What temperature water do you mix with your powdered formula? We just switched from RTF and the recommendations are all over the place.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends heating water to 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70°C), adding formula powder and cooling it.
World Health Organization (WHO) recommends boiling water for no more than 30 minutes, adding powdered formula and immediately cooling it to feeding temperature.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends boiling water for one minute and letting it cool, or following the manufacturer’s label.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends boiling water for one minute, letting it cool to room temperature for no more than 30 minutes and adding powder after that.
The formula tub (Kirkland) states to pour desired amount of warm water (approx. 100°F/40°C) and add powder to water.
From what I can tell these vary for two reasons — (1) Cronobacter and (2) potential water contamination. We buy distilled water to mix the formula, so I’m not worried about water contamination. Heating the water is super simple since I have an electric kettle, so that’s not an issue. However, some articles I’ve read have mentioned concerns about how certain vitamins and proteins can denature at high temperatures. So I guess I’m curious what temperature everyone is going with?
In case it helps, here is our current process:
Heat distilled water in electric kettle to 175°F, let cool for a few minutes to ~158°F.
Add 30 oz to Dr. Brown’s formula mixing pitcher.
Add 132 g Kirkland powdered formula, measured with a food scale.
Mix and refrigerate for up to 24-hours.
ETA: Not sure if it matters but we give LO cold formula straight from the refrigerator, so bottles won’t be heated again before feeding her.
@heidisolonely We mix big portions using the Doctor Brown's pitcher, too. Honestly, I just pour the room temperature distilled water from the jug, add the formula, mix, and refrigerate. My LO is nearly 6 months, we've never had any issues doing it this way. When I go to pour a bottle, I just heat it in the warmer enough to get it back to room temperature.
@jamesoke Gotcha, thank you! Not sure if it makes a difference, but LO will take cold formula straight from the refrigerator and I’m too lazy to start warming the bottles.
@heidisolonely I haaate warming them. But I got her used to it, because I had this weird thought that she'd eat too fast and get brain freeze from the cold milk lol
@heidisolonely I make a Dr. Brown’s pitcher of it with cold water straight from the tap and keep it in the fridge, so it’s cold when the baby gets it.
Letting the water cool before mixing isn’t going to sterilize the formula and there’s no reason to worry about the water itself unless you don’t have access to clean drinking water.
@mpierce Good point about nothing being sterile ... lol. I’m definitely not concerned about water quality. I guess I’m wondering does heating to 158°F really denature protein or vitamins? It’s really no skin off my back to press a button on an electric kettle, but I don’t want to compromise her nutritional intake either.
@mpierce It won't sterilize the formula but that's not the point. Heating the water to a certain temp is to kill any potential pathogens. 158F is more than sufficient for that - most everything will be killed at 130F.
@writergirlrs Me neither I’ve just been mixing with room temp bottled water. I do each bottle individually and have a couple premade(without the formula of course) for overnight so it’s quick and easy.
@writergirlrs I didn’t either, but then I saw another post or comment (can’t remember) about it and did some investigating. Cronobacter is super rare, but if it’s something we can easily prevent I’m down. I just don’t want it to come at the cost of getting the right nutrition. So I have no clue ...
@heidisolonely I don’t have any answers but we boil filtered water in a kettle then mix in a dr browns pitcher, pour into 4oz portions in the bottles and refrigerate up to 24 hrs. We do warm the bottles up to room temp before we give them to her.
Thank you for compiling all the different recommendations! I am not sure what is right.
@heidisolonely I have a brita on my countertop that I pour water into either the Dr Brown pitcher or individual bottles. I feel like everyone over thinks the temperature and sterilization thing. My daughter is 10 months and has had all her bottles this way her whole life and is thriving!
@heidisolonely Here in New Zealand the "correct" recomended way is to boil water, cool to drinking temperature then add powdered formula which then must be drunk immediately and discarded within an hour after mixing. Funny that different countries have different rules/guidelines!
@heidisolonely I just started using Kirkland brand - I use hot side from the faucet (it gets to about 105°F in the time I'm willing to wait for it) into a Dr. Browns pitcher. Then I add formula. We make anything from 20-30oz at a time depending unon who makes it (SO and I have enough to banter or bicker about, we're not about to do it over amount of formula).
Edit: thank you for posting the CDC, FDA and other instructions, I hadn't looked into them and it's good to know
@heidisolonely Room temperature reverse osmosis water. When our RO filters are done and we're waiting for new ones, we use distilled water. We've never boiled any of the water we use.
I’ve just been mixing with room temp bottled water. I do each bottle individually and have a couple premade(without the formula of course) for overnight so it’s quick and easy.
