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Original poster

Been giving my baby tap water !

27 replies

Nelly567 · 09/02/2024 08:16

I’m in a bit of a panic, today I cleaned my perfect prep tommee tippee machine and it took ages for the water light to switch off,
much longer than usual. I have now realised I haven’t been pushing the filter down properly and so the water that is being used to make up my babies bottles has essentially just been tap water. My LO is now 14 weeks and never been ill but I feel sick to my stomach that I’ve been doing this wrong and worried of any long term effects I could have given her. I feel utterly stupid.

Has anyone else accidentally done this, will I have damaged her in anyway. I feel awful !!

also, this isn’t a pro / against perfect prep machine post - I’m still very much pro them, it’s been a lifesaver, but it’s my own stupidity that means I’ve been using it wrong!

OP posts:
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AuContraire · 09/02/2024 08:17

She'll be fine. Honestly, stop worrying.

BloodyAdultDC · 09/02/2024 08:18

Our tap water is incredibly clean op. It's not like you've been feeding her with polluted big water.

TinyYellow · 09/02/2024 08:18

As long as tap water has been heated to the right temperature to kill bugs it’s fine. Formula is made all over the world without filtered water and it’s fine.

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NannyR · 09/02/2024 08:19

Don't panic - UK tap water is safe to drink, if it was going to cause her any problems, she would have had an upset tummy within a couple of hours, there won't be any longterm effects.

BertieBotts · 09/02/2024 08:19

Don't worry, it will be fine! We used a kettle to make formula and never filtered it.

ChillysWaterBottle · 09/02/2024 08:20

Baby will be fine OP I promise x

idontlikealdi · 09/02/2024 08:22

I never used filtered water. It's totally fine.

Mischance · 09/02/2024 08:25

I remember looking at one of my babies as they chewed everything within reach and wondering why the heck I was boiling their water and sterilising everything. Whilst it is important to sterilise bottles etc for the first few months because of milk residue going rotten, in the main babies are fine with just a general level of home cleanliness. And tap water is not the end of the world - as you can clearly see with your healthy baby!

FlabMonsterIsDietingAgain · 09/02/2024 08:28

Mischance · 09/02/2024 08:25

I remember looking at one of my babies as they chewed everything within reach and wondering why the heck I was boiling their water and sterilising everything. Whilst it is important to sterilise bottles etc for the first few months because of milk residue going rotten, in the main babies are fine with just a general level of home cleanliness. And tap water is not the end of the world - as you can clearly see with your healthy baby!

Yep.

Watching DD licking the floor during tummy time, then meticulously scrubbing and sterilising bottles for her always felt like a bit of a disparity 😂

We didn't have a prep machine so just tap water in a kettle and DD is now a wholesome and hearty 9yo. Everything is fine OP

hedgehoglurker · 09/02/2024 08:31

The filter is probably to reduce limescale in the machine, rather than make the water safer for baby. If there are instructions for descaling, you should do this to prevent damage to the machine and bacteria growing on the limescale.

(I've not used one, so don't know how they work, but assume all water is boiled before dispensing.)

Mischance · 09/02/2024 08:32

Watching DD licking the floor during tummy time, then meticulously scrubbing and sterilising bottles for her always felt like a bit of a disparity 😂

Exactly - I remember my first starting to crawl - off she went all round the floor then fingers in mouth, while I was busy with the sterilizer!

IlsSortLaPlupartAuNuitMostly · 09/02/2024 08:34

The vast majority of ff parents use tap water heated in a kettle and poured straight into a bottle. No filter is necessary.

Tel12 · 09/02/2024 08:34

I saw a clip online yesterday of a baby sucking on the dogs ear! I don't think that you have anything to worry about.

Watchthedoormat · 09/02/2024 08:36

Only ever tap water in the kettle for my two teens

Zippedydoodahday · 09/02/2024 08:38

The filter is largely to prevent limescale building up in the machineand breaking it. Nothing to do with the safety of the water for baby.

usethedata · 09/02/2024 08:42

For those unfamiliar with the machine the filter is a biological filter that is used instead of boiling to top up the bottle with room temperature water. The powder itself gets an initial shot of boiling water which would kill any bugs in the powder.

But OP you would know if there was a problem as baby would have had a tummy upset. There is not some other mystery health issue it could cause. The boiling or bacterial filtering of the water is just to prevent tummy bugs. You're fine.

CrispsandCheeseSandwich · 09/02/2024 08:50

Is this wrong? DD2 was combi fed (so admittedly was older when we started her on formula so I may not be aware of guidelines for younger babies) but we always made it up with tap water. Boiled, but not filtered or anything like that. I wasn't aware it was a problem.

CrispsandCheeseSandwich · 09/02/2024 08:52

usethedata · 09/02/2024 08:42

For those unfamiliar with the machine the filter is a biological filter that is used instead of boiling to top up the bottle with room temperature water. The powder itself gets an initial shot of boiling water which would kill any bugs in the powder.

But OP you would know if there was a problem as baby would have had a tummy upset. There is not some other mystery health issue it could cause. The boiling or bacterial filtering of the water is just to prevent tummy bugs. You're fine.

Oh I see. Thanks for explaining, I never used a machine like that.

I agree with your second paragraph. If there were any nasty effects, it would be a dodgy tummy, not something long term

Jojobees · 09/02/2024 08:53

I hate the prep machines but honestly you have down your LO no harm at all. The tap water in the UK doesn’t need to be filtered, just heated to above 70 degrees. It’s not the water needs sterilising but the powder itself.

RowanMayfair · 09/02/2024 08:55

Do you mean the water was tap water temperature, or it heated but it just wasn't filtered?
if the first, it's not ideal but you got away with it, if the second, it's not a problem at all, most people don't filter the tap water.

Omma23 · 09/02/2024 09:05

Once baby is 6 months you can give baby tap water anyway. For bottles after 6 months old you can still do the hot shot method with recently boiled water, and then top up with tap water. You’ve just gone a little early.
Nothing to worry about in UK.
The temperature of the Hot Shot step of this machine is the problem a lot of them are having, the filter bit isn’t a problem.

Cheeesus · 09/02/2024 09:06

Do you live in the UK? Tap water is fine. It’s the formula that needs to be sterilised.

Original poster
Nelly567 · 09/02/2024 09:22

Thank you everyone for your responses.

Sorry, for those not familiar with the prep machine, it dispenses a hot shot, then it fills the remainder of the bottle with tap water straight from the tap that goes through a filter, not boiled. The problem was I didn’t have the filter pushed in far enough so the water was just getting past the filter rather than through it- so essentially the bottles have been a hot shot with formula topped up with tap water.

I feel awful, and have sorted it now, and feel very lucky she hasn’t got sick !! I was concerned there may be some random long term effect I could have given her with the tap water! I have health anxiety as it is so this has really pushed me over the edge 😱

edit - I live in the UK x

OP posts:
CinnabarRed · 09/02/2024 10:26

But the hot shot kills any bugs, and unfiltered water from the tap is fine. There’s still no issue here.

SErunner · 09/02/2024 10:34

It's honestly fine for all the reasons previously mentioned in this thread. Have you spoken with someone about your health anxiety? Kids really ramp anxiety up for some people so if you're not linked in to support it might be worth doing so.