Posted by
febee
18 yrs ago
Hi, can anyone offer advice on what water to use for making up formula when staying in hotels where you cant drink the tap water?
thanks!!
Please support our advertisers:
I brought a few bottles of Baby Alp water with us, and then looked for equivalent in a baby shop at the destination. When there was no baby water, I used Volvic which apparently has less mineral that would be harmful to babies.
Please support our advertisers:
What water should be used to make formula? I am currently using the Watson's Distilled water from the water dispenser to make my baby's formula. Is this safe?
Please support our advertisers:
Tap water that is boiled is safe, however depending how young your baby is... although it's not the water that is not safe, different sources and quality of water can still cause stomach upsets and diarrhea in little tummies.
I always bring bottle of Volvic water, which is safe for making forumlas, it says on the bottle as well as advised under my pediatricians. If the destination you are going to doens't have Volvic water, but another brand, try to get your baby started on the brand of water at least 1-2 weeks before going.
Always BOIL water from bottles for your baby, until they are at least 18 months, b/c you never know how they treat the water BEFORE putting them in bottles.
Even from my bonaqua machines, we boil the water for our baby to drink.
Please support our advertisers:
Almost every hotel in Asia will supply a kettle or a thermos of boiled water. I have read that water needs to be heated to a rolling boil for five minutes to kill every single bit of bacteria and virus, etc. (Of course then you would cool it!) A small baby will not have the same immunity as an adult, so I'd try to follow the five minute rule if boiling my own water. The other issue is impurities in the water, so of course a reputable bottled water brand would be best, and of course you know that you don't use mineral water for formula. I breastfed my babies so thankfully this was never a concern for me!
Please support our advertisers:
when we travel, we just use the hotel room kettle. No baby will be patient enough for the water to cool down so what I would suggest is once the water is boiled, pour some into the sterilised bottles and seal - just before feeding, simply top up with boiled water and formula if baby likes the milk warm.
by the way, whatever mineral water you use, it is not sterile - you still need to boil it!
Please support our advertisers:
we were in bintan 2 weeks ago and my 11 month old drank the boiled tap water.
we plan to go thailand in may and hopefully he'll be off the bottle and formula by then but if not, i plan to just boil the tap water.
Please support our advertisers:
Whenever I travelled, I have my own traveller kettle,b/c even in Japan's hotels. I looked inside the kettle, it's so filthy!!! It's not big and easy to pack. I also bring some bottled water for use when I arrive, then I just buy.
I don't need to wait for the water to cool each time. I boil the water, then I put the boiling water into a thermos. I keep the rest in a rubbermaid air tight container that can take hot water... cools down until the morning. I can use it for the rest of the day. I use my kettle to sterilize all the nipples, and bottles, and utensils for solids too.
My baby is one now, he needs more water. So I do it twice a day. Boiling water 500 ml in the morning, into the thermos, cooled down water from the night before in a big rubbermaid. By evening, I boil another 500 ml, pour the thermos' leftover into the cool water bottle, and new boiled water into the thermos. This way, you always have boiled water that's guaranteed clean, safe, and your baby's tummy is used to, and cool water... for formulas, cereals, and general drinking especially in hot weather destinations. babies need more fluids other than just formulas.
Please support our advertisers:
actually if only water has been in the kettle, what looks dirty in the kettle's insides isn't dirt but the mineral deposits from the water if the water is especially hard.
just like our kettles and baby sterilisers and what not, if you descale them with some citric acid or even just boil the kettle with water and lemons, you will see that the kettle cleans out well again.
anyway i digress but katetam's thermos flask suggestion is good too. i have a tiger brand thermos flask, quite expensive but v good!
Please support our advertisers:
the kettle being looking "dirty" is just based on the assumption that EVERYONE is as "civilized" as you Wheelymate..... I have heard MANY stories about what people DO with the kettle... they often put more than just "water" in there.....
Anyways, I am over paranoid parent.... nothing is too safe for me when it comes to travelling with my kids b/c the last thing I want is my kids getting "sick" on a trip... so I try to do everything I can to prevent it the best I can.
Please support our advertisers:
dss
18 yrs ago
In Thailand, I will not recommend using the tap water for formula. Typically, hotel will leave a couple of mineral or drinking water in your room on a daily basis. Pack a couple of bottles of water to take along and then you can purchase bottled drinking water at their Supermarts( easily accessible). Do not buy from the roadside vendors.
Katekam's recommendation of packing a small elec jug is the best option.
Please support our advertisers:
Hi dss,
what is the reason for not using boiled tap water in thailand? i have a friend who took her baby for holiday there and she just used boiled tap water.
Please support our advertisers:
dss
18 yrs ago
It is a personal choice whether to take boiled tap water vs purchasing bottled.
Given that children have lower immune system, it is advisable not to take the risk for a baby. Being on holiday and having a sick baby is stressful.
Majority of the Thai household also have drinking water delivered to their household, despite their waterworks authority assuring them that boiled tap water is safe for drinking. (Where is the confidence level??)
One source for their tap water is the Chao Phraya River(dirty looking), which goes thru treatment & clorinated before going thru pipes.
Please support our advertisers:
Use bottled distilled water for making up feeds while traveling. Some sources recommend boiling all bottled water prior to making up formula feeds and other sources state you may use distilled water which is sterile if the seal is intact.
Well Baby Clinic 2849 1500
Matilda International Hospital
Hong Kong
http://www.matilda.org
Please support our advertisers:
excellent advice Matilda.
Please support our advertisers:
You must be logged in to be able to reply.
Login now
Copy Link
Facebook
Gmail
Mail