Should i offer water to DD during this heat?

11 replies

Justtrying · 27/06/2011 10:10

DD is 4 weeks old and fed on demand expressed breast milk, with one formula top up in the evening. Whilst its so hot, should i also offer her some cooled boiled water? She takes about 3.5ozs of milk each feed and feeds every at least 8 times a day normally feeding every 3.5 hrs but cluster feeds in the early evening taking 3 feeds in about 4 hrs.
Am trying to keep her cool with tepid baths and shes just in a vest and nappy, flat out a present in her cot, not basket so there's more air.

OP posts:

RitaMorgan · 27/06/2011 10:13

Breastfed babies don't need extra water - just give her milk if she is thirsty. She'll probably want to feed more frequently while it's hot.

organiccarrotcake · 27/06/2011 10:16

Well, the difference is that with a baby fed expressed milk they're not taking it in the same way as a BF baby, as the fore and hind milk is more mixed. Is it possible for you to put your baby to the breast? Obviously there's a problem with that as you're expressing - can you give more info?

mummytime · 27/06/2011 10:30

Do make sure you are drinking enough during the heat!

beanlet · 27/06/2011 10:38

Standard advice to BF mothers in Australia, where very hot weather is more of a problem and BF is also much more common, is that if it's very hot and you are concerned about dehydration in a newborn, it's OK to supplement BF with small amounts - a couple of mL per time - of cooled boiled water in a feeding syringe.

Make sure you are also drinking loads of water.

crazybutterflylady · 27/06/2011 10:42

I am in the same boat OP. I am breastfeeding rather than expressing though. I gave DD (5 weeks old) a bottle of water yesterday, just 1oz. It was more to see if she would take it since she's not had a bottle yet. She did and it seemed to help her so I have made one up again today in case she needs it. I don't want to overbred her since she is gaining weight really quickly anyway and has been sick in the past if she overfeeds. I think it's worth a shot, water won't do them any harm especially in this heat.

Good luck

crazybutterflylady · 27/06/2011 10:43

Obviously that should be overfeed not overbred bloody iPhone!

Yesmynameis · 27/06/2011 10:49

I think it would be ok to give a small amount of cool boiled water between feeds, as she is mixed fed with a formula top up. I also agree with what organiccarrotcake has said.

pinkgirlythoughts · 27/06/2011 11:30

I've been giving DS (5 weeks) a bottle of cooled boiled water to cool him down in the heat, mostly because otherwise he'd want to be attached to the breast all day, which was making me quite sore. He only takes a few sips at once, but it does seem to calm him quite well.

MigGril · 27/06/2011 11:56

I'm not quit sure how you would stand as your expressing and not feeding directly.

But for those laddies who are feeding driectly, you shouldn't give water in a bottle to an exculsivly fed BF baby as you are then filling there tummy's with water and not milk which is what they need. BM is fantastic and your baby and your body know when it's hot so your milk will change and your baby's feeding habbits will change to sute so no need to suppliment.

Original poster

Justtrying · 27/06/2011 12:15

Thanks for all your replies, haven't given her water yet, but have some prepared in case, she seems to have adapted by feeding more often but taking less each time. I'm drinking lots too.

OP posts:

TruthSweet · 27/06/2011 13:58

Generally speaking water is not a good idea to give to bf babies. We evolved in Africa as a species so our milk producing glands are good at making high water content milk and our babies are good at getting at it if we don't schedule/delay feeding them when they cue for it. BM is on average 88% water.

Giving extra water can upset the electrolyte balance in the baby's body. Giving lots extra can lead to some very serious problems (even death if enough water is given - 15l a day of water will kill an adult). Water in BM preserves the electrolyte balance in the baby's body but straight water doesn't - it just dilutes the electrolytes which can lead to seizures or water intoxication.

John Hopkins Children's Centre (the famous US children's hospital) recommends not giving water to children under 1 year who are not on solids regardless of bfing or formula feeding.

Also, excess water drinking in mothers in an attempt to change the water balance of her milk or increase her supply can lead to lower than normal supply and wouldn't change the water content any way. More details here

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