when to introduce water / juice in combined br/bottle fed 3mo

[AngeandLuka]

hiya... a friend of mine has suggested that i should begin offering my 3mo ds bottles of cooled water or very diluted apple juice. i think this is a) to get him used to drinking water and liking it (hopefully!) and b) because he will need the extra liquid now that i'm doing formula as that is food only, not the food/drink combo that breastmilk is...

i am bf in the night, first thing in the morning, and once in the afternoon, plus three bottles of formula (mid-morning, before bed and last evening feed).

anyone got the answer??

Personally I don't think it is necessary yet or indeed until he drops milk feeds during the weaning process, and even then definitely no real need for juice - baby, diluted or otherwise. If he were exclusively formula fed and it was hot then maybe.

i think you only need to give water to a ff baby when it's very hot. i'm not sure how it works if it's winter and with you mix feeding.

my dd is bf and i have only just introduced a small amount of water with her lunch and tea, she is 6 months.

fwiw i wouldn't introduce juice at all until maybe 1 year old.

I exclusively ff DS (who is 5 months) and I don't give him any extra water - I was told that you only need to do that if it is very hot so I did give him cooled boiled water during the summer months but not now so I don't think you need to worry - certainly not diluted juice.

my dd never had juice til she was 3, rod for your own back re getting them to drink water if you give them juice too early IMO

im pretty sure that you dont have to offer water until weaning as it wil fill the child up the same amount but not offer the calories that milk does. i wouldnt worry till you'r offering solids!

No need for water or juice. If you think he is thirsty between formula feeds why not just pop him on the breast?

Er....what makes you think formula is food only? What do you think you mix the powder with ?

Bf or combination fed babies don't need juices or water until 6 mths.

I think it's a debatable point whether ff babies need it, even in v. hot weather, too.

I'd avoid juice too- not good for developing teeth, and they need room in their tummies for milk, milk and more milk! Relatives keep asking why i don't give DS (22wks) juice and i have to keep explaining myself!

Good advice here. I think you need to stop listening to your friend too....

My DS drinks tons of water and still has plenty of milk and solids (he is 9 months). Started offering it in summer when he was younger and it was v hot, and he has got hooked on it. He sometimes refuses milk but wants water so is obviously thirsty but not hungry, but none of my friends' babies drink much. Anyway, dont think you need to offer, as someone else said, until dropping milk feeds when older and thus he will be getting less liquid. Def not juice. My MIL is always saying "oooh, DH always had juice when he was a baby and he has perfect teeth" etc etc. Grrrr. She tried to make me give DS juice when he was two months old....

I personally wouldn't think of giving water until the los is started to wean onto solids - before then they should be just having bm or formula.

Giving water may suppress their appetite for milk and this is all they should be having at 3 months.

Don't give juice - far better to give water - and ignore your friend!

thanks for all the input... i'll leave it.

tiktok, i read somewhere in one of the many bits of baby literature i have recently read that formula was food only and breastmilk drink and food (because fore and hind milk) - god knows where though... i'll tell you if i suddenly get my memory back!