The Best Water for Baby Formula 2017

What water to use for baby formula? Aside from what kind of milk formula would work best for your baby, possibly one of the most important things to worry about is that if you are giving your baby clean, healthy drinking water for baby formula. You need water to dissolve his baby formula and you must also remember to give baby some water in between milk formulas too. But what is the best water for baby formula and how can you be sure that you are using the best baby formula water?

What is the best water for baby formula is the best water to use?

In essence, the best water for baby formula that you should use in preparing your baby’s milk depends on the nature of the water in your area as well as your baby’s overall health. To be on the safe side, it would be best to consult your doctor before using tap water to mix baby formula. If your baby has health concerns, it would also be best if his doctor recommend what water to use for baby formula.

Some important points before you use tap water and what is the best water to mix with formula

Dental health is very important not just for older kids and adults but is also very important for baby who is just developing his teeth. The American Dental Association recommends that parents and caregivers avoid using water that contains high levels of fluoride for baby formula water Increased levels of fluoride in water can put your baby at risk for developing enamel fluorosis which could affect his developing teeth. Enamel fluorosis is not an illness but it is the condition that describes white lines that can be seen on the surface of permanent teeth.
Talk to your local water station or utility about the health of the water supply in your community or city. Ask if water is fluorinated or has levels of 0.7mg/L or higher. If this is the result, you should consider a water source that has considerable levels of fluoride to be used as water to mix with formula
Some home water treatment systems may also add fluoride in tap water causing a more fluorinated water source.
If you are going to use tap water as the best water for baby formula then you should use the cold-water faucet, not the hot water tap. Open the tap and let it run for a few minutes before using water for the formula. Using the cold faucet rather than the warm tap and letting water run before using it reduces the risk of getting lead and other mineral contaminants into your baby’s formula.
If your local health department or health provider told you to boil tap water before using it on your baby formula, then you should do so. The ideal way to boil water for the best water for baby formula is to bring water to an active boiling state for about a minute and then allow this to cool before placing it in feeding bottles. Do not boil water more than once since this increases the number of impurities or the concentration of impurities in the water. You should never boil water for a very long time as well.
Water coming from a deep well may contain nitrates which could be harmful for your baby. This water to mix with formula should be tested and treated to make sure that it is safe for drinking and cooking. Boiling water from the well will not be good since it only increases the concentration of nitrate.

Using fluoridated baby formula water to prepare baby’s formula

What water to use for baby formula according to the CDC? The CDC says that you may use fluoridated tap water as baby formula water to prepare infant formula. But if baby is only consuming milk formula that is mixed with this kind of water then baby could suffer from mild dental fluorosis. To reduce this possibility, you can use low-fluoride bottled water as best water for baby formula

Bottled water

It is usually safer to use bottled water instead of using tap water which could have questionable characteristics for baby formula water. Bottled water also comes in varying amounts and containers and is very handy especially if you want to travel. There are different water bottle brands but all in all, most bottled water intended for baby formula water are developed to be low in fluoride and are purified, distilled, demineralized, deodorized and has run through a reverse osmosis treatment. These may be brought in grocery stores or prepared in a water station. You must check for bottled water baby formula water that meets FDA Standard of Water Quality or a similar authority where you live. The FDA requires bottled water manufacturers to use a label that indicates if fluoride is added on water.

How do you prepare your baby’s milk bottle?

Every parent has a technique but the best strategy of all is to make sure that you are doing the following:

You are using safe and fluoride – baby formula water with baby’s milk formula.
You are using water that is prepared at the right temperature.
You are using infant or baby formula water at the right amounts. This should be the amount recommended by your doctor that is best for your baby.
You are using cleaned and sterilized milk formula feeding bottles.
You are using the right kind of feeding bottle nipple. These should also be clean and sterilized before these are used by baby.
Your hands are essentially clean and you are preparing milk formula in a clean and well-ventilated place.

So without further ado, here is a quick and easy way to prepare baby’s milk that is recommended by professionals.

Make a quick check on the expiration date of your milk formula

Be very particular about the expiry date of the milk formula. This is usually printed at the top or the bottom part of the milk container. Do not use milk that has passed its expiry date or even take chances. Also do not use milk formula that has dents, leaks, rust and other defects on the container.

Make sure that you have clean hands and nails.

Preparing milk formula manually will make you touch the feeding bottle as well as the nipple, formula and cap. Remember that there are a lot of food-borne illnesses that are transferred through hand contact and so, thorough handwashing is expected before and after preparing baby’s milk formula.

Wash your hands completely with warm running water and soap. Wash all the surfaces of your hands especially in between fingers and at the back of the hands. The area under the fingernails should also be scrubbed very well. Use an old, soft toothbrush to scrub your fingernails very well. Keep your fingernails clean and preferably short if you frequently prepare your baby’s milk bottle.

Your feeding bottles should also be prepared.

Your bottles should be clean, sterilized and dry especially when you are using them for the first time. It is easy to neglect this part of preparing your feeding bottles since you are always in a hurry to feed your baby. Take note of the following tips:

Sterilize the bottles, caps, nipples and rings in a large pot of water for about five minutes. Remember that you must start counting on the minute that the water begins to boil. Cover your pot as you sterilize your bottle and accessories.
After five minutes remove the bottle and accessories using clean tongs.
Place the pieces in a rack and allow to air-dry.

Usually there is no need to sterilize your feeding bottles and accessories after the first use and all you need to do is to wash them with warn water and soap and allow them to dry completely before using them again. But if you wish to sterilize then you may do so especially if you have questionable water supply.

Using a brush is a great way to clean nipples, caps and bottles. There are large brushes that work for bottles and there are small ones that are for smaller accessories.

Placing your feeding bottles and all the accessories in a dishwasher is a fast and excellent way to clean them but make sure that you have a separate dishwasher-safe basket to hold all your utensils. As you place them in a dishwasher, make sure that the nipples are open to completely clean it. One way to do it is to hold the nipple upside down and fill it with water. As soon as water begins to drip from the hole, you may place them back in the dishwasher basket to clean.

Do not forget to clean your formula containers too. If you place measured milk formula in a separate container, make sure that you clean this at least once a week before filling it up again.

Prepare the milk formula

Check manufacturer’s instructions before proceeding. Every doctor prescribes the ideal milk formula measurement that is right for baby’s weight, age and health condition.

Add water to mix with formula to the feeding bottle first to ensure that you are preparing the right amount of milk. Remember that more water dilutes the formula and will reduce the amount of nutrients that your baby will get while not enough water could lead to constipation and a burden to your baby’s sensitive stomach. The right amount of water should always be ensured.
Add the right amount of milk formula using a scooper that came with the milk or from a prepared container. The scoop should be dry.
Attach the nipple onto the cap and then cover the feeding bottle and shake really well.

Warm the milk bottle

Sometimes after preparing milk in a feeding bottle, your baby does not want to feed yet or you forget to give the bottle causing it to turn cold. There is no problem with this as long as it was just prepared in less than an hour or so. You may warm the bottle using the following techniques:

You may also warm your baby formula if your baby prefers it. You may place the bottle in a bowl of hot water; let it stand for a few minutes. You may also warm the bottle in running warm water. After the milk is warm, shake it.
Check if the milk has the right temperature before giving it to your baby. Check by allowing a drop of formula to fall on your wrist. The milk formula temperature should be lukewarm and not very hot.
Do not use the microwave or oven toaster to warm baby’s formula. These methods could heat the milk unevenly causing hot spots that could burn your baby. Using a bowl with hot water may be slow but it is safe to use.
Discard any formula that is left after a feeding.

Getting sick because of contaminated baby formula water and formula

Mother Feeding Her Baby ca. October 2000

Babies have extra sensitive stomachs and are always at risk for digestive troubles especially when you have questionable water supplies. There are a variety of symptoms that will tell you that your baby needs help and medical attention right away.

Diarrhea – loose stools and watery stools or stools that are not solid could be warning signs. Monitor your baby’s bowel movements and take note of the number and the appearance of his stools. Bring your baby to his doctor immediately.
Vomiting – spitting out small amounts of formula after a feeding is okay but vomiting large amounts of formula and food could be cause for alarm. Monitor the frequency and the amount of milk that your baby has taken and then bring him to his pediatrician at once.
High fever – fever is a sign of infection due to infested baby formula water Discontinue his milk formula at once and bring him to his doctor. Use compresses and allow baby to wear light clothing to reduce his fever.
Signs of allergies – you should also watch out for signs of milk formula allergies. Watch out for rashes, redness, itching of the skin and irritability. You should discontinue his milk formula immediately if you suspect milk formula allergies and bring baby to a doctor at once.
Weight loss, irritability and sleeplessness – babies could be suffering from abdominal pains and other digestive troubles without us knowing. At the first sign of weight loss and if baby is simply irritable, you should discontinue his formula and visit his doctor immediately.