combination feeding and water

[Flutterby24]

Hi all

I have a 4 week dd. In desperation following virtually not stop bf ane crying we started combination feeding (I appreciate reasons I could have perserveed but found it so hard)

Dd is a hungry baby and feeds 2.5 -3 hourly on average. She has maybe 2 bf a day and rest is ready made formula.

I know with bf you don't need to give your baby water but with formula I understand you do but how much is safe?

I will be chatting to HV next week but would appreciate opinions / advice? :)

[Amummyatlast]

No, you shouldn't give water, whether you are bf or ff, unless advised to do so by a hw. I started off bf, then did combi feeding for a while, before moving to purely ff at 3 months and the only time I ever gave DD water was when she had a bout of norovirus and couldn't keep much milk down. Obviously she started having water when she was weaned.

[MissHobart]

It's the same with formula I think, no need to give water as there's enough, especially at that age! Just feed on demand and know that sometimes it's just for a drink rather than a feed so they might only have a little! hth

[jennifer86]

You don't normally need to give water, unless it's really hot like the heat wave a couple of weeks ago or as pp said if she is unwell with vomiting and diarrhoea. (But feeding every 2.5-3 hours doesn't sound that much for only a 4 week old - I would describe it as normal rather than a "hungry baby"!)

[BifsWif]

Her feeding sounds normal, don't worry! My baby is 7 weeks old and we did the same thing.

I wish people would have told me about cluster feeding with b/feeding - that's the reason they feed almost constantly at first, it's so you build up supply. I gave in after feeding non stop between 11pm-5am for five days straight and wish I'd have persevered. Anyway, that's by the by - your baby is feeding normally, 3 hours is fine. If they are draining the bottle up the volume by an ounce, but other than that just continue to feed when they're hungry and eventually the feeds will space out a bit more.

I gave my baby water in the heat wave, on the HV advice, but haven't since. She doesn't need it.

[Flutterby24]

Thank you all - lots of well meaning relatives have been telling me to give her water, i am so glad that I stuck to my guns!

Glad to know her feeding is normal lol!

[mejon]

Are those 'well meaning relatives' suggesting you give water to make your DD go longer between feeds? If so, ignore them, as PP said, 2.5-3 hours between feeds at this age doesn't indicate that she's a hungry baby at all - her feeding pattern is quite normal for 4 weeks old.

[BifsWif]

Ahh, well meaning relatives! Just smile and nod, then do it your way.

Congratulations on your baby