water for babies

[user1465146157]

When did you start giving your baby water and how much a day?

i read all this stuff about how its dangerous but i feel like shes thirsty sometimes

shes 5.5 months

[GlitteryFluff]

I gave cooled boiled water in a cup when weaning on solids so from 6 months.

[TittyGolightly]

If she's breastfed there's no need to give any water at all for the first year.

[MommaGee]

Have you started weaning?
Why do you think she's thirsty?

[Ellypoo]

It has been hot recently (in the U.K.) so maybe she needs more fluids, but pp is correct, they only need milk to drink until they're 1 generally.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

BFed or bottle?

[breadedbrielarson]

I gave cooled boiled water in a cup when weaning on solids so from 6 months

Yeah water from 6m but you don't need to boil it first, straight from the tap is fine

[breadedbrielarson]

If she's breastfed there's no need to give any water at all for the first year

Sorry water forms part of weaning?!

[TittyGolightly]

Does it?

Food is for fun until 1. DD learned to drink from a cup between 6 and 12 months but that wasn't because she needed water.

[QuestionableMouse]

We just offered cool water in a bottle after he'd had his milk. Wasn't really interested until 9 or 10 months though.

[peaceloveandbiscuits]

It's recommended that babies start having water with food from six months. I believe formula fed babies can have small amounts of cooled, boiled water from earlier on if it's very hot, though.

[ItchyFoot]

Started both dd's with water straight from the tap at 6 months. If it was hot I just offered them more breastmilk.

[welshweasel]

Sippy cup of water with meals from about 6 months.

[InDubiousBattle]

We gave a sippy cup of tap water with meals from 6 months.

[Ifyouthinkiwillsleepyoudream]

Yeah also not sure about this. I am very slowly weaning DS at the moment, he is 8 months. We started on solids at 6m and j have been giving him a few sips of water with meals, just so that he gets used to it. I just make sure that I restrict quantities a bit, so that it doesn't get him too full and replace milk. If we are out and he seems thirsty I give him some water but again, I think the advice is to just breastfeed more (or give them more milk)

[MrsTerryPratchett]

BF babies don't need water though. Past six months is fine but not necessary. DD was a champion pooper though. If your baby gets constipated water can help.

[FartnissEverbeans]

DS is 9mo, formula fed and has only just started getting water now that his milk consumption has decreased. Until recently I was offering milk in a bottle whenever I thought he needed it, which led to lots of wasted formula. Now he gets three big bottles of milk a day and only water (from the tap when we're in the U.K., bottled water abroad) or solids in between. It's brilliant!! DS loves water.

So I would say formula fed babies don't really need water any more than bf babies (formula is almost entirely made up of water after all) but it can be a great help when you're weaning.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Actually there is a difference. Studies say that BF babies never need supplementary water even when it's very hot or they are feverish. As long as they feed on demand. They feed shorter but more frequent. Formula doesn't change over time or a feed, BM does. So it is possible that FF babies could need small amounts while BF babies never do.

[BugLand]

At the session about introducing solids that I went to recently the HV and midwives said official advice is to offer sippy cups with water from 4 months (even if breastfed). They said to use cooled, boiled water until 12 months.

This gets them used to drinking from a cup as well as having milk from bottles. They advised using Tommee Tippee free flowing cups or something similar, with no valve, and said it's paricularly good to do it from an early stage if your baby is reaching weaning age in this hot weather. They don't need to drink a lot but they have the option if you offer it, and gradually learn to hold it themselves. We offer a sippy cup every day with meals now.

[TittyGolightly]

At the session about introducing solids that I went to recently the HV and midwives said official advice is to offer sippy cups with water from 4 months (even if breastfed). They said to use cooled, boiled water until 12 months.

Sounds very odd. Official guidance is not to start solids before 6 months, so why would they advise water (which could well damage the breastfeeding they're required to encourage) from 4 months?

[MrsTerryPratchett]

The HVs were wrong.

[BugLand]

Having water from a sippy cup doesn't 'damage' breastfeeding.

[TittyGolightly]

If tummies are full of water, why would they then want milk?

[user1497480444]

milk, not water for babies

[yoyopoppop]

If tummies are full of water, why would they then want milk?

Because breastfeeding is about more than thirst/hunger? Especially later on. It's not like they just start guzzling water anyway you just offer it. I always thought weaning was about water and food rather than just food.