Giving water to babies / water for bottles ?'s

[katesmash]

Couple questions....
What age did you start giving your LO's sips of water? What kind of water did you use? So far I've given my DD water out of a big Culligan jug (the kind that goes upside down on a cooler dispenser thing) and water from my fridge out of a Brita filter jug.
I've always used powdered formula & bottled water for her bottles... wondering when I can just use standard tap water (or Brita filtered) without boiling it. I just realized that hmmm... I've given her sips of water like that, I wonder if I can use that water for her bottles.

Should mention, I'm looking for suggestions or what YOU did... not quotes from "experts" on what 'they say' you should do. Real life experiences please

[jausten]

DD started getting water in a sippy cup around 9 months. That was about the time we started using tap water for her bottles, as well. We were using nursery water before that.

Our city water is filtered, so I don't worry too much about it.

[yummymummy07]

My DS has been getting water from our water cooler (filtered) since 6 months. We live in Arizona, so I wanted to encourage him to drink water before it got hot so he would be used to it. Now he even prefers water to juice! DH and I don't even drink tap water because the water here tastes disgusting, so I would never even dream of giving DS tap, boiled or not.

[litlepick]

Originally Posted by katesmash Couple questions.... What age did you start giving your LO's sips of water? What kind of water did you use? So far I've given my DD water out of a big Culligan jug (the kind that goes upside down on a cooler dispenser thing) and water from my fridge out of a Brita filter jug. I've always used powdered formula & bottled water for her bottles... wondering when I can just use standard tap water (or Brita filtered) without boiling it. I just realized that hmmm... I've given her sips of water like that, I wonder if I can use that water for her bottles. Should mention, I'm looking for suggestions or what YOU did... not quotes from "experts" on what 'they say' you should do. Real life experiences please

dd was bf exclusively so no water until after 12mos
we give tap water, we have city water though (so no need to boil), if you have a well have it checked first, I also recommend against giving tap water if your neighborhood has a history of water main brakes (when the city posts that the water needs to be boiled)
BTW culligan is just regular municipal water

[katesmash]

Thanks mommas! No well water here, all city water... but I prefer to filter it first, just my preference of taste... gets that "pipe taste" out, IMO.

I think to save money I'm going to stop using bottled water for her bottles and save the ones I have for outings this summer. Teach her to drink from the water bottle Doesn't seem to be a problem giving her the Brita filtered water from my fridge, so I'll just start using that for her bottles and save $ (I think we go thru 3 bottled water every 2 days).
She's almost 6 months old, has been drinking water for the last week or two from Culligan or Brita filter... and rolling around on the floor (I put a blanket down but she just rolls right off it!)... she's gonna get "germs" that way I suppose so why not?

Edit/added - hubby is so smart. He suggested to me that we make her bottles using 1/2 filtered water/Culligan, and 1/2 the bottled water for the first bit... so it's not a drastic change for her. he's so smart

[queenjane555]

I've had my foster baby since he was three weeks old (now just over three months), and i've made his formula with tap water almost that whole time. For a couple of weeks i boiled the water (but you arent supposed to boil it that long, as its worse) because i thought you were supposed to, but then i discovered that if your water quality is ok, its fine to use tap. We havent had any problems. I dont drink filtered water myself, so i'm not worried about the taste of tap water, and since formula itself tastes pretty disgusting i can't imagine a little one being worried about any off taste in the water itself.


Katherine

[benjaminsmom]

I boiled Ben's water till he was 1 year old. I jalways ust worried that there might be a "Walkerton" sorta slip up and his little body might not be able to fight of any sickness resulting from it. (I know I am paranoid). So now we just use filtered water from our greenway cooler or just plain tap water. We do usually keep some bottled water on hand for outings though.

[ajk]

I don't give DD bottled water because of the high mineral content, its hard on their little kidneys. I boiled tap water until she was 6 months old to make formula (actually I think I still do most of the time - just a habit now I guess ). She started drinking water at about 81/2 months old (she had no interest in it previously) and she gets tap water filtered through the Brita.

[katesmash]

Originally Posted by ajk I don't give DD bottled water because of the high mineral content, its hard on their little kidneys. I boiled tap water until she was 6 months old to make formula (actually I think I still do most of the time - just a habit now I guess ). She started drinking water at about 81/2 months old (she had no interest in it previously) and she gets tap water filtered through the Brita.

I should have specified... I give her spring water, not like mineralized water. I checked with people before starting to use that water.

[uoducks]

pretty much when my daught. started solids at around 5mths (was still breastfeeding as well), she would sip water from a cup (no sipppy cups in this house!)..and just regular tap water.. but we live in Beaverton, Oregon and our tap water is top notch..straight from the mountains, no filtering needed.