When do you start offering water?

[lowrib]

My DS is 6 months, we've just started BLW, and he is breast-fed.

When do I need to start offering water? Is there a recommended age?

TIA

[MiniMarmite]

I started offering DS water once a day at 4 months, just to get him used to using a beaker. Did it in the afternoon about an hour before breastfeed due.

Later, when DS started having meals instead of breastmilk I would offer water with the meal where a feed had been dropped IYSWIM.

So, at almost 11 months he has water with lunch and dinner and mid morning and mid afternoon. He still has breastfeeds before breakfast, after his lunchtime sleep and before he goes to sleep at night.

If you decide not to completely replace breastfeeds at certain mealtimes then water is not needed of course - depends on what your plans are in terms of breastfeeding etc.

[terf]

Wow some of you are pretty hardcore on this forum - someone just seems to be asking whether their baby needs water - yet ppl seem to be getting so worked up about it. No wonder I'm (and quite a few people out there Im sure) seem too scared to put up any posts. I'd say offer it to your baby if he likes it he'll have some if not he won't. Personally I think (based on personal experience) my DD is 6 months and I've started offering her water with her meals - I think it helps her especially in not getting constipated. She doesn't have a lot and I only offer it to her in a cup - but she seems to enjoy it.

[lilacpink]

I first let DD try a sip at around 5 mths as she was interested (I drink water through the day). Then at 6mths I kept a fresh beaker of water for her through the day to sip on. She's never been a big drinker, but has had a beaker of water at night since the age of 2 and sleeps v. well as can have a drink if she ges hot.

[lowrib]

Care to elaborate?

[Mamulik]

lowrib sure, it means a lot)

[lowrib]

Mamulik I'm intrigued - does that actually mean anything?

[Mamulik]

[AnarchyAunt]

[Mamulik]

AnarchyAunt Анархия мать порядка

[frogmarsh]

I gave (tap)water from 6 months with the solids dd was trying, just because when you have a meal it's quite usual to have a drink with it isn't it? I didn't feel the need to give water at any other time then, but as she got older i started offering water when she had snacks too. I guess it's not really about the amount of water they're drinking but getting them used to a cup and drinking things other than milk.

[AnarchyAunt]

Whatever. They didn't need it and you were lucky it didn't damage your BF relationship.

Doesn't make it good advice or necessary for other babies.

[Mamulik]

AnarchyAunt my both kids had water from very begining, so no harm and they are healthy.

[AnarchyAunt]

An exclusively breastfed baby does not need any extra water.

There is sufficient water in breastmilk - it is around 88% water already!

The composition of breastmilk will alter to ensure the baby has their precise needs met at any given time. Giving supplementary water to a fully BF baby will disrupt the means by which this happens, and can lead to a drop in milk supply and also a drop in the babies nutritional intake if they fill up on water rather than BM.

[Seona1973]

p.s. I mean a baby who hasnt yet started solids.

[Seona1973]

they dont need extra fluids over and above their milk and too much water can actually be harmful to a baby.

[Mamulik]

AnarchyAunt baby need water as you need as well

[AnarchyAunt]

Mamulik - a exclusively BF baby does not need any extra water. BM is something like 80% water anyway!

Giving water to a fully BF baby will disrupt the supply and demand system of milk production and is a Bad Idea.

[Mamulik]

lowrib I am not saying give water instead of milk little bit of water - because baby need water.

[Seona1973]

dd and ds were formula fed and didnt get extra water until they were weaned onto solids (around 4 months for dd as that was recommended at the time and around 5 1/2 months for ds)

[lowrib]

• well not the hydrating yourself bit obviously!

I meant I assume FF babies don't need extra water?

[lowrib]

Mamulik I don't think that's right - while they're exclusively breastfed, they shouldn't be given water because it will simply fill their stomach, giving them no nutrition while leaving less room for the nutritious breast milk.

Brest milk is both food and water and no water at all is needed while they are exclusively breast feed. People used to give babies water in hot weather, but the advice these days is not to - you should simply make sure you are getting extra water yourself while breastfeeding - if you are well hydrated your baby will be too.

I assume the same is true for formula?

[Mamulik]

from very begining - around 2 months old

[JJ1471]

My son is nearly 6 months and I've been giving him sips of water since I started solids a few weeks ago and stopped breastfeeding. He has a bit while he's eating in between milk feeds, and I give him a little bit before he goes down for a nap. Just whenever I think he might like a quick drink. I offer it more frequently in hot weather. Having said that, he doesn't usually drink more than 2-3 oz over the course of a day.

I tried with a sippy cup to start with and he wasn't interested, so I got him used to the taste using a bottle and I've just recently re-introduced the sippy cup which seems to be working well.

[goingnowherefast]

My understanding is that because breastmilk is food AND drink, when they start taking in more solid food they often start taking in less breastmilk, and so will at some point need extra fluids. This probably isn't for a little while though - with dd it wasn't until around 10 months that she really started drinking water, and she always breastfed frequently so I wasn't worried. As the others said though it's more about getting them used to it at this stage, and so no need to worry about volume taken for a while as long as your dc is still breastfed on demand.

[crokky]

I thought that up until 6m, an exclusively bf baby doesn't need water at all. Once they are 6m, you should give water because they are having food. They don't need large quantities of water and you can just give water straight from the tap at this age.