To give my nearly 4 week old baby some water?

[elm26]

Hello

I made a thread the other night as it's 26-28 degrees in my flat all night long, my usually content nearly 4 week old has been so unsettled last couple of nights.

I've tried sleeping her in a nappy, in a nappy with a muslin wrapped around her, in a nappy and a vest and she's not satisfied at all bless her. The back of her hair, neck and back are sweaty.

She's formula fed and plenty of wet nappies, however my Stepmum (long time Nanny of many children and babies as an occupation) suggested I give her half an oz to 1oz of cool boiled water (not to replace formula) just to see if she may be a little thirsty.

I thought guidelines have changed now and we're not meant to give babies water however I googled and NHS says that formula fed babies can have small amounts in hot weather but I'm still nervous as a first time mum that I'm going to hurt her somehow! She also hasn't done a poo for 2 days and I've heard water can help with constipation (I've tried bicycle legs, massaging tummy etc).

Did any of you give your newborns a tiny bit of water in hot weather or shall I leave it?

Breast milk is more watery in the heat so they don’t need it!

Try 1oz. If giving healthy babies small amounts of cooled, boiled water was dangerous, there would have been publicised cases.

Because in hot weather, the breast milk produced is more hydrating. It's a clever bit of biology.

The HV has actually added a note to my app to say she had advised baby is being over fed.

She was 5lb 15oz when born a week early, she's now 7lb 1oz and midwives have said she's thriving.

If I give her the recommended 2-3oz she cries for more and they told me to wake her every 2 hours as she could go into a deep sleep and never wake up if I leave her for 4 hours in between feeds as that's how long she sleeps.

It's all causing me so much anxiety and I suffer with it anyway.

I had a newborn last summer, remember those days that were over 30 degrees 🔥.

HV said that baby could have a bit of boiled and cooled water but no more than 2oz over the whole day. That being said baby had no interest in it and didn't have it anyway 🤣

Just wish I could have breastfed but my milk wasn't enough and she wouldn't latch. Feel useless right now.

My understanding is that breast milk adapts itself to all sorts of things, so in hot weather will have more water in it / be more 'diluted' if you like.

Formula is always the same, and you can't put extra water in as then it can fill baby up without giving them the nutrition they should be getting.

Water will help hydrate, but baby is unlikely to drink very much of it (as it doesn't taste like milk) so wouldn't get full up on water and then refuse milk. Which could happen with extra diluted formula.

Ignore your HV. You are doing a great job and I’m sorry you’re so anxious. When you’re a new mum it’s a bloody minefield trying to navigate the steps. Feed your baby when she’s hungry. The HV may have a manual, but the baby sure as heck hasn’t read it. If your baby is content and settled with a bit of extra milk then again I urge you to follow your gut. You need sleep and not to feel fraught with worry, your health matters too OP x

You are not useless, not in the slightest. I know it’s hard OP but try to remain positive. You can do this. You are mum, you know what your baby needs.

Ah I feel for you. I know it's easier said than done but honestly try not to worry. They're tough little things babies even though they're so little.

If she's hungry give her formula and maybe try a drop of boiled cooled water if you think she needs it.

Unfortunately being unsettled in hot weather is just part of it, I mean even I struggled to sleep last night so it's nothing to worry about.

I’d give water, it was advised when I had my now 6YO. 2oz per day max, 0.5-1 ounce at a time.

Oh good grief. What a lot of pressure.

Look, not all HVs are as good as the best HVs and they're not always right.

If the baby is following its growth percentile and is thriving - and isn't throwing whole feeds back up - I very much doubt she is being over fed. All this "by the book" exact times and amounts of feeds was very popular in my mother's generation but babies are individuals.

You know your baby. You know her better than the HV does. If she's losing weight or something major that's different but a happy, healthy baby who hasn't read the guidance about exactly how many ozs to take at which hour of the day, is a very normal baby.

As for the water, if you think she is hot and a bit dehydrated, follow your instincts, using appropriate caution.

It makes me quite annoyed to think of HVs nitpicking away nonsensically and undermining mothers' confidence.

It doesn't matter. Let it go. You're feeding her well and are very attentive to her needs. That's what she needs: food and love.

Completely agree with this!

HVs, although I'm sure well intentioned, can make any mum feel crap!

Trust your gut. And if the HV makes you feel worse rather than helping you could try asking for a different one or even opting out altogether.

All babies are different so one size does not fit all for feeds, clothes, milestones etc.

My baby was formula fed after a while and we were told to change the water to formula ratio, so for an 8oz bottle we only put in 6 scoops of formula, it really helped with constipation. We didn't give him plain water until we started weaning.

Right. No. Just no.

You are doing a fab job, breastfeeding is not a reflection on how well you are doing. At all. I promise you. The very fact you are worried means you're a really good Mum. You're doing great.

I understand, I couldn't breastfeed and I really beat myself up over it. Honestly I do understand. It's OK. You're doing the right thing.

What is baby's weight chart looking like? Is she tracking her centile?

I'm sure she's fine. I'd ignore. But, if you're worried, the GP will probably be happy to reassure you. I know whenever I took DD to the Dr they always said they'd rather see a perfectly healthy baby in clinic than have a worried mum at home.

In some places in Greece a babies first feed is chamomile tea. The mothers are then advised to keep alternating milk and chamomile tea. I have seen my friends babies thrive on it. Obviously it’s a much hotter country and I had never heard of it before or would have dreamt of doing it, but thought it might ease your mind that a little bit of cooled boiled water is not going to harm your child.

Congratulations on your baby. 💐

If your flat is very hot then try putting the Moses mattress on the floor where it will be cooler. Cover her with a muslin but don’t wrap it around her .

Tiny bits of water (cooled, boiled) are fine (and even recommended) for FF babies in hot weather. She may not really be interested in it though. Make sure to offer lots of extra milk feeds. Never add extra water to the milk, however tempted. And remember, as long as her nappies are plenty wet, she IS fine.

Sorry if someone else has already suggested this but, to keep her cool:

rather than directing a fan on her, direct a fan near her and place a frozen bottle of water in front of the fan. Like a 2L pop bottle or 4 pint milk bottle. Keep spare bottles in freezer. It really REALLY helps. Lowers the whole temp of the room.

My youngest was 4 weeks old in the 37 degrees heat wave last year. She survived it!

OP,
8years ago one of the midwives advised to give my DD (then new born) 1 oz of boiled and cooled water (1oz) in between the feeds (formula fed)
Also you can prepare your formula in chamomile tea. Helps with sleeps, but careful with chamomile as it can cause allergic reaction.

I’ve reported this post as no matter how well meaning the suggestion is potential life-ending.

babies can die from hypovolaemia & ‘flushing’ a baby’s ‘system’ is not a thing. I’m sorry anyone ever suggested this to you and if it was a colleague of mine I would be making sure they were re-trained in infant feeding because this is dangerous

Use a smooth-edge teaspoon to give her a little sip (cooled boiled of course).

You are not useless at all, all we can do is our best at the time and most importantly enjoy them at this age.
I would also say your husband should be on the sofa if he needs to be up early for work not yourself and the baby.

I can't do this and leave her unsupervised due to having a spaniel. He's lovely and gentle and not aggressive but I'd never leave them in a room together. Her Moses is in the corner of the room where the sun doesn't get to.