4 month old - water for thirst in hot climate

[Nearlythere123]

My DS is 4 months old and has been feeding every 3 hours during the day and roughly 4-5 hours at night.

I'm away for a month in a hot climate and my health visitor told me before I came away it was ok to give cooled boiled water for thirst.

I decided just to breastfeed though as it's easier for me and sure enough, in hot days I do need to feed him more often for thirst.

I'm fine with the days, but I'm finding the nights difficult. It's not as hot during the night - in fact drops to a coolish temperature but I'm doing more feeds at night also and I'm totally shattered. But I don't want to refuse feeds when he wakes up in the night (as I would do at home if he woke up when it wasn't his 'normal' feed time and I would just settle him back to sleep) as I'm never sure if he's thirsty and I don't want to deprive him if he is.

I'm wondering whether offering water between feeds in the day would help with thirst overall? Or I could give water at night.

So my question is a) does anyone have any experience of this and can offer any words of advice? b) if I give him water, how much should I give him and when should I offer it so as not to interfere with his feeds - I thought maybe half way in between feeds on hotter days?

Any help or advice would be really appreciated. Thanks.

[Scotinoz]

Hi,

No real help I'm afraid, other than I'm in Oz with an almost 3 month old. It's been pretty hot - 40 degrees - and she did feed a bit more but it settled down, almost as if she acclimated.

I was advised not to give water and that breastfeeding was all she needed.

Maybe just try settling him to rest whether it is thirst? It could just be the travelling that's upset the nights?

[Rosieliveson]

Hi, I'm not sure on the night time but was advised to offer cool booked water when it was really warm to help with thirst. Just gave a few mouthfuls from sippy cup every now and again. I found my little one did feed as often as was usual but wasn't taking any extra.

Just to note though, we went away before Christmas and DS morphed into a terrible sleeper at first! I think it was the change in environment as it wasn't hot at the time.

[Nearlythere123]

We've been away about 2 weeks, after the initial jetlag he seemed to settle down but the last few nights he's been waking up loads and is wide awake & chirpy at 3am. It's also been harder to her him down to sleep at night which I put down to the heat (at home he was going straight down without any fuss).

Maybe it's nothing to do with the heat & is just a phase he's going through!

[JRmumma]

4 months is also growth spurt and sleep regression territory.

If you are bf then you do not need to give water. If your baby just wants a drink then they will just get this from your breast.

[NomDeClavier]

I had DS in the tropics and didn't give water until 6m, and then with meals only until 12m. BF is the best thing as too much water can caused issues with not enough salt/sugar in the blood causing the brain to swell. That's extreme but the medics where DS was born were quite insistent about not giving too much water and not trying to stretch feeds out too much in the first months.

[HighlanderMam]

What JRmumma said.

Growth spurts are common around the 4 month mark. Baby feeds more to build up/increase your supply for their needs over the next few months. Feed feed feed.

It's tiring I know.

[Nearlythere123]

Thanks all! I'll just keep feeding him then as that's probably for the best. I had been putting the poor sleeping down to the heat & wasn't sure how to best handle it so I do actually feel a bit happier knowing it's just a phase (isn't everything just a phase?! )

[Nearlythere123]

Although that wasn't very useful advice from my Health Visitor really then was it? But that's a different conversation I guess.

[NotQuiteCockney]

It sounds like your HV's advice was based on bottle feeding. Your breasts know how hot it is, and adjust appropriately. Bottles wouldn't.