Weaning & Fluids

[TinaFay]

Hi all, I've just started weaning my 20 week old baby. I was going to wait until 6 months only he's stopped gaining weight so my HV suggested getting some solids into him (+ he's quite sicky and appartently baby rice can help?!) Anyway, I'm sure I read somewhere that once a baby is taking solids, they need water as a drink as well. Is that right? I offered him a couple of oz of water an hour ago and he was not too keen - took about 1/2 oz and brought most of it back up again. Just wondered if this is necessary? Isn't the water in their milk enough? Tina

if he is breastfed then he shouldn't need any extra water

it can be helpful to offer a beaker of water along with the solids - more to get them used to the cup than the liquid itself!!

Breastfed babies do need some extra water once they start solids, otherwise - especially as they start eating greater amounts of solids, meat etc. - it puts too much of a strain on their kidneys. So it's good to get them used to the cup early, even if they only take a little.

(They need about 100ml of fluid of some sort a day per kilogramme of weight, so when they're at the point where they weigh more than they're getting in milk & food divided by 100, they need correspondingly more water to make up the difference, if you see what I mean. But that's not until later on.)

I'd read that breastfed babies don't need extra water unless it's very hot. As for FF babies, still trying to get a definitive answer...

I thought it was that breastfed babies don't need extra water just because it's very hot, because the breasts adjust and make more.

However, as far as I know the breasts don't make more to take into account the fact that the baby's now having some solid food, so you do need extra water to help with that. Although solids at this stage are likely to be pretty liquidy, it's important as the baby starts eating more stodgy food.

I am in the same situation. I offer water at meal times only and in a tommie tippie first cup. If she drinks it, she drinks it, if she doesnt, I dont force it. I always BF after a meal though

I am in the same situation. I offer water at meal times only and in a tommie tippie first cup. If she drinks it, she drinks it, if she doesnt, I dont force it. I always BF after a meal though