Rule #1: Feed the baby! You get to choose how you do that, and informed decisions are always best. As with all things human, there really is no one right way that is going to work for everyone. The two recent train derailments upstream from Evansville have parents worried about environmental toxins in our water, and I’ve gotten a few very worried parents asking about the safety of preparing formula with our tap water. I know my answer surprised them, so maybe it will surprise you too.
You shouldn’t be making formula with water straight from your tap. Yes, I’m serious, and no I didn’t know that when I was making formula for my children many moons ago. It wasn’t until I read the WHO’s Safe Preparation, Storage, & Handling of Powdered Infant Formula, that I really understood how wrong I had been. Sometimes formula can get contaminated during the manufacturing process. We saw this happen in one large facility and shutting that down to clean it up is part of what caused the recent formula shortage here in the United States. You can still look up your formula to see if it has been recalled here. To control for water-born pathogens that could come through in your tap water, yes, even here in Evansville, it is best practice to make your infant formula with water that has been boiled and then cooled. If you are concerned about contaminants in the water, then you could consider purchasing water to make formula for your baby.
Babies have to eat & making sure they can do so safely is really important. As one of my favorite lactation scholars has said multiple places: informed is best! Formula feeding has risks, and knowing how to mitigate them can help you be more at ease with doing what is best for you and your family. Inform yourself so that you can feed your baby confidently whether that’s with your body or from a bottle!