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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

tap or bottled water for formula in Spain?

18 replies

DebRiz · 07/05/2007 20:57

we're off on hols abroad in a few weeks with our 8 month DD. any suggestions as to whether we should use boiled tap or bottled to make up her formula bottles and whats best for her to drink with meals?

OP posts:
lulumama · 07/05/2007 20:58

think you cannot make formula with mineral water, so just read the labels, but boiled tap water will be fine

Pimmsontherocks · 07/05/2007 20:58

bring with you a kettle.... don't trust Spanish water as it has loooooots of clorhine on the tap water!

I always carried a travel one with me on my many trips to Southern Europe!

Original poster
DebRiz · 07/05/2007 21:02

this is why i'm confused.... you shouldn't make up formula with mineral water but the tap water is dodgy....! Boiling the tap water isn't going to get rid of the chlorine is it?

OP posts:
lulumama · 07/05/2007 21:04

i made up formula for DS and DD in Spain, with no problem, using boiled tap water

mckenzie · 07/05/2007 21:05

speak to the maker of your formula. When we were in your situation many moons ago that's what i did and they sent me a very helpful leaflet about making up bottles in foreign countries and it told me which makes of bottled water were okay and which ones weren't.

lulumama · 07/05/2007 21:07
  1. Infant nutrition: except where it can be demonstrated that a bottled water is suitable for the purpose, it should be made clear to health officials and parents preparing infant formula or follow-on formula milk that tap water rather than bottled water should be used in its preparation 2 . Bottles of water which have not demonstrated suitability should be required to carry a warning to this effect.

copied and pasted from here

Original poster
DebRiz · 07/05/2007 21:14

ok thanks for the advice. A kettle it will be but i'm tempted to try and find out from the formula company what they say.

on another note does anyone know, can you take pre-made cartons on the plane or will we be made to open them when we go through security?

OP posts:
luciemule · 07/05/2007 21:15

The main reason isn't purely about the quality of the mineral water but the fact that the amount of sodium in it may dehydrate children under 2 and you should therefore use boiled tap water and children under 2 shouldn't be given bottled water to drink. I did however give it in small amounts to my DD at 8 months in France where it was impossible to breast feed or give boiled tap water.

franca70 · 07/05/2007 21:16

OMG! I\ve always used bottled water! !

Malaleche · 07/05/2007 21:18

I live in Spain and i've seen cartons of special water for making up formula in the Corte Inglés supermarket. Boiled tap water is fine tho. I thnk i used a filter jug to get rid of the chlorine and then boiled it...

mckenzie · 07/05/2007 21:20

I still boiled the bottled water. I was told, at the time, that was the correct thing to do.
And re your other query Debriz, the formula manufacturer also gave me a letter to take to show to customs etc in case I was stopped with cartons.

Pimmsontherocks · 07/05/2007 22:09

My little ones had boiled tap water since they were 3 months and there have been fine!

IJust boil the tap water and you will be fine!

Enjoy your time in sunny Spain!

Srarodriguez · 07/05/2007 22:46

All my nephews, nieces, cousins etc have been given tap water boiled on a pan since the 70's and I haven't heard of anything happening.

Why are you so worried about it?

Malaleche · 07/05/2007 23:25

If you mean Spanish tap water is dodgy, it isn't. If you mean tap water in general is dodgy i don't know, i just boil it. It's not the chlorine you have to worry about, it's the possible bugs, isn't it? If you fill a jug and leave it overnight the chlorine will be gone by morning anyway....

dancer77 · 08/05/2007 00:02

We took ds to spain at 8 months and our spanish friends out there told us to use bottled water. He bought us a brand that they all use in his area for babies because its low in sodium. He recommended not using tap water but I suppose it's different in certain areas

I checked with health visitor she said fine as long as low in sodium and as long as its boiled so that's what we did

kiskidee · 08/05/2007 02:08

i've heard that chlorine dissipates out of water after it comes out the tap. it takes a few hrs but it may be possible to leave a jug of it standing on the side overnight then boil it the next day.

Seona1973 · 08/05/2007 08:59

I would use bottled water but check for the one with the lowest sodium content. This is what babycentre says:

\link{http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/formula/feedingonholidayexpert/Bottle feeding on holiday}

Seona1973 · 08/05/2007 09:01

Sorry

Bottle feeding on holiday

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