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Original poster

Can I give newborn water to top up?

180 replies

Watermelonbaby1 · 18/06/2020 09:03

My son is 11 weeks old and has become a very hungry baby! Recently he has been wanting to eat every 3 hours almost on the dot. I am giving 6oz bottles at the minute which is too much to feed him every 3 hours so I try my best to play/talk/keep him occupied to reach 4/5 hours at least before I feed him but most of the time he screams and sucks on hands so viciously that I have to feed him earlier. As soon as he’s had his bottle he’s the happiest baby smiling so I feel awful trying to make him wait all the time. I have tried giving him less oz per feed but this leads again to even more frequent feeding. From 12 weeks I have been told he should be on 7oz bottles every 5 hours so would like to give him this but scared he will gain too much weight because he will still want to feed every 3 hours. When I went for an appointment at 9 weeks he was just slightly above average weight but am now scared he’s gaining too much as he’s eating more often than he was then. So my question is can I give my newborn cooled down boiled water with just a bit of formula in every so often when he is wanting to feed constantly so he’s happily full but will not put on as much weight?

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Bleepers · 18/06/2020 14:48

At this age it doesnt matter if they put on weight - you WANT them to gain weight.

Just feed him when he wants. I do understand it's easy to get obsessed by routine and hours etc and I was tearing my hair out with my baby feeding every 2 hours until she was about 16 weeks but it does settle down. You just need to respond to his needs at the moment - itll make your life, and his, so much better x

Sweetmotherofallthatisholyabov · 18/06/2020 14:57

FYI paced bottle feeding is the way you feed a baby a bottle, not the amount of time between bottles.

I know Gina is verboten here, but some of the things I like about her schedule was she'd suggest 3 hours between some feeds and longer and shorter between others so not 5 hours between every feed and also different size feeds. Same way you might want for for dinner less for breakfast. The other thing she suggested that I likes was split feeds. So instead of a 7oz bottle at 5pm, do a 4oz bottle at 4pm and maybe another 4oz at 6pm.

The guidlines on the box of formula are for average babies, nurses have a formula for the amount of milk you need per weight so that might be a better starting point. For what your baby needs in a day.

Purpleartichoke · 18/06/2020 15:01

No water

No schedule.

Feed your baby when he is hungry.

I would try an experiment. Make a smaller bottle, but offer it at the first signs of hunger. You may have to make a 2nd bottle, you may not. He may actually end up eating less overall and have a happier tummy. Or you might find he is just a big eater.

Either way, whatever he wants to eat at this age is what he needs. There is no agenda, no over-eating. Every body is different. His is asking for what it needs to thrive.

WotnoPasta · 18/06/2020 15:03

Not sure if OP will come back but try and make a note of times and amounts. You can see patterns emerging and this can also be a sign he wants more during the day and less at night, so might want more often.
Is he finishing all his bottles when he is fed or does he need more then. Sometimes they need a small break and a wind and you can offer more.

mrsswayze · 18/06/2020 15:17

I breast fed my 1st baby . So when I was unable due to medical issues with my 2nd baby i really didn't have a clue what's I was doing as my 1st son I fed on demand. In fed my bottle fed baby on demand as well. One of my friend told me of and said he should only be having 3 bottles a day! This was not the case my poor baby would be starving . If some one is telling you to only fed so many hours ignore them and take the cue from your baby.
Sending lots of love having a baby is worrying enough without folk jumping on the band wagon

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 18/06/2020 15:22

5hrs between feed is so long for such a young baby, their stomachs are tiny.
Honestly the time between feeds is such crap- I was told newborns feed every 3 hrs, err my LO barely left the breast for an hr.
don’t leave a baby screaming for food- there is no such thing as a greedy baby

ArtichokeAardvark · 18/06/2020 15:30

@PurpleArtichoke

YES she can give her formula-fed baby water. Check NHS website - no water needed for breastfed babies as breast milk adapts to hydrate, but FF babies can and should have water in addition to their normal bottles in hot weather to avoid dehydration.

This blanket 'no water' message spouted on MN is incorrect and frankly dangerous.

Original poster
Watermelonbaby1 · 18/06/2020 17:08

I’m not leaving him hungry, I think that has been taken the wrong way. I try to keep him occupied by playing etc and when he screams and sucks on his hands I feed him early which is why I’m worried because he is gaining weight quickly as I’m feeding him so often. I would never let my baby go hungry, when I can tell he is hungry he eats I’m just trying to not let him be in bad health by eating too much. Just following advice from my doctors meeting at 9 weeks where he said that he should be waiting 4/5 between feeds so he doesn’t go over recommended weight as he was already just above average and it is obvious he has gained quite a bit of weight in the weeks following that meeting. Also my health visitor has told me to give baby a bit of cooled down boiled water if he is looking dehydrated with all the hot days we have been having but told me not to give full bottles as it fills them up with no nutritional value. So this is why I was wondering when he is so hungry and has had 6oz a couple of hour ago if he could have cooled down boiled water with just a bit of formula in and then obviously another bottle when he is hungry again in the next couple of hours to prevent over feeding. Is it not cruel to let a baby become extremely overweight?

OP posts:
Original poster
Watermelonbaby1 · 18/06/2020 17:11

Also I tried giving less oz per feed when he was feeding extremely often but he is still hungry after even a 4oz bottle so I ended up always giving more after which in turn ends up more than giving the full amounts

OP posts:
WotnoPasta · 18/06/2020 17:12

If he’s hungry, he’s hungry. He might be having a growth spurt.

gamerchick · 18/06/2020 17:13

Have you ever met an extremely overweight 3 month old OP?

LemonPeonies · 18/06/2020 17:13

How would you be making your baby extremely overweight though? A few sips of water if it's really hot, yes. A full bottle of water with a "bit of formula " is insane and I haven't heard of the before now. If he's hungry feed him. I really wouldn't consider even chunky looking babies overweight or unhealthy. Do you have issues with food or weight yourself?

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 18/06/2020 17:14

3 hourly feeds are fine! Stop trying to stretch the feeds out.

ArtichokeAardvark · 18/06/2020 17:16

You should definitely be following your doctor's advice, not a whole load of strangers on Mumsnet.

FWIW, 4 hours between feeds is very normal - both my babies were on that routine. Obviously if they were starving hungry, I'd feed a bit early, but most times that routine worked just fine. To me, it sounds like you need to increase bottle volume. My son was a big baby (98th centile) and was definitely on 7oz feeds by 12 weeks- he is now a very normal sized toddler. The weight drops off when they get more active.

And please, please ignore all the ignorance on here about not giving water. If the weather is hot, your baby will need the additional fluids.

Clutterbugsmum · 18/06/2020 17:19

Feed your baby when he is hungry.

I have 3 children one was on 8 9oz bottles by 3 months and was never 'overweight', another one didn't drink more then 3oz at any time. They are all different.

Original poster
Watermelonbaby1 · 18/06/2020 17:21

Okay! I have come on here for advice I do not have family, no friends with children so I’m simply asking a question. I have not given him water and now will obviously not after hearing the comments. That’s what this website is for.
My baby is really not going hungry, if he is above average weight how can he be? When I play with him he will be happy smiling and when he’s hungry he screams and chews his hands instantly, I don’t leave him like this I give him a bottle which is why I am asking as I think I’m feeding too much, he’s not having too little. Also at night he feeds more often usually wakes every 2 hours and has a bottle nearly every time he wakes.

OP posts:
Wewearpinkonwednesdays · 18/06/2020 17:22

You can give a baby cooled boiled water, but not in replacement of milk.
Please don't leave your child hungry and try to keep him occupied. Feed him when he needs fed.

FlowerTink · 18/06/2020 17:22

My baby is 5 months old and feeds every 3 hours during the day, she has 7oz bottles. Feed your baby when they want feeding, do not worry about stretching. Don't give water instead.

My eldest was the same and on the chunky side, but now shes 5 she is tall and completely average weight.

CherryStoneTree · 18/06/2020 17:22

No to the water OP.
In the nicest possible way, have you gone 5 hours today without so much as a mouthful of tea let alone a snack? If he wants to feed once an hour small amounts then go for it, you’re not making a rod for tour own back.

WotnoPasta · 18/06/2020 17:25

He will wake more often at night if he isn’t getting enough during the day. It won’t stop completely, but it should help.
Like I said, if you keep writing it down you might find he takes the same within 24 hours anyway.

ClaraLane · 18/06/2020 17:27

You either need to give cool boiled water OR formula, not cool boiled water with a bit of formula in it - that is completely pointless. You’re not meant to water formula down which is essentially what you’d be doing.

Original poster
Watermelonbaby1 · 18/06/2020 17:27

Of course I will feed him every hour if that’s what he needs! but was concerned as he is 11 weeks on Sunday so only 2 and half weeks ago at my appointment my doctor told me he should be eating every 4 hours and this will gradually increase which he was at that time but now wants to feed all the time despite having a lot more formula

OP posts:
okiedokieme · 18/06/2020 17:27

I fed mine on demand, rarely went more than 2 hours. Just because you are bottle feeding it doesn't change their need to feed frequently

Original poster
Watermelonbaby1 · 18/06/2020 17:35

@ CherryStoneTree
I am not making a rod for my own back, my point is that he doesn’t just feed ‘once an hour small amounts’ he is hungry after these small amounts so I end up giving him more, he will not take just small amounts he wants large amounts but still feeds just as often.

OP posts:
TheDIsiilusionedAnarchist · 18/06/2020 17:36

If your baby wants more food give it to him.
Persistent early hunger leads to childhood obesity because a child who is not certain he will be fed when he is hungry will eat and eat and eat when food is available. The food insecurity in the early months lays neural pathways. The child learns scarcity and he learns he should take calories whenever he can.

A baby who is allowed to self regulate and is fed responsively learns abundance. He learns to respond to his inner cues of hunger and satiety and he learns to trust that he will be provided for. Later on he is the kid who is able to stop eating when full. He will grow the body that is right for him which may be fatter or thinner than you’d like but it is his natural body.

Your job is to provide regular amounts of appropriate food. His job is to decide how much he eats.