What age can you start to give babies water?

[kangel]

Straight forward question but I have no idea? My ds is 14 weeks??

I think you can give babies water at any age but they don't really need it if they are just on milk since obviously there is loads of water in milk - be it boob or bottle.

Thanks Flum - ds is on 100% bf but someone suggested giving him water too, incase he is thirsty and not always hungry.

don't think you need to, unless is maybe a heat wave or something.

i didn't give to dd til she was on solids as far as i can remember

Babies shouldn't really need extra fluid if they are bf, especially in this cool weather. I gave ds water as a drink from about 6 months, when he started dropping feeds, but only with food.

have started offering water to dd2 now she's started on solids (she's 6m). she does seem quite a thirsty baby and will drink whenever it's offered. dd1 never did but as others have said the fluid in the milk is enough until a bit later anyway. (i also know that water can be a good idea if it's very very hot - fat chance of that at the moment!)

Breastmilk 80 per cent water - why would babies need extra water?

Who's been making stoopid suggestions to you, kangel?

I gave ds water for the first time when he was 6 months old. I started giving him a sippy cup then when he started on solids as I was trying to get him used to a cup. I don't think he took much more than 1-20z at a time until he was about 7/8 months old.

i bottle feed and dd has been having cooled boiled water everyday since being a week old. only about an ounce or so but midwife told me it helps keep them regular iykwim

I think if you breastfeed the milk has more water and is less constipating than formula so a bottlefed baby may sometimes need some water.

A breasted baby pretty much never needs water while they are exclusively breastfeeding. I don't suppose it will hurt to give a bit but why bother really - there is a lot of stuff to do anyway with a small baby - why make more work for no reason.

breast fed - sorry !!

Thanks for your replies guys!.......I wont be giving ds and water until he goes onto solids. Someone I used to work with is feeding her ds water but then he is on formula and not bf. I plan on bf for a while yet so will keep going as I am.

Thanks again

my mum always used to go on about giving mine water in the early weeks, telling her that the midwife said dd didn't actually need it didn't make any difference, in the end i just said yes she's had water as with flum dd did not take to water till we started solids

Water is generally only needed after you've started weaning but would possibly be a good idea to have some to offer on really hot days. I'd really only worry if the baby is not weeing when in it's normal routine.