Do i need to give 7 month old BF DS water as well as BM?

[skidaddle]

He's been on solids for a month, eats well etc but his fontanelle is often slightly sunken. No other signs of dehydration but I wonder if it because he doesn't have much water (i offer but he's never keen). He has a lot of BFs throughout the day, often very short ones which I think means he's getting lots of thirst-quenching foremilk? So is this enough for him or do i need to really push the wayer as well?

thanks

no, so long as he is feeding on demand he'll get what he needs

I offered dd a beaker of water with meals at this age but she didn't get the hang of it till abouu 10m

It would not hurt in this heat, but if he is getting plenty of milk from you, he should be ok.

My HV told me (12 years ago!) that if dc was dribbling still then he was not dehydrated. It may be an old wives tale, but it has worked for me.

I di when he started on solids, but that's beacuse he was a bit constipated. Wouldn't do any harm to offer water with meals.

you could also try giving him water-rich foods like grapes and melon

As long as you are demand feeding then no, although it may help to offer at mealtimes just so he can get used to a beaker Our LO is only got used to it at about 11 months

My DD wouldn't drink any water until just after 1 year (and around the time I stopped BF). I did try and offer a beaker with every meal though but she was not bothered. I did give her a quick BF after each meal, and when we were on holiday in a hot country when she was around 9 months I was BF her constantly! I was worried that she wouldn't like water but once she started she loved it!

thanks all, I always offer him water but I think he is a bit of a boob-addict and always wants that instead - what can i say, he has good taste

Good to hear about babies getting the hang of cups around the 10 month mark - will wait and see what happens

thanks again

I always offer my bf DD2 (8m) water in a beaker at meals. Mostly to start good habits, but sometimes she drinks a lot, so I guess its needed. She can already manage it quite well on her own, though she does often need help getting it the right way up!

I think it has helped that she is DD2, and so my attention is split at mealtimes, therefore in order to get drinks when she wants them she had to figure out how to do it on her own!

I find she drinks more water when its lukewarm by the way.

that's interesting about the lukewarm water taliac - will try that and see if it has any effect.

DS is also my second child and so is often left to his own devices but this doesn't seem to involve him learning to drink by himself. Anyway if he was really thirsty I'm sure he would cry/make more of an effort to drink - my poor NSB

I gave my DS water when he started on solids for the same reason as Effie (I still think we have the same child in some strange alternate universe kind of way). It was COMPLETELY NECESSARY even though he was demand fed, though I was a WOHM by then so this probably made a difference as well.