formula in the uk vs us

[Duejan2012]

Is there a difference in these formulas? I mean i was just wondering because i read alot on here that you need to mix formula with hot or boiling water before feeding your lo because of something in the formula its not steril or i cant remember lol. But i have read my can of formula a million times and not anywhere does it say to mix formula with boiling water? I just says dont use a microwave to warm formula and it just states about how to mix. It says to prepare 4 oz of water to 2 scoops formula etc? It also says formula is not steril so should not be fed ot premature baby etc.

 

[Maxy1]

I am not in the UK or US but in NZ all of our brands say to use 'cooled boiled water'. I think this is pretty universal. Does it not say on it to boil the jug, wait 30 minutes and then pour the water into the bottle FIRST and then add the formula??

 

[andella95]

No, in the US we don't boil the water first. Some mom's may choose to, but I've never met anyone that does. Almost everyone I know just uses tap water, and if not, bottled water, which is not sterile either.

 

[Duejan2012]

nope lol doesnt say anything about boiling the water first. I agree with andella that most moms just put water from the fosit in the bottle then just add the formula. I put filtered water ( or bottled) in a pan to warm it up a bit before i add the formula. I saw a post on here asking about morning feeds and i wanted to awnser saying that all i do is get water to a pretty warm temp at night and put in to a thermouse and by morning when lo wakes to eat it is just the right temp that he likes him bottle. Take me less then 2 min to get his bottle ready this way.

I wonder what is the difference in the formulas that somet say to boil the water first to just what the bottle in the US say

 

[andella95]

The formula isn't different I think, it's just they are more cautious elsewhere. I don't know if it's a water supply issue or not, but we're definitely the weird ones in the world when it comes to this issue.

I don't know people that sterilize, either. Just hot, soapy water for us!

 

[Duejan2012]

yup for me too lol. My MIL is from mexico and when i first had my dd she flipped when i didnt boil the water first to mix the formula haha cuz i guess there its the same thing with sterilizing everything before use.

 

[fairykate]

Strange because WHO (World Health Organization) guildlines are for the world, not just for UK and they say that the water must be boiled and left for 30mins!! Perhaps it depends on the brand? I know you guys have non-branded formula over there don't you?

Also, you don't sterilize??

 

[andella95]

Strange because WHO (World Health Organization) guildlines are for the world, not just for UK and they say that the water must be boiled and left for 30mins!! Perhaps it depends on the brand? I know you guys have non-branded formula over there don't you?

Also, you don't sterilize??

It doesn't depend on the brand here. It's just simply something that's not done by most moms in the US. We don't have babies getting sick because we don't do it, either. We do have generic, store brand formulas, but they are just as regulated as name brand.

We wash, not sterilize as is done else where. Some parents may choose to do it, but many don't feel it necessary.

 

[Lynzeigh]

Hmm it seems the USA are very different to the UK in this case.

In the UK we always use boiled water, usual method is the let the boiled water to cool a little no more than 30 minutes...very hot boiled water causes the bottle to leak when the bottle is made up which is the reason we boil water and not immediately make up the formula...I find after 15-30 minutes the boiled water is still hot but not too hot to make bottle leak when shaken but also not so cold that the formual milk does not dissolve properly.

Also in here it is 1 scoop to every ounce of milk that you are making...ie 2 scoops for a 2 ounce bottle of milk and so on.

I think boiling is used because it sterilizes the tap water that is originally not sterile. And boiling water even when left to cool down for 15-30 minutes before using is still a little hotter than "Hot tap water" and therefore the formula mixes and dissolves better, less likely to have lumps.

I've never tried making the milk with just hot tap water and different ounces, so don't know the facts 100% just letting you know our recommended system here in the UK that I know of

 

[darkangel1981]

Im sure the boiled water bit was brought in when some babies got seriously ill from bacteria in the powder, thats why they want it to be mixed into water of 70 degree or more, to kill anything that may be in there.

Think there was case in uk and other parts of the world too.

 

[Maxy1]

I find the non-sterlizing thing interesting. Guidelines here are to do it for the first 12 weeks and after that, its up to the individual. The boiled water thing is for all formula mixing at all ages so it must be more to do with the formula mix (as explained above) than the water quality in respective countries. Although I can't imagine that the formula's in USA are that drastically different from formula's everywhere else in the world.

 

[queenlavera]

One question though, if you let the boiled water cool, how does it kill the bacteria? Wouldn't it only kill the bacteria in the actual water, while it was hot?

Also if you have to use the specialty formula like nutramigen it says that heating can kill the probiotics that make it work. Just wondering what UK moms do for this situation.

I don't boil for formula, use bottled water but I do sterilize (easy in the dishwasher) if not then I use boiled water to sterilize, all my bottles say to do it for the first use.

 

[andella95]

One question though, if you let the boiled water cool, how does it kill the bacteria? Wouldn't it only kill the bacteria in the actual water, while it was hot?

Also if you have to use the specialty formula like nutramigen it says that heating can kill the probiotics that make it work. Just wondering what UK moms do for this situation.

I don't boil for formula, use bottled water but I do sterilize (easy in the dishwasher) if not then I use boiled water to sterilize, all my bottles say to do it for the first use.

I've wondered these things myself. As for the bottles, it's recommended for the first use, but not subsequent ones. It's just different in different parts of the world.

UK ladies - do you have concentrate formula over there? I've never heard anyone mention it, and that's when I use with my daughter. More expensive, but it seems easier on her.

 

[Duejan2012]

i just think thats its strange because in the uk it states on th can about boiling and sterilizing but here it says nothing like that?

 

[larudy13]

I use similac in USA, doesnt say to use boiled water, but as personal choice I use Nursery water it sells by gallon and its purified.

 

[larudy13]

One question though, if you let the boiled water cool, how does it kill the bacteria? Wouldn't it only kill the bacteria in the actual water, while it was hot?

Also if you have to use the specialty formula like nutramigen it says that heating can kill the probiotics that make it work. Just wondering what UK moms do for this situation.

I don't boil for formula, use bottled water but I do sterilize (easy in the dishwasher) if not then I use boiled water to sterilize, all my bottles say to do it for the first use.

I've wondered these things myself. As for the bottles, it's recommended for the first use, but not subsequent ones. It's just different in different parts of the world.

UK ladies - do you have concentrate formula over there? I've never heard anyone mention it, and that's when I use with my daughter. More expensive, but it seems easier on her.

Oh yes I have seen concentrate formula as well, personally I buy the premade 2oz container ones from similac for when I am out so no mixing needed.

 

[Starry Night]

In Canada we're told to boil the water until the baby is 4 months old. It also never says that the water needs to be hot to mix the formula. It just says to wait until the water is at least 37 degrees Celcius and that once mixed, not to keep the formula out for more than an hour or to refrigerate more than 24 hours (though I have read 48 hours on the pamphlets from Enfamil). DS is 8 months and I just stopped sterilizing his bottles. It started as a bad habit but I figure I'm not going to be sterilizing his dishes for ever anyways. But I still sterilize his water as we only have well water and I feel safer doing so.

 

[darkangel1981]

One question though, if you let the boiled water cool, how does it kill the bacteria? Wouldn't it only kill the bacteria in the actual water, while it was hot?

Also if you have to use the specialty formula like nutramigen it says that heating can kill the probiotics that make it work. Just wondering what UK moms do for this situation.

I don't boil for formula, use bottled water but I do sterilize (easy in the dishwasher) if not then I use boiled water to sterilize, all my bottles say to do it for the first use.

Its to be left to cool for no longer than 30 mins from the boil going buy the guidelines. This makes it 70 degree or over which is hot enough to sterilise the powder without killing the nutrition.

As for nutramigan, i know its to be made differently but ive had no experience with it. Im guessing maybe cause its for specialist medical use that more care is taken while producing it and that its unlikely to contain bacteria??? I don't know though.

One question though, if you let the boiled water cool, how does it kill the bacteria? Wouldn't it only kill the bacteria in the actual water, while it was hot?

Also if you have to use the specialty formula like nutramigen it says that heating can kill the probiotics that make it work. Just wondering what UK moms do for this situation.

I don't boil for formula, use bottled water but I do sterilize (easy in the dishwasher) if not then I use boiled water to sterilize, all my bottles say to do it for the first use.

I've wondered these things myself. As for the bottles, it's recommended for the first use, but not subsequent ones. It's just different in different parts of the world.

UK ladies - do you have concentrate formula over there? I've never heard anyone mention it, and that's when I use with my daughter. More expensive, but it seems easier on her.

We have ready made cartons if thats the same thing??? but not in the same quantities that you guys get. We generally have 2 sizes. 200ml and 500ml. They are sterile thought.

 

[andella95]

Concentrate still needs to be mixed with water - half and half. They are sterile as well. I love concentrate, but not many people over here use it.

 

[kanga]

in the case, no, we don't have concentrate over here x