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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

8 week old dd doesn't like plain water.....alternatives??

41 replies

iliketosleep · 22/10/2008 09:23

With my other 3 dc I was told by the health visitor to drop a bit of sugar in the water to make it sweet and more appealing, although i never liked this idea I must admit it worked.

I dont really want to do this with DD3 as she is quite greedy as it is and i dont fancy bumping her weight up giving her sugar plus it cant do any good! Is there an alternative to giving just plain water? She will have 1 or 2 mouthfuls realise it isn't her milk and start 'gulp spitting' resulting in her bib, clothes and vest getting sodden.

I have heard that pure fruit juice in the water is ok but surely the acid in it would be bad for her?

Any advice much appreciated

OP posts:
Cheesesarnie · 22/10/2008 11:58

yes it can be.is it on your dc?the formula is enough the she shouldnt get dehydrated but if she seems to be and isnt taken water id visit gp who may give you hydrating thingy(cant remember name diorlyte?or age its from)

Tryharder · 22/10/2008 14:09

I used to give DS1 water because we lived in West Africa and it was HOT. Once he was on solids and not drinking as much milk (formula and breast), I used to add one spoon of formula to a bottle of water so he'd drink more watern (otherwise he'd turn his nose up at it).

flame me]]

This was when he was older than 6 months though, wouldnt recommend for a younger baby, obviously!

Tryharder · 22/10/2008 14:11

Eh? I meant "don't flame me".

Of course, in West Africa, I didnt have the benefit of all the lovely advice from HVs and MWs

MoChan · 22/10/2008 14:25

It used to be standard for HVs to tell you to put sugar in some water for a newborn but only when they were constipated because both water and sugar get the bowels moving. These days they're told to say orange juice instead, but again, only for constipation.

And the other time a baby needs water is when it's really hot. I really wouldn't worry about trying to get water into her.

fledtoscotland · 22/10/2008 22:07

my mother thinks i should give DS2 water (he's exclusively BF). i havent and i didnt with DS1 who was FF. I didnt realise it was recommended.

could her thirst/hunger be a growth spurt?

the only thing DS1 had was when on occasion he had trapped wind, i put 5mls of gripe water into 1oz warm water and that seems to soothe his tummy.

MyPumpkinDsHappyHalloweenBday · 22/10/2008 22:13

I gave both dc's dd7 and ds 3 small sips of water (cooled boiled) from few weeks old. It done them no harm and they both love it now. would never add sugar tho.
Loads of kids never given it as babies and therfore dont like it. It works for me,

tiktok · 22/10/2008 23:08

Plain water given occasionally is unlikely to do any harm, but young babies don't need it, whether formula or breastfed. It's not recommended, because it is not necessary; babies get all the water they need from the water content of milk.

Fruit juice isn't recommended, either.

I can't see, personally, why anyone would bother - what a hassle!

nappyaddict · 23/10/2008 11:55

tiktok - do ff babies not even need it when it is hot?

DaphneMoon · 23/10/2008 12:08

My DS hated water as a baby and still hates it. He takes a water bottle to school with half water and half flavoured water so that the teacher does not know. However he looks after his teeth and I am not suggesting that an 8 wo baby has flavoured water. A friend of mine was given sugar water as a baby and child. He has had false teeth since the age of 15, need I say more!!!

LittleMonkeysMummy · 23/10/2008 20:39

I'm Amy78 - felt like name change! I weaned my DD at 11 weeks as she was a flipping gannat!! She refused to settle (never slept longer than about 30 minues at a time) so I gave her baby rice and she had her first decent sleep ever. She is now 8m and a very happy and healthy wee soul who loves her grub!!

lulumama · 23/10/2008 20:43

a baby of this age needs nothing other than milk

the NHS clearly state that nothing other than milk is needed or recommended before 17 weeks.. and if formula milk is made according to the instructions, will provide food and drink

no need for sugar water, fruit juice or anything other than milk before 6 months

early weaning is contraindicated for many reasons. mostly that a baby simply is not physically ready to digest food or cope with it

weaning at 11 weeks is unecessary

sugar water or fruit juice is unecessary

lulumama · 23/10/2008 20:43

and weaning should be commenced around 26 weeks, with definitely no food before 17 weeks

lauraloola · 23/10/2008 21:53

Dd is 19 weeks and I have just started giving her water so that she gets used to a beaker and she sometimes strains when pooing - She is ff.

She isnt overly keen on water but enjoys feeding herself with her beaker and will drink some of it (spits most of it out).

I think because its so different to milk it takes a while for them to get used to it. I would never put sugar or juice in it as she would get used to that and it wouldnt be good for her teeth that are starting to come through x

spooka · 23/10/2008 22:02

Not having water to drink as a tiny baby does not mean that said baby won't drink water when older. Both mine do, and they didn't have water as small babies.

nappyaddict · 24/10/2008 19:53

lulumama - is water not even needed if it is very hot?

hatrickortreat · 24/10/2008 19:57

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