how young can you feed a (bottle fed) baby water? - advice needed

[lubella]

I have heard that warm water / sugar water can be fed to a baby to calm them and replace fluids. Can anyone tell me a bit more about this - my baby is Formula fed and 12 days old

Ta muchly x

god, no. Why would you want to do that? I assume your baby needs calming, is he/she upset at a particular time of day? Wanting to be held a lot?

FF babies may need some cooled boiled water only in very hot weather. I know it's a bit unseasonable, but it ain't that hot!

Keep posting and we'll come up with some ways to help you that don't involve giving sugar to a young baby.

I thought the sugar thing sounded a bit odd - but what about the water - is DD too young to be given some - I was told that Formula fed babies can need this...

In hot weather, but otherwise, no. Why would you need to replace fluids, is she sick?

and it's not too calm her as such i just thought that as BF didn't work for me so I had to stop, that she would need to replace fluids for her...maybe I am being a bit of an idiot...

Well, you do need to replace the breastmilk with something (I think the formula would be a good second choice ). I think you're probably thinking of the fact that bm changes to accommodate changes in temperature, etc. whereas obviously formula doesn't. But there's plenty of water in with the formula - assuming you aren't feeding it to her 'neat' on a spoon

good advice tribpot......definitely no sugr water...if hard to settle, try swaddling...and a baby sling and more feeding if neccesary.might be having a wee little growth spurt around now...

way too early to expect any routine or pattern, go with the flow, feed on demand, as you would if BF and try swaddle and sling.......

don;t worry about replacing fluids.....she is getting water from formula, as it were ...milk and milk and cuddles is all she needs right now...

I formula fed my son from day one and i was advised always to offer cooled boiled water. Aparently they can need it.
But NOT with sugar.

at the mo..tiny tums need filling with milk......not water.....if the baby is hungry, he needs milk...and there are other ways to soothe without using water

swaddle

rock

cuddles

etc....

very few babies will take water willingly anyway, it's not much fun when the alternative is milk.

I think I started offering water at 4-5 mths just so that DS got used to someting that wasn't milk (just an occasional sip from the lid of an avent bottle) BUT he usually spat it out until about 7 mths - this was even when we went on holiday and it was really hot - so he obviously didn't need or want it.

thanks guys - this makes sense and yes tri that's exactly my logic - I knoe that the Foremilk was watery and thought I would have to replace it. Could any of you advise the best time to introduce a "routine" of some sort ?

i wouldnt worry about a routine for quite a while yet..at this age, you might get a good routine for a few days, then they have a growth spurt and it all changes..then you get another routine, they get a cold, it all changes..then they teethe....etc etc...

be guided by what you little on needs. each day, and they will find their own pace....x

babies tend to find their own routine at about 3 months. at this time, just cuddle them as much as they want, feed when they want, change when they need it, sleep when they need it.

sorry to hear bf was not working out. i remember i posted on another one of your threads. is it something you willingly wanted to stop or did you feel you 'had to' due to circumstances? sorry if you think i am being nosy. it's just that i know how difficult it can be when you are on your own and the going is hard. and {{{hugs}}}