Hi,
Does anyone have experience of using softened water when making baby formula?
Background to query
We are now weaning our little one (5 months old) from breast milk to baby formula. I heard/read that you shouldn't use artificially softened water when mixing/making-up baby formula.
Unfortunately EVERY tap in the house is connected to the water softener and I'm a little concerned.
If using softened water is a problem, what can I use ad-interim until I drag the plumber back to my house to change at least one tap. I had heard that there is a special bottled water you can buy, but I don't know what or where.
I did ask the guy who came to service the unit last month if there was a problem and he replied no ... BUT ... he then admitted buying some "special" water.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Evian water says on the side of it that it is suitable for babies.
If you're in Basel, then chances are you are no more than a street away from a fountain. These have exactly the same water as pumped into your home before you soften it.
Just fill up a few empty bottles next time you go past.
There's a map of them all here:
http://www.statistik-bs.ch/thema/umw..._download/file
I'm sure you know this already, but be sure to boil the water for about 10 minutes and let it cool a bit before mixing it with the formula.
It would be interesting to know what the problem is supposed to be. In principle, soft water just has less minerals in it than hard water. So it is purer. Tap water before and after purification is excellent from a bacteriological point of view, in my opinion.
A lot of softening methods work by adding sodium ions - particularly ion exchangers. I suspect that's the issue, as opposed to the other ions present. The NHS recommend using water with less than 200 mg/l Na+ for making up feeds.
It was also an issue for a friend of mine who was on dialysis.
I'd suggest speaking to your Paediatrician about it. It might be adequate to filter the salt back out of the water using a water filter, but the basic table filter systems that you buy are fairly notorious for growing bateria/mould, from what I understand.
Boiling the water is going to concentrate any excess salt even more...
Normal bottled water still should be boiled for making baby formula. I quite like the idea of taking a very clean bulk container down to the local fountain. Do you have an external tap on the building, or a neighbour who does not have a softener, that you can ask to use their normal water ? That would be a lot cheaper than buying bottled stuff!
Duh, I was really asleep when I wrote that. Soft water from a water softener does not have less minerals, it has different ones. Calcium and magnesium are replaced by sodium. How embarassing...
Which filter system did you have in mind?
From Brita website ( http://brita.ca/how-brita-works/freq...brita-pitchers )
Question: Does the Brita® Pitcher add or remove sodium?
Answer: Brita® does not add or remove sodium
Yes fully aware of that one, but thanks for the input.
I agree on the fountain approach ... just have convince by better half.
I have two external taps but the "professional Swiss" plumber, connected everything to the water softener.
The neighbour thing could work ... it's just not convenient.
Just buy bottled the first few months, EVIAN or other that says is low on minerals / suitable for preparing baby food. You don't need to boil it before use. That's what I did with my first baby living in Belgium - where the tap water is extremely hard - and never had any problems.
But, why?
Hardness is not a problem for babies. Sodium is.
Tap water in Switzerland is perfectly safe for all ages.
Yes, but is artificially softened tap water,i.e. the original question