Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Oh no I think I have been dehydrating DD

51 replies

hobbgoblin · 07/06/2010 16:32

She has been non stop screaming today and so I resorted to taking her in the bath with me to sooth her. She fed in the bath and then weeed on me and her wee was so dark - got me thinking. She woke all last night and was wriggly and unsettled and chomping on boob constantly. I fed her 3 times each side in the bath and then she went sleepy so let her fall asleep on my bed wrapped in her bath towel. While she was asleep I decided I'd give her a bottle of water on waking. She has just gulped about 90z of boiled water which has just shocked me!

She is BLW, 10 months old and apart from when we have a bbaysitter for the odd evening she is EBF with goats milk formula otherwise.

She is now awake and a smiley baby again.

I feel terribly guilty. I have been very stressed the last couple of days and not eaten at all so I'm guessing my milk has been zapped.

Am I correct thinking that before 12 months I wasn't supposed to be topping up with any other liquids if my milk was still in good supply?

OP posts:

winnybella · 08/06/2010 11:38

Where did you read the advice about no need for water once the baby's on solids?

ShowOfHands · 08/06/2010 11:44

I think there's a lot of talking at cross purposes her but basically everybody is saying the same.

An exclusively bfed baby, not weaned at all needs only bmilk.

A baby who is still bfed but having solids alongside this should be offered water with meals at least and perhaps have water available throughout the day. Particularly as it's hot.

I think it's just hobbgoblin who was unsure.

Original poster

hobbgoblin · 08/06/2010 11:46

Oh goodness I don't know winny - it was amongst prolific Googling articles. Maybe Medhelp or something like that. I really can't remember.

She really has been happy as larry all this time with soft poos which just confirmed my thinking really. I was also vaguely aware of what you say jemjabella about differing opinions even amongst professionals so was attempting to go by instinct. The only thing that led me to doubt myself was the fact that DD was having an extremely rare crying day and that as she weed on me in the bath and I noticed her wee was quite yellow instead of clear I just assumed that it must be a thirst problem and set about sorting it, depsite my previous faith in BM being enough.

I don't mind her having water that much and not at all if she needs it but breastfeeding is very important to me as she has to share a lot of attention with 3 siblings at all other times, she will be my last baby ever and she is special for other reasons. I will give up BF over the next few months I am sure as the other DC were not fed beyond 12 months, but right now it is lovely and it is easy.

No problem with water IF necessary and yesterday I think it was. I would like some good advice on whether longer term water is essential.

OP posts:

winnybella · 08/06/2010 11:46

What colditz said, it's not a coke or whatever you would be giving her. Water with meals will not affect bf.
DD was always offered water throughout the day and still ate and bf lots.

winnybella · 08/06/2010 11:48

SOH is right.
I'm not in the UK, but what does the NHS or similar say about it?

winnybella · 08/06/2010 11:49

ok, nhs says to offer water with meals

winnybella · 08/06/2010 11:51

So does dd's carnet de sante (am in France).

I think you got confused between ebf baby not needing water and bf baby that's already eating solids.

jemjabella · 08/06/2010 11:52

While we're on the topic, might as well ask - is there a rough amount of water weaned LOs should be getting?

I give mine a doidy cup with water in and she perhaps gets 2-3 sips before it ends up all over her/the highchair/the floor.

No signs of dehydration so am assuming it's all good...?

ShowOfHands · 08/06/2010 11:52

Okay, to clarify. Bfed babies, particularly exclusively bfed babies will often be seen to take a lot of fluid from a bottle (formula/water) and it does not indicate a need for that volume of fluid necessarily. It's the sucking action, ease, novelty etc.

I think the thing is that you offer water to them. Make it available. Let them learn how to take water from a cup. And then they self-regulate in the same way as they have done with ebf and blw for example. DD wasn't massively keen on water as she weaned and bmilk was her main source of fluids but on occasion, especially when hot, she would surprise me and drink water quite happily.

The point is that you make it available. Still bfeed to demand and trust your dd to take what she needs.

I know she's special. She's a little wonder isn't she? I remember your pregnancy.

colditz · 08/06/2010 11:58

i think that we are biologically set up to drink if we are thirsty so if you offer it, a baby will drink as much as he/she needs (which may be nothing if they are getting all the fluid they need from breastmilk.

Original poster

hobbgoblin · 08/06/2010 12:07

okay, will offer a drink of water each solid feed as well as a BF, thanks. confidence restored

OP posts:

SPBHatesFootball · 08/06/2010 12:15

get your mop at the ready

Thandeka · 08/06/2010 12:31

a p.s to the replies directed at me-

DD isn't exclusively bfed- she is mixed fed- predominantly breast but some formula due to a really shite start to befeeding (tube fed, tongue tie, flat nipples, breast reduction to name but a few!).

As she does have some formula and wasn't pooing that often doc suggested giving her a little bit of water after a feed, I know this is contentious and other HCP's said it was unnecessary but hey ho its more for her to practise using her sippy cup (which is great fun as she covers herself in it!) but to be honest I rarely do- she probably has an extra 60ml of water once a week if she hasn't pooed in ages or if the weather is really hot- I know technically it is unnecessary but its not doing her any harm, makes me feel better and cools her down when she covers herself in water!

I am not worried about the amount she poo's anymore- makes nappy changes a lot easier!

Hope OP's DD is all happy now.

CantSupinate · 08/06/2010 12:39

Ha, I always defied the 'no extra fluids needed' advice for DC after they started weaning. This thread reassures me nicely it was right thing to do!

SPBHatesFootball · 08/06/2010 13:07

there is no such advice, surely????

SPBHatesFootball · 08/06/2010 13:08

"Offer sips of water from a cup with meals. "
here

ShowOfHands · 08/06/2010 13:13

There is no advice that I've ever seen. It's for exclusively bfed children. Children who are not weaned.

I'm surprised that anybody, let alone more than one person believes this. Is it a false assumption having seen the advice about ebf babies?

jemjabella · 08/06/2010 13:41

@ShowOfHands - I've heard professionals say it, and seen it on the 'net more times than I can count (inc. on the LLL forums)

I only give my little un water because I wanted her to learn how to use a cup. Glad I do now!

ShowOfHands · 08/06/2010 14:14

I've googled and googled. Every site that's come up says to offer water when you start weaning.

CantSupinate · 08/06/2010 14:18

Ditto to what jemjabella said, here are some examples (all relating to babies on solids):

Homemade-baby food site implying that water is very much optional at this point ("might not be harmful").

Someone named HK in 2009 replying on Mamapedia saying that breastmilk is entirely adequate as only fluid intake.

Allyp and MCM (2006) on Minti thread saying that only breastmilk is fine as only fluid, for up to 1 year.

Recent MN thread where LauratheDoula implies that offering only breastmilk will be fine indefinitely.

It may be misinterpretted and out of the mouths of fellow amateurs, but there's plenty of that advice around.

-------

ps: I found this really loopy link that says swimming sessions should be postponed until after the baby is 1yr old, in case of excess water intake that might lead to seizures. I just had to share.

CantSupinate · 08/06/2010 14:19

I've heard it a lot on Usenet, too, but I've spent too much time on this already to hunt down more references.

ShowOfHands · 08/06/2010 14:57

I mean more from the point of view of official advice and guidelines ever saying a bfed baby 6 months + shouldn't have water. For example the homemade baby food site clearly states that UK dept of health advice is that water may be given alongside solids and a couple of your links are people worrying that they've offered water and it's not being taken. In that case of course people are reassuring that bmilk alone is okay, because it is! And one of the posters you've highlighted says you should offer water if it's hot. Very different to advice not to give it and again, only individual opinion not official advice.

Bmilk should be the main source of nutrition until 12 months and as it's such a complete food with such a large amount of water in it, then water isn't needed for hydration in general terms. But it isn't advised against as far as I can see (apart from giving it as a replacement to bmilk) and dd's weaning leaflets from the gp/hv all said to offer water alongside food so dd could take what she needed. And she did.

jemjabella · 08/06/2010 14:58

This was the thread I read on the topic just t'other day: forums.llli.org/showthread.php?p=943365

There's another one this week: forums.llli.org/showthread.php?p=947525

These are just the 2 I've seen recently. I wasn't making a note previously, because I was ignoring it anyway :P

jemjabella · 08/06/2010 14:59

Posted at the same time - re: official views... didn't ask the HV for her name (wasn't my normal one)

ShowOfHands · 08/06/2010 15:13

Oh well HVs. Of course. Mine told me that it was dangerous to still bfeed at 19 months. Apparently dh would leave, I'd die of anaemia and dd would end up odd.

HVs are notorious for bad advice on here!

Just never heard anybody with any clout or knowhow say you shouldn't give water to a bfed, weaning baby.

Flip

1 2 3