Making up bottles when tap water not available

[arcadia96]

Does anyone know the answer to this?
DD is 7 months and bottle fed. I'm going to stay with an aunt who has a water softener fitted to the main water supply (am assuming they can't easily turn it off), and last time we stayed I didn't realise and DD got diarrheoa (she didn't seem ill though).
We are going for a few days so taking ready made would be expensive.
What's the best alternative? If mineral water is used there are certain types to avoid, aren't there, due to high mineral content?
Thanks.

I was told to use bottled water and just look for the one with the lowest salt content - it is that some have a high salt content that is not good for babies. When I travelled I would use Evian but that was the one that was recommended to me.

some softeners use salts to soften the water, so that would be unsuitable for making formula.
I would use bottled water to prepare the feeds.

Thanks. Yes I always boil the water of course tribunalgoer but I have heard that softened water can cause diarrheoa regardless of that.

Hi there. Ready made may not work out as expensive as you fear - especially once you factor in the cost of bottled water. Plus, if you buy the 500ml cartons and put them in the fridge once opened you'll have no wastage.

A quick play around on Excel and...

Cost of ready made = £2.18/litre (2 x 500ml cartons @ £1.09/carton)

Cost of powdered = £1.64/litre (1 x 900g tin makes 6.9 litres + 89p per 1.5 litre for bottled water)

1 litre is equal to 33.8 fl oz, so even if you managed to get through 4 litres, you are still only looking at an extra £2.16. Plus it'll be so much easier than mixing up feeds whilst you are away in someone elses house.

I know, I know - I'm a maths geek

Of course your other option is to fill a load of old squash/fizz bottles with tap water, chuck in in the back of the car and boil it as and when you need it when you get there.

Doesn't work so well if you are flying or traveling by train though!

Thanks for working that out neverquitesure! I've spoken to the health visitor who checked with a dietician and told me the exact maximum value for each mineral in bottled water (even geekier!), but said softened water shouldn't harm her may just give her the runs again like any change of water can. We normally use organic milk and the type she has only comes in small cartons which are expensive and seems wasteful packaging wise. Could put her on a different type of formula (ready made) for those few days. I like the idea of not faffing around making up bottles so may go for ready made, good excuse to be lazy!

Wow. That is geeky - deep respect due!

Be warned, the laziness can be addictive. I used ready made with DC1 after I ran into problems with bfing and was daunted by the prospect of making up feeds. It was only supposed to be a temporary solution but we ended up sticking with it. I dread to think how much we spent - it's twice the price of the powder if you use regular tap water

I think we're going to take the bottled water and make them up, spoke to DP about it. Not supposed to use bottled tap water apparently (as in, it should be fresh from the tap), but how that is different to bottled mineral water beats me! .