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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

giving water to bf baby

15 replies

neilsmum · 02/11/2006 19:10

hi!ds is 12 wks old and breastfed.inspite of taking a huge feed at 10.30 pm, wakes up again at 3.00, feeds little, wakes up at 5.30 and then 6.00.his weight again is better than average!the book by the lady whose name i am not supposed to mention says to give boiled cooled water at 3.00 and then feed at 5.00.does anyone have any experience with this?

OP posts:

bundle · 02/11/2006 19:11

no need to give a bf baby of that age water at all

PinkTulips · 02/11/2006 19:13

bollox, if he's waking for food at this age he's hungry. let him feed and he'll settle out later, or you can be stricter once he's on solids and definitely doesn't need it.

have you tried co-sleping? takes the annoyance out of night time feeds!

Original poster

neilsmum · 02/11/2006 19:31

but he is losing interest in his 7.00 am feed

OP posts:

bundle · 02/11/2006 19:31

and?

bababoo · 02/11/2006 19:35

Your baby's still not used to day and night time yet, they are just hungry all the time at that age (mine was anyway!). Definitely don't give water, because then your baby won't be getting as much breastmilk as he needs,as each time they feed it tells your body how much supply is needed, and it works especially well at night. You'll notice on warm days breastmilk is more watery because your body naturally adjusts the content of the milk according to whathe's hungry then feed him, water will just fill him up for a little bit before he's hungry again anyhow. Like pinktulips said get stricter once he's on solids - they grow so much at this age they need the energy!

bababoo · 02/11/2006 19:37

as soon as they get into a routine that you're used to they change it anyway, no point fighting IMHO

hotandbothered · 02/11/2006 19:38

Agree with everything said already!

ABadMouseNibbledMyFireworks · 02/11/2006 19:38

He can't tell the time (or read books!).

And he shouldn't have water this little. Milk much better for him.

Original poster

neilsmum · 02/11/2006 19:41

well, you have a point there bundle!

OP posts:

bundle · 02/11/2006 19:42

Daisymoo · 02/11/2006 19:56

I tried giving "cooled boiled water" with ds2 when he woke in the night. All it did was make him very cross and turn a quick 20-minute feed into a 1 hour battle to get him back to sleep. I co-slept with the next two - sooooo much easier, never really noticed night feeds at all.

mears · 02/11/2006 20:16

neilsmum - why does he need a 7am feed? Leave him to look for it when he wants it. Definitely no need to give BF baby water.

mamijacacalys · 02/11/2006 21:09

Adding my vote to the co-sleeping brigade.

It all settled with my DD at approx 10 weeks (she is a big baby on 91st centile) and she only wakes up at approx 1 and 5 now at 17 wks (hardly notice the 1am feed due to the co-sleeping!).

I'm sure you're DS will settle more for you soon and you'll have less night feeds.

Have never given water to either of my bf babies (DS didn't have it until weaned. i.e. from a cup to accompany meals.)

DizzyBint · 02/11/2006 21:14

he needs a 7am feed because no author of no book says he should have one. like the others have said, your baby hasn't read any books.

terramum · 02/11/2006 22:16

Bf babies dont need water - bm is 88% water!

kellymom has an excellent page with loads of links & info about this

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