05/12/2012 18:47

In the UK, the risk with mineral water is that it's too high in sodium and other minerals (clue is in the name :) ) and this could be harmful to the baby.

Some mineral waters are sold in other countries especially for babies, and one would hope the mineral content is safe and low - no idea if this applies in India. You always need to add water no cooler than 70 deg C to the powder, though, and that will mean boiling it.

I have no idea if the stuff in Bisleri is safe or not for babies - ask a doctor or pharmacist?

Original poster
natkingcold · 05/12/2012 18:54

hi thanks for replies.
yes, i was planning to boil the mineral water before using it. it doesn't say the amount of each mineral on the bottle.
I will try to ask a doctor - just not sure if I'll be able to so thought would try the brains of mumsnet! also worried they might be a bit blase about it here.

OP posts:
NanoNinja · 12/12/2012 10:16

I gave birth in Switzerland and my DS had formula top ups while we were establishing bf. We were actually advised to use mineral water to make up formula, but again had to be careful as to which type. IIRC, Evian was fine while others with more minerals, not so.

Nancy54 · 12/12/2012 11:42

nano - did you boil the evian? i live in france and people here just use it straight out of bottle.

(sorry to hijack thread)

TravelinColour · 12/12/2012 11:46

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Nancy54 · 12/12/2012 12:46

thanks travevllin. it's odd because the french don't do this. have just had a look on some 'official' websites, french and english and the french ones say you don't need to boil it and the english ones say you do....Confused

Spoiltexpatbrat · 12/12/2012 12:50

Nancy,
I moved to France earlier this year and the French mums looked like this Shock when I got out my flask of boiled water.
I was equally as Shock when they added evian from the bottle!

The doctor told me no need to boil as the French formulas are safe to use with bottled water.

I'm still Hmm and have continued to boil water unless a situation didn't allow me to.

TravelinColour · 12/12/2012 14:29

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Nancy54 · 12/12/2012 14:42

stupid question: do you boil the water and the formula while it's still hot or wait for it to cool?

Nancy54 · 12/12/2012 14:44

And yes spoilt, all bthe french mums think im crazy too!

PetiteRaleuse · 12/12/2012 14:47

In France bottled water suitable for making up formla say so on the label. Evian and Cristalline are two that I am sure of. Over here they don't follow the guidelines for making up bottles that you have in the UK. It's very much mix, shake and heat up if that is how the baby likes it. Have had many discussions with health care professionals about this - they never seem to have heard of the heating to 70 degree thing Hmm

DeckTheHallsWithBartimaeus · 12/12/2012 14:53

I'm in France too. Evian and Volvic are the ones I was told were fine for making up bottles.

No health care professional ever told me about it (as I started off EBF) - a friend just told me to save myself hassle and time and never heat it as it's easier when out and about (which is very true).

I've only ever seen one person heat a bottle, and that was after they'd mixed it, just so the baby wasn't drinking cold milk.

Plus here they advise follow-on milk until age 3. No cows milk before that.

Funny how different countries have such different guidelines!

PetiteRaleuse · 12/12/2012 15:00

Yes I have been told not to switch DD1 to cows milk until 3. I assumed that was the French trying to protect their baby milk producers - aptamil is I think part of Danone for example...

PetiteRaleuse · 12/12/2012 15:01

As it is she won't drink cows milk so I don't have much choice.

Nancy54 · 12/12/2012 15:55

Hmmm I've been giving my twins the odd bottle of formula and have been following the frenchies and using non boiled Evian. However, this week I have used aptamil that my mum brought over. Not a good idea?

SamSmalaidh · 12/12/2012 16:01

The babies that died (in 2005 I think?) which sparked the change in guidelines here to 70c water were all in Belgium and France - so it always suprises me that France and Belgium didn't adopt the new guidelines Hmm I guess it does come down to the baby milk companies being a powerful lobby there.

DeckTheHallsWithBartimaeus · 12/12/2012 16:34

DS isn't too keen on cows milk either. So he has cows milk with his porridge and formula the other times, plus a BF in the evening - he gets a lot of milk in fact! Smile

I wasn't keen on using follow-on milk to be honest but the after 10 months stuff isn't too expensive compared to cows milk and it doesn't go off so quickly so is quite useful really.

And our Dr does mention it every time we go Hmm think it's cos of the vitamins.

Do UK babies have to have vitamin drops everyday too? Is that another French speciality?

PetiteRaleuse · 12/12/2012 16:37

We don't do the vitamin drops. I's just vitamin D but I forget pretty much every day. Ys we use cows milk in cooking stuff for DD she just won't drink it neat, so to speak. Sometimes I mix some with her formula and she doesn't notice. Don't tell my paediatrician though Hmm

Nancy54 · 13/12/2012 17:07

On the aptamil box that I've got it says to boil tap water then leave it for 30 mins before adding powder. Surely the water would have cooled to less than 70 degrees in this time?

BertieBotts · 13/12/2012 17:13

It's exactly the same formula nancy, so if you're happy not to boil it then I wouldn't change. But you should be boiling it for both if you want to avoid the risk of bacteria in the powder.

PetiteRaleuse · 13/12/2012 17:22

Nancy you can buy Aptamil where you are? I have to nip over the border to Luxembourg to buy it. Where do you get yours? It's really expensive in Luxembourg, I wonder if it's cheaper in France wherever you find it.

PetiteRaleuse · 13/12/2012 17:25

Sorry, just saw your mum brought it over.

Well so you know if it does suit your twins you can buy it in Luxembourg at most pharmacies and supermarkets and Germany at DM.

SamSmalaidh · 13/12/2012 18:07

A litre of water boiled and left in the kettle for 30 minutes should be about 70c I think. Personally I just pour the water straight into the bottles, leave for 5 minutes, put the powder in then cool under the tap of in a jug of ice water.