Mixing Formula

St Louis has been deemed with the best tap water in the country. I used tap water to mix my daughter's formula. She will be 5 this month and is healthy.

St. Louis has the number one rated water in the entire country!! It's perfectly safe to mix the formula w/ tap water.

Why don't you just call the doctor's office and ask. It would just take a minute and you'd know without having to worry about it.

Hi J.~

I have raised 2 girls here in St. Louis and at the time used the formula that got mixed with water (one is 32 and the other 30) The are both alive and doing well,never had any childhood sickness other than the norm. Our water is perfectly fine as far as I'm concerned. If you are concerned boil it for 5 minutes let it cool and then make your formula,BUT DON'T buy bottled water. 9 chances out of 10 it's the same water you are using..Good Luck in your decission
M. S

My husband used to sell water filtration systems and you would not believe all of the NASTY stuff that is in "city" water. We lived in Columbia at the time so we did not test any water in STL but I can't imagine that it would be any better. The funny thing is that sometimes well water is actually purer then city water. I have also heard that the kids need the flouride so you should give them tap water but I found out just this weekend that Columbia (where I grew up) has never put flouride in their water so I would say that is not a good reason to stick with tap water. If you are concerned about your tap water, you can always have it tested in your home so that you can see exactly what is in it. Most places will test it for free as long as you listen to their sales pitch but you are not obligated to buy anything. If you do decide to get a filter as has been suggested by other mom's, make sure that you get something that has a carbon based filter and make sure that you change the filter as recommended or it will not be effective.

As for the supplimenting, I nursed my oldest for 9 months and gave her a bottle everyday starting at about 4 weeks old because she never was satisfied with what I could produce. I stopped nursing at 9 months because we were both finished with nursing and because I got pregnant with the next one, not because I didn't have anymore milk. I tried pumping to increase supply and by the end of the day she had sucked me dry! So we gave her a bottle before bed every night and she would sleep better. If I had the extra breast milk on hand, I would suppliment with that but most of the time it was formula. My second one would never take a bottle and I always had more then enough. So no matter what anyone else tells you, follow your gut and do what is best for your baby. Each one has different needs and only Mom knows her baby best. Your little one is still probably trying to figure it all out so don't give up. Until then, if you have to suppliment occationally, DO NOT feel guilty. Good luck!

my pediatrician said that normal tap water is fine if you filter it (for example using a brita filter). We never boiled the water for formula. We did buy a sterilizer to sterilize the bottles (we don't run the dishwasher every day).

Enjoy your little one. My daughter just turned one year, and it went by very quickly!
A.

St. Louis water is great. G.

I personally would purchase a water filter. I also agree with Kelly. The more you supplement with formula the lower your supply will get. I forget the statistic, but babies that are supplemented with formula eventually will strictly become formula fed babies. It is just too hard for you to keep up your supply when you give your baby a bottle. I would suggest pumping, pumping, and more pumping to boost your supply. Good luck. Also, eating oatmeal and taking the herb fenugreek can help boost supply.

For a baby that young if you are going to use tap water you should boil always it no matter where it comes from.If you dont want to do that there is a water called nursery water it comes in a gallon and its made just for babies,and not expensive.You can get it at most grocery stores, Walmart,Target and even Kmart.GOOD LUCK!!!

J.,
I have an almost 10 week old daughter (Tuesday will be 10 weeks) and we asked about what type of water to use for formula and were told that it is formulated to work with normal tap water. Our doctor went so far as to say that using bottled water could cause some of the nutrients not to mix properly because of the fact it's formulated for tap. I would still check with your doctor as well.

Also, as for St. Louis water, I grew up in that area and yes, they have some of the best water in the country!

We haven't gone to formula supplements (not since we were in the hospital) yet but I feel we might need to soon because my production isn't keeping up with her demand!

Good luck and congrats on your 1 month old!
K. G

What most people don't know is that the cloramines that most cities are putting in their water create a type of ammonia that is in rather high concentrations. The federal gov. says this ammonia is not harmful to people. But I will tell you that this ammonia kills fish. I don't feel comfortable with this.

I have tried a couple of different RO systems and culligan was unable to get the ammonia out of my water. I use a very sensitive chemical test to test for it. They tried for 3 months straight and it was very harmful to some of my fish and I constantly had to use chemicals to make the water safe.

Now I hate to even wash dishes in the water. Also, ro systems do NOT remove this ammonia without an additional filter called a DI filter. I finally have pure water. I'm also considering buying a distiller for cooking, making bottles for the daycare kids and drinking. Andrew Weil...the elderly man with the beared that is a guru nutritionist... He says we should all be using distilled water.

It's true that most drinking water still tests high in ammonia and often it's straight from the tap. But distilled water is always good. If it says in small print that it's filtered with either RO or distillation...don't believe it. Only water that is distilled and clearly labeled in big letters as distilled water can truly be trusted.

You have to decide if you want your child drinking ammonia. Also, I don't have the data available and forget why.. But the floride in the water isn't the right kind for us and does more harm than good. If you want your child getting enough floride make them brush their teeth more. Floride should NEVER be swallowed.

Suzi

dear J.,
my in-laws live in st louis. i breastfeed but give my seven month old a bottle about once or twice a day if we are out and about. i bring water from home. i just use an empty milk jug, sanitized and fill 'er up before we depart. then i pour the water from home into a smaller water bottle that i carry in the diaper bag. when i need to mix a bottle, i use that water.

he refuses to drink formula made from water from st louis. the water is softer than it is in kansas and i believe tastes different. i hope this helps!

There is no difference between bottled water and most tap water. St. Louis treats its water, so it should be fine. If it's OK for you to drink, it should be OK for formula. You should be able to look up water quality info from Missour's version of EPA.

I raised my kids in St. Charles county and I mixed their formula with the tap water. I felt it was very safe. My doctor informed me that bottled water does not have fluoride in it which is what prevents tooth decay. Fortunately, the area in which we lived did have fluoride in it. When we moved to the country and fluoride was no longer available in the water, we used fluoride rinse with the kids until the water was fluoridated a few years later. So...I guess my opinion is to get a report from the company that provides your water. You can get this report just by calling or maybe even going on their website if they have one. Your pediatrician may also be able to answer your question.

Hi J.,

I always boiled the water I used for my son's formula until he was a year old. Get a tea pot and boil a little at a time. Its quick and easy and you can be sure the water will be fine. Then add the formula and let the bottle cool in a bowl or cup full of cold water. I have a cousin who works for the state and she tests the water all around the state. She told me, no matter where you live, boil the water!

Hope this helps!!
L.

We have filtered water buit in to our fridge, and we use that to mix with our son's formula. With my first one I didn't have a water feature on my fridge so I used a Brita Water Piture to mix with his formula.

J.,
To be safe, I would use Nursery Water. They sell it at Babies R Us, CVS, Walgreens, and grocery stores. It is purified water with Floride in it. That's the only thing I will use for my kid.

We use City tap water and haven't had any problems, but everyone feels differently about it. Some people use bottled, some people use nursery water (which was recalled about a month ago) and some use tap. I think it depends on how safe you feel your source is. I'm with you, we have one of the best public water systems in the country. I put it to full use!

I would definitely use filtered tap water. A good filter removes chlorine and flouride (and more) from tap water (you can look on the package to see which chemicals it removes). Even if you can't smell or taste the chlorine, it may still be there. I know bottled baby water/nursery water adds flouride to help strengthen their teeth, but when I was researching harmful chemicals in water when my husband had cancer last summer, flouride was listed as a harmful chemical. Like another mom responded, flouride should NOT be swallowed.

I don't think boiling removes chlorine, flouride, or other chemicals, just any possible organisms.

Also, if you do buy bottled water, make sure it is NOT in a plastic container that is a #3, #6, or #7 plastic (you may have heard of all the recent news about the BPA in plastics that can leach into liquids from these plastics).

Even though St. Louis has great tap water, remember that your baby is so small and everything that goes into his system can have a big effect while he is growing so rapidly. All the toxins and chemicals around today effect children much more than they effect adults because of their size and rapid development.

Best wishes!

Hi J.,

My uncle is a civil engineer and has worked the the St. Louis City Water Division for at least 30 years. (I remember visiting as a child and now well, lets just say I'm over 30. :) )It is the best tasting and the best quality water you will find in the area. I've sent my uncle an email for some facts about our water quality. You can also check out their website at http://www.stlwater.com/

I'll forward the information as soon as I get it. Call your doctor for reassurance, too.

Have a blessed day!

L.
www.livetotalwellness.com/markliz

I used bottled water till 3 months then I switched to tap. Tap has fluride for teeth!

I believe St. Louis water is absolutely FINE to mix with your formula. I'm the mother of 3 and did it this way and they are all healthy. I think they put the "boiling" verbiage on the cans b/c of people who use well water and also b/c the formula is shipped around the world where they do not have good sources like we do. I think you are fine with the tap. Good luck!

Hi J.,

My husband and I used bottled water. He is an environmental engineer. He travels all over the US trouble shooting waste and water treatment systems. There are only a handful of people that can do what he does and has the knowledge that he does. We discussed bottled verses tap water. He explained that if there was a contaminate of some kind, it's not detected right away and some of the impurities may be fed to your baby. This would be an increase of chlorine or other chemicals. Babies can develop blue baby syndrome from an increase of nitrates in the water. Babies can not break down nitrates, so over exposure will deplete their oxygen levels and possibly death can occur. We used distilled bottled water. We checked out the nursery water and after cleaning it, they put back minerals in the finished product. My husband said their isn't any difference between nusrery water and spring water. Babies do not need the extra minerals. They get everything they need through breast milk and formula. He said the safest route is distilled. Tap water maybe safe most of the time, however it's unpredictable. You can't count on it to be 100% safe all the time. If it was, my husband wouldn't have a job. It's better to be safe than sorry.So I hope this has been of some help to you. Good luck to you and your family.

A. H.

my dr told us we SHOULD use tap water as opposed to bottled, as the babies need the flouride. also, i think it helps with the immune system.

I have always heard that if you have "city" water it is safe to mix with formula. I might also suggest that since you are a stay at home mom, you do a nursing marathon to help jumpstart your production. The more you supplement, the more you will have to supplement. It is a matter of supply and demand. Take a couple of days and plan nothing but to spend those days nursing your little one. Stay in bed or on the couch and nurse nurse nurse. Nurse him as much as possible, let him eat anytime he wants and don't give him anything else but the breast. The more her nurses the more it will boost your supply.

Good luck.

I struggled with that issue because I had to go back to work and we had to supplement. Supplementing really hurt my milk supply.

Good Morning J., I am not familiar with St. L water system, but i think if you are really concerned call your Dr today and ask that question, don't wait until next visit.

Or you could start with Cold water, heat the water up pretty good let it cool before mixing and that should ease your concerns also. Only thing I have heard recently is not to use Hot water from the tap as some lines still contain lead and the hot water causes them to break away and come in with the water.

Best of everything with your new precious little man.
God Bless
K.
in Benton, Ks.

PS After reading other mom's advice, I remembered something else. When you supplement with form. go ahead and pump also. Our DIL went back to work and she had enough saved up for me to use during the day. We didn't start supplementing until we had to take a very long trip to TX. She would pump anyway to keep it going as she was have problems also. Stress caused her's to be slow. her father was very ill and subsequently passed away. Our lactation nurse and friend told her the more water and juice she drank it would help and to pump when necessary. FYI the lacation nurse has 9 children all breast fed. ;) they are going for number 10, Yvonne wants a even number all names begin with "E"

St. Louis county drinking water is one of the top five in the nation. It, from time to time, is rated number one. If you look at bottled water sold in the gallon sizes you will find a lot of it is bottled in St. Louis and is St. Louis county drinking water. I have found this bottled water as far away as Florida. I would also like to point out that you if drink and use tap water so you are already giving it to your baby.

I would not mix my formula with any tap water unless it's boiled first. Just boil a kettle full and put it in your fridge to have on hand for when you want to mix a bottle then just warm it under the hot water faucet or in a pot of water on the stove. This is you r precious baby here and you can never be too safe when they're this little! It doesn't take much of anything to harm our little ones, because they are so small and their systems aren't what ours are. I would err on the side of caution if I were you.

It's fine for formula. My sister and my friend used it for their babies. I live out in Pacific (past Six Flags in Franklin County) and we have some of the hardest water that I've ever seen. My doctor told me that that water was OK to use for formula. The plus side to using tap water is that you can mix bottles as you need them. You can get the water to the temp you want and then mix up your one bottle that you need. Hope this helps.

Oh yeah, very safe. We have some of the best water in the country. Just make sure you start with cold tap water and heat it, rather than using warm tap water (you can get metal contaminents from your water heater that way). Oh-and tap water is way better to use, because your baby does need the fluoride that's in the tap water. Hope this helps!

I used St Louis tap water with my son to mix formula, and it was fine. I have heard not to use bottled water because there is no flouride in it for their teeth. So you are actually better off using tap water.

You can call your local water dept and ask questions they'll be able to assist you

I used regular tap water when my son took a bottle. Even now he drinks a glass of regular water like I do. He loves it!

There is no regulation on bottled water and according to the news most is just regular tap water. My sister used nursery water for a few months and her pedatrician said if she was rich to continue but not necessary.
Now I must admit I did always boil all the water before I mixed it with formula up until my girls were off formula. I know this was total overkill but it made me feel better and it was free!

I have a Brita filter container in my fridge, its like having bottled water. Im not sure about the St Louis tap water right from the tap, I never trusted any kind of water straight from the tap.

Hi J.,
I've never heard of anything being wrong with the water. I've always used the water out of the faucet when mixing my childrens formula. I don't believe you have anything to worry about.

-J. M.
http://J..freedomunitedteam.com
HELPING People Live Better Lives!

Interestingly enough, municipal tap water is safer than bottled water because of the strict regulations it must meet for the city patrons it serves. Bottled water companies do not have these same regulations. If people refill water bottles without cleaning them regularly there can be a build up of bacteria, and even cleaning them does not guarantee the same purity as a municipality.

I am not from the St. Louis area, but I'm sure the water meets the safety regulations for all to consume. I do understand, however, that there are communities that have hard water and it usually does not taste good, so sometimes filters can help remove those particles that affect the taste of the water.

Raising children is expensive enough without paying for extra stuff when what you have available is perfectly fine. Just my two-cents worth. If you feel more comfortable with the bottled water there is nursery bottled water that is fortified in some way, but I don't know much about it.

Good luck with your new baby boy!

when my son was little we used nursery water that you can buy at walmart and it comes in one gallon jugs just like milk. it is in the soda isle and it is better than city water cause it has fluride in it.

I live in IL, and St. Louis does have some of the best water around. There was some research and contest of the water quality from all the major cities inthe US and St. Louis was rated #1. Also, bottled water does not have the flouride and other in it as tap water does, so the bottled water is not better....there is jugs of water you can buy called nursery water and other brands have different names for it, but you can mix that for your formula.