Confused! Should I be giving water to my breastfed baby?

[SoLongAsItsHealthy]

DS is now 6 months and fully breastfed. We have just started introducing solids, fruit and veg purees. Should I now be starting to give him some water? Everyone I meet with similar aged babies seems to be starting water but then I read that breastfed babies don't need it.

My concern is that if I wait much longer perhaps he won't want to take water from a cup at all?

If I should be doing water now - what kind, how and in what cup???

Why is all the advice on this issue sooooo conflicting!

no advice, but I am wondering the exact same thing! can anyone give their opinion on the water debate... thanks

Exclusively breastfed babies don't need it and shouldn't be given it except under exceptonal circumstances. It's a good idea to start offering it when they start solids, though. He still doesn't need it at the moment but over time as he reduces his milk intake you'll want him to drink water and it will be handy if he's into the swing of it.

Give him some water in a sippy cup along with his solids, but don't expect him to actually drink it now -- it's mostly likely to end up being poured over his head/the highchair. But it's a fun way to introduce the idea of drinking with meals.

Usual advice would be that just as you introduce new foods to your baby from about 6 mths, you introduce water as well - the thing about no water for bf babies is for babies under this age.

He doesn't actually need water yet really, but it's perfectly fine to offer it, as a new skill and to get him used to it and enjoying it :)

Great, thanks! And is it just normal tap water (which is yuk as we live in London - bleurgh!) or mineral water which DH and myself drink? And are we back to the cooling/boiling antics of the early weeks?

Oh, and can anyone tell me which cup to buy? I don't really know the difference between sippy/beaker/valve/spout and open?

You could try offering it to him in a beaker when he is in the bath so that it doesn't matter if he tips it over himself. Make sure you use tepid water though as cold water would just be a shock! I did use the cold water method on my son when he was much older though in order to teach him how to sip out of a 'proper' cup without spilling it!

Ooh, in the bath - that sounds genius!!

No need to boil water at this age as they are usually popping everything from the floor into their mouths anyway! I used a hard plastic beaker with a spout as they are more durable. Watch out with some beakers as they have to bite down on them to get the water out. Not a good idea for a BF baby!

The dental family liaison woman who came around said to make sure it was a free-flow cup - ie turn it upside-down and water flows out. Apparently the spill proof ones will bugger up the teeth.

The Tommee Tippee first cup is perfect and very cheap in Sainsbury's.

What TikTok said, and second tommee tippee first cup. Wasted loads of money on other "fancier" ones.

On the mineral water front, just be careful about hidden sodium as babies can handle such a small amount of salt.

I still use cooled boiled water and ds is nearly 2, just don't like the idea of tap water.
tommee tippee cup is best we got one free from the hv

So boil and cool tap water then?

Ok, thanks all - I'm going to try him with a bit now... just for fun!

No, there is no need to boil and cool tap water at this age!

No - just tap water! Definitely no need to cool and boil at this age, besides - have you ever drunk cooled boiled water? It tastes grim!!

Don't give mineral water as it can have too much sodium in it.

sneezecake - really?? What on earth is wrong with tap water?

I started offering boiled cooled tap water to DS in a tommee tippee basic beaker at 4 months just for him to get used to it but BF babies don't need water.

I gave him just tap water once I started weaning although it's not essential. I like to have a drink when I eat so it seemed natural to give him a drink when he ate.

Seems such a long time ago now, he's a very independant 3 year old who likes to have a glass at every opportunity!