Formula when out- can I use hot shot + tap water for 6+ months?

[PoTayToes80]

Heya, baby is nearly 6 months and we’ve started weaning him and giving him tap water during meals. He’s formula fed, I know a lot of people when out will take a flask of hot water and a flask of chilled boiled water to make up bottles of formula. But now he’s 6 months and having tap water anyway is there any need for the cool water part to be boiled first? I know we still need the hot shot to sterilise the formula powder but don’t see a reason not to use tap water for the other part.

Can anyone either confirm this or correct me and tell me why cooled boiled water is still required?

Thanks!

I mean that's the way the perfect prep machine works ... adds a hot shot and the rest is just cold water (filtered though) so I don't see why not especially as he is having water anyway

I can't confirm thats actually OK but I would do that - or ready made if its available in your brand/type... although that gets expensive if you use it a lot

Yeah so far we’ve done ready made but I’ve just had to cart about 5 ready made cartons plus 5 sterilised bottles all day and thought it might reduce my paraphernalia slightly if I was just taking bottles and a flask, then I could get tap water at cafés etc to mix with it.

I use tap water for bottles. This is exactly how I make his bottles all the time

You need to measure out the cool water. Perfect prep machine doesn’t boil it but uses a high grade filter. It’s not a huge amount of effort to boil and cool water.

@Flopisfatteningbingforchristmas

Of course it isn’t much effort to boil and cool it. But I’m trying to reduce the amount of stuff I have to cart about. If there’s a reason I must absolutely boil it first, that’s fine, but I don’t see the point of carrying around a litre of chilled boiled water if I can just get some tap water at a cafe.

Absolutely fine to have tap water at 6+ months, they are eating food now! Hot shot is absolutely the right thing though as that is what kills any possible bugs in the non-sterile powder.

I have done this with 4 children and it has been fine. Boiling water to sterilise the powder, stir to make sure it’s all dissolved, then top up with cold tap water. I might have been more cautious with a newborn but mine have all been 9+ months when we introduced formula and were eating and drinking other things so I wasn’t too concerned about water measurements being spot on to the ml.

NHS says you don't have to boil water before giving to a 6mo; only pre-6 months

Sorry when you say weaning him are you referring to food or changing formula to water?

Yes I use tap water to make up his formula after sterilising the powder with hot water. It's fine after 6 months.

Music to my ears I can move to tap water in 3 weeks!!! Like you say taking a flask of boiled and bottles of chilled takes up so much room!!!

You can also use the nuby rapidcool kit. It consists of a thermos to carry boiling water and another bottle. The idea is that you prepare formula with boiling water from the thermos and then put it in the second bottle. When you shake the second bottle it rapidly cools down the formula to Luke warm. I've got the kit but never used it as such (just used it to store hot and chilled water) but I don't remember why I didn't.