how much water...

[sunnyweather]

....do you give to your lo? My ds is 71/2 months is breastfed and is eating 3 small meals a day. He breastfeeds less often these days so im worried about him getting dehydrated. Also getting mixed messages from hv. Should I be giving him as much food as he will take or should i limit portions so that he is more inclined to take milk? Or is there no right answer?? His nappies are perhaps a bit lighter during the day but are v heavy in the morning(he does most of his breastfeeding at night these days)

I think there is no right answer without seeing your ds, how much he eats etc. I'd just keep offering water (its about getting the skills to move to a cup as well as hydration) and offering breastfeeds inbetween.

Are you worried he would eat a huge amount of food if you kept giving it? Milk should still be an important part of his diet at this age, while food is more about new experiences. Food is fun until they are one!

And lots of food contain water remember.

If you offer milk before solids and then offer a sippy cup with meals (no need for water inbtween at this age). Then that should be enough at this age.

I would trust your baby, if you are still bf on demand and offering water with meals, then you've nothing to worry about.

Your 7.5mo will let you know if he's thirsty :)

My DS is 7 months and exactly the same. I have also had similar concerns but have chilled a little about it all now. I thought i was struggling to get enough milk in in between the food but like you, DS feeds lots at night. What I try to do is to offer the breast about an hr before food as this doesn't seem to affect how much he eats. If I do it the other way and offer the breast after food he doesn't want the milk. He feeds at about 8, has breakfast at 9. Feeds at 12.30, has lunch at 1.30 ish. Feeds at 5 and has tea at 6. This seems to be working well. I do give him water with meals but he doesn't take massive amounts. Don't worry sounds normal to me. Soon enough they won't want milk at all during the day!

DD is 7.5 months and pretty much the same. I offer a cup with the solids which she loves, but more for the fun factor of tossing it about, I don't think she actually drinks much!!! She still bfs a lot, although more at night and quantities of solids vary from day to day.

thanks folks! ok ill stop worrying that sippy cup tends to get poured down his front!
think perhaps i need to chill out....

Blimey, HVs do my head in. Milk is still the primary source of nutrition until they are 1. Listen to your baby and let them decide what they want when - I obsessed about e fact that DS wasn't sleeping through at 7 months and the Hv told me I needed to do controlled crying. I decided to wait and see and DS now sleeps through perfectly from 9.5 months. Just let nature take its course and offer water with every meal. He will drink if he is thirsty.

33 some are great but 1 girl i see seems to be giving a different message from the others...she is really keen for me to be giving him lots of food. When she heard he wasnt sleeping thro without a feed she suggested adding in an afternoon snack. I felt really funny about it and didnt do it....i feel like breastmilk is important and if I give him too much food he willtake less....think this might be because i love breastfeeding him and am slightly dreading the end of that tho! im surprised by how emotional i feel about weaning....i just dont want to rush it! Its difficult to find out about what is normal in breastfeeding for older weaning babies- most of yhe info seems to be about tiny babies...anyway trying to just chill out about the whole thing