Which water to choose to prepare the bottle ?

Tap water, mineral water, low mineralized water, spring water... You wonder which water to use to prepare baby's bottle? How can you be sure that the water you choose is suitable for him? Babybio answers all your questions! 

Which water to use for baby's bottle?

When you have to prepare bottles with infant milk, choosing a quality water that meets your baby's nutritional needs and ensures his good health is essential - the question does not arise as long as your little one is fed exclusively with breast milk, since it contains everything he needs to be nourished and hydrated.  

Preparing the bottle: always choose water with a low mineral content

Today, pediatricians are unanimous: parents should prepare their baby's bottle with low mineralized water, at least until their child is 6 months old. Many commercially available brands meet this requirement - Volvic, Thonon, Evian, Valvert, Saint-Alban, Aquarel, Mont-Roucous. They can also be mineral waters (but with low mineral content) or spring waters.  

If you are not sure of your choice, refer to the mention "suitable for infants" on the water bottle. This mention is attributed to bottled water that respects strict quality criteria defined by the regulations. The 2007 and 2010 decrees specify that the mentions are only attributed on the basis of "officially recognized physicochemical analyses". 

What is a low mineralized water?

It is a water with a dry residue content lower than 500 mg/l. Because of its composition, low mineralized water does not contain nitrates (or very few), an element that is not recommended for the body of infants. 

What are the basic rules to follow?

In addition to choosing a low mineralized water, it is necessary to respect some basic rules to use bottled water to prepare the bottle.

Do not use a bottle of water that has been opened for more than 24 hours;

Always store bottled water away from heat and light;

Always use water that has a nitrate level of no more than 10 mg per liter and is labelled "suitable for preparing infant food" (or similar);

Put the bottle of water in the refrigerator as soon as it is opened.

How to prepare a bottle with low mineralized water?

There are several steps to preparing a bottle with infant milk and low mineralized bottled water.

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before you start.
• Pour the required amount of water into the bottle - you can use water stored at room temperature, or water that you have previously warmed.
• Add the infant milk to the bottle with the scoop provided. Prepare each scoop "flush" using the edge of the lid (or the blade of a knife). Refer to the instructions on the package to introduce the correct quantities according to the brand used.
• Mix the water and the infant milk by stirring the bottle vigorously for several seconds. The liquid obtained must be perfectly homogeneous (without lumps).
• Heat the bottle slightly with a bottle warmer or in a bain-marie - the use of a microwave is not recommended due to a lack of temperature control and the alteration of certain milk components caused by this method of cooking. This step is of course not necessary if you have used already hot water.
• Check the temperature of the bottle by putting a few drops of milk on the wrist 
• Throw away the milk that has not been consumed: a bottle that has already been prepared cannot be kept for more than one hour (if heated, no more than 30 minutes). 

Want advice on how to bottle-feed your baby? Discover how to feed your child with a bottle in the rules of art on Babybio!