How much water should I give?

[jezmond]

Hi, I've just started exclusively formula feeding my DD (19 weeks old). As a rough guide, how much water should I be giving her?

Sorry, I should have added, in addition to her milk bottles!

Hi Jez
I dont think you are supposed to give any extra water, unless starting solids or constipated?
But not 100%

No need for extra water until you start her on solids

I thought you only give extra water in hot weather? Because Breast milk adjusts for thirst and hot weather etc but formula doesn't .

That's exactly right - so no water needed unless we have a heatwave. Of course I'm assuming you're in northern hemisphere?

When you eventually move on to solids if you find thatdd gets constipated then dilute fruit juice usually gets things moving.

Any constipation is almost always down to insufficient fluid intake, so you'll soon know if dd needs more.

Hi, yes I'm in Scotland!

Some of my friends give water to their babies and I asked my health visitor if I should too. She said it was not a problem to offer a little water each day if I liked. Baby not on solids yet and not constipated though.

hey, fortyplus. from what you say it seems that i need to give dd (7 months) water because she is now eating some solids? she's never had any liquid other than breastmilk and is still pretty dependent on that. will she be up for water?! or think it's weird and boring after breastmilk? have I left it too late?

We tend to give the water to DS1 at mealtimes in a cup. He just drinks as much or little as he wants. If yours is happy with bf then you don't HAVE to give water, I think the general thought is that you give water along with the solids when the amount of milk they take reduces on weaning.

My HV said that once weaning really starts getting underway, they may start to refuse milk after eating a solid meal and that is when you should offer water.

Pushkin - if she needs it, she'll drink it. Mine had dilute fruit juice but I can't remember how old they were. But of course it needs to be weak or it'll be bad for her teeth when they come through - it's best only to give drinks that have any sugar in them at mealtimes when the saliva is flowing.

Don't worry about it being too late - far from it! You may be able to get her to go straight to a spout cup, but get one with just one hole to start with or she'll splutter it all over the place!