introducing water to a bf - BLW baby?

[mothersmilk]

when do i need to? i cant remember when i did with dd. ds is now 7 1/2 months do i need to?
tia

I'd only introduce water to get your lo used to the cup as if you are feeding on demand your lo should get all of the fluids they need from that. I offered ds a small amount of water in a cup along with his meals from 7 months.

i had water in a cup available at all times as soon as ds started solids. he has always loved water.

I've offered him water properly since about 7 months. During the first month of blw I offered him a bottle / sucky cup thing which he didn't really take to. Since I've offered him what I think of as open water in a normal cup - no spout thing - he absolutely guzzles it. I think if he is having something sweet like apple or dryish like rice or pasta it seems to leave him thirsty. But then he likes to drink his bath as well so maybe he's just a water fiend.

Just at mealtimes and just for fun and to learn about using a cup. He shouldn't need water if you're still bfing him on demand (which you should still be doing if you're doing BLW).

but wouldn't following blw principles mean that he should be given the choice between water and bf?

Kellymom says here that it's fine to give sips of water from a cup from 4-6 months and that once you've started on solids some babies like it & can help prevent constipation.

My DD is 6.5 months and fully BF and we are doing BLW. I've been offering water in a cup with a spout for the last couple of weeks and she loves it - but not to drink! She has a mouthful if I guide it in and then just grabs the cup, shakes it up and down and gets water everywhere

Still, she seems to enjoy it so I'll keep going. At least it helps with cleaing up her highchair tray...