Have I got to start giving water now?

[Holymoly321]

DS is 6 mths and I've just started weaning. He's had four days of one meal of baby rice and today I've given him his first taste of pureed veg yum! He's mostly breastfed and has one-two bottles of formula a day. Do I need to be giving him water now too?

anyone?

I don't think you have to but you can. I did at about 6 months but not consistently (ie not even every day!). Perhaps offer a cup with meals and see how he gets on.

i think if it's warm then you should probably try. If he doesn't want it he won't drink it.

DO i have to sterilise the bottle that I give it to him in? And does the water have to be cooled boiled water?

You can offer it if you want to. I gave dd2 tap water from this age on (previously I had boiled it)

I stopped sterilsing at about this age too!

i think i gave cooled boiled water until about 12months.

i used water to introduce a cup rather than a bottle so don't think i sterilised just dishwashed everything.

I used tap water in a freeflowing tommee tippee cup with meals when I started weaning ds. From 6 months water for drinking can come straight from the tap without needing to boil it and it is best to start introducing a cup from around then too as you should aim to discourage the bottle by the time they are 1 year old.

the food standards agency and babycentre website both say you only need to boil water up to 6 months for a drink:

'For babies under six months old, take water from the mains tap in the kitchen and boil it. Remember to allow the water to cool before giving it to your baby'.

'Tap water should be boiled for babies up to six months of age. After that it can be offered straight from the mains supply'

thanks everyone, will offer him some water with lunch tomorrow - be interesting to see how he takes to the beaker ha ha!

I have started weaning my BF DD and I offer water but only while she is eating

Starlight, My HV said the same about boiling water up to a year - I think maybe that as based on old government advice and the HV's aren't up to date? I boiled it for a few weeks after 6mo and then thought "this is stupid" and stopped