View Full Version : would you give your baby water?
InSaneOne
12-10-2006, 09:40
after a recent talk with a fellow hubber i was wondering ...
did you give your child boiled water?
what age did you give it to them?
why did you give it to them?
or
no way i wouldn't give my child water when they are newborn as it is harmful to them.
thanks
Belinda
FourAngelKisses
12-10-2006, 09:44
From memory, I gave it to DD from birth as she was a Christmas baby, so it was up around 40 degrees.
The boys I think were about 2-3mths old when they first had it.
As long as it has been boiled for 5mins then allowed to cool down, I doubt it would be unsafe......afterall, we make formula out of it don't we!!
I give my DD water I have done since she was 4 months old actually reason being she had terrible reflux and the water would tide her over while I was getting her use to going that extra time without breastfeeding her, her reflux stopped and she now feeds regulary every 2 hours sometimes more, but the spewing has reduced!
Now she's 6 months old I make up her water in her sippy cup every day and she helps herself she loves it, it's always near her and when she wants it she feeds herself :D
~mia&ryan~
12-10-2006, 09:46
Yep I have given DD cooled boiled water. I first gave it to her on a hot day when she was very sweaty. I now give it to her after she has solids and if it is a hot day. I first gave it to her when she was around 3 1/2 - 4 months I think. My dr said it was okay.
bubs_and_us
12-10-2006, 09:49
DS has been having water since he was a few days old. he was a summer baby, and i was worried of him getting dehydrated in between feeds, so i offered water.
im glad i did, because he loves it now!
*Country Bumpkin*
12-10-2006, 09:52
NO My Dr who is a peadeatrician and a mother of a 1yr old bub with colic and reflux has said not too....
arghhhh its amazing how u can tell a person your not going to give ur daughter water then they start a thread just to prove a point....:rolleyes:
KarniF00l
12-10-2006, 09:53
My kids didn't want a bar of it until after 12months old. I'm really hoping that Dakota (5 months) will like it before then because of summer and my worries about dehydration.
yep i gave ds boiled water at about 3 weeks old...it was the only thing he could keep down (due to a milk protein allergy)
KarniF00l
12-10-2006, 09:56
NO My Dr who is a peadeatrician and a mother of a 1yr old bub with colic and reflux has said not too....
Did she give you any reason as to why you shouldn't give children water ? Sounds silly to me.
*~alegna~*
12-10-2006, 09:59
I started offerning water as It started to warm up here. DS was roughly 3 months old. Also he prefers it now in the night sometimes. :yes:
No I don't give my baby water. He is fully breastfed, had nothing but boob so far. If its a hot day I drink extra water myself.
I don't know if its different for formula-fed babies?
InSaneOne
12-10-2006, 10:00
NO My Dr who is a peadeatrician and a mother of a 1yr old bub with colic and reflux has said not too....
i was told it was ok and even a good thing to give to babies.
[QUOTE=KarniF00l;719247]Did she give you any reason as to why you shouldn't give children water ? Sounds silly to me.
thats why i started this thread. so if it is bad to give your child water others can know too.
Angelmist♥
12-10-2006, 10:01
I think DD was about 3mths old when she had her first drink of water. She now drinks it out of her sippy cup during the day.
I started offering water to DS from about 4 months, he didn't really want anything to do with it. But now that he's 13 months he drinks it all the time.
FourAngelKisses
12-10-2006, 10:01
NO My Dr who is a peadeatrician and a mother of a 1yr old bub with colic and reflux has said not too....
Did she say why you shouldn't? All the Dr's and pediatritions I've seen say it's fine.
bubs_and_us
12-10-2006, 10:01
NO My Dr who is a peadeatrician and a mother of a 1yr old bub with colic and reflux has said not too....
i was just wondering why? i thought it would be good for babies to have some water.....:confused:
Yup I gave it to her at about 6 months onwards.....she loves it especially on the hot days. Did the same with DD1
Thats strange because I was told that it was fine to give a child under 12 months water from my pediatrician when I had DD1....yet another case of who you talk to perhaps? (for example sleeping a child on its stomach/side/back) all professionals have differing opinions on this as well.
FourAngelKisses
12-10-2006, 10:03
Also.....if it's not a good idea, how come they are given water in hospitals?? Just doesn't make sense to me.
Anotehr Xmas baby here, Wyatt was formula fed and I was worried about him being dehydrated. Dr advised to do it as it was so hot (40 degree temps when he was born)
Doesn't it all depend also whether your bubs was BF or FF??
mum2elouise
12-10-2006, 10:08
I gave Elouise water from about 6 months onwards. I started solids at 6 months, 1 week and would give it to her with any solid food.
Before that she didn't need it as she was fully breastfed. She is still mainly breastfed now - just a snack of solids here and there:yes:
*Jetiza*
12-10-2006, 10:08
DS has been having water since he was a few days old. he was a summer baby, and i was worried of him getting dehydrated in between feeds, so i offered water.
im glad i did, because he loves it now!
my 2 girls both had water early on too, as they were both born in the warmer months. Zaq started when he was a few months old. They all still like it, which is great
I gave it to EJ about 2mths old cause it was really hot - she didnt really like it then. She has some now with meals but she wont really have much
MrsMiggins
12-10-2006, 10:18
Yeah, I can't see how water could possibly be harmful to a newborn.
I believe the argument not to give babies water stems from the fact that if they are breastfed, you shouldn't need to give it to them. But in saying that, in hot weather, babies can sometimes benefit from having a bit of water. Especially if you don't want them feeding 24/7 to get the hydration they need.
We tried to give DD water, as she was born into a very, very hot summer & was feeding (FF) almost constantly, but she wasn't actually interested!!
EskimoMumma
12-10-2006, 10:18
Yup i've given DD water and DS (when i started bottle feeding him) in the hotter months.DD still isnt keen on it and i have been offering for a while.
Ah i love my fussy babes :banghead:
Hokey Pokey
12-10-2006, 10:19
Yep I gave my girls water from 4 weeks.
DS was offered water when he was younger, it was more of a game for him though. Now he loves his water :).
Milliner
12-10-2006, 10:24
I have given DS water for a while now, I tried to give it to him from when he was a couple of weeks old because he is a jan baby and it was 40 deg, but he wouldn't have it. It's a differnet story now he loves water!!
I started giving DD water around the same time I started introducing solids at about 7 months before that she was only breastfed.
bekkyboo
12-10-2006, 10:35
I was adviced to offer a formula fed baby water when its hot. G is a hyrbrid fed child, so i dont see the problem - he doesnt like it much, as all our teats are fast flow for thickened formula, and it comes out too quick...
Missus S
12-10-2006, 10:37
I'm quite interested in this because it's 35 here today in Adelaide.
I just looked in my Baby Love book and it says
"Water is the ideal drink for babies and toddlers and if they are truly thirsty they will drink it, especially if juice is not immediately offered as an alternative. Town water is best as it contains flouride and is relatively inexpensive. Bottled water, one of the crazier innovations of the last 20 years, has no flouride, no advantages over town water and is a waste of money. Mineral water has high levels of salt and other minerals and is definitely not recommended for babies, toddlers or kids of any age."
It also mentions:
"Your baby doesn't need daily water" and "Some mothers do give their baby water in a bottle for a few reasons that have nothing to do with nutrition."
"Some mothers do give their baby water in a bottle for a few reasons that have nothing to do with nutrition."[/quote]
:confused:
Have they heard of THIRST?
All my kids have been given water with no probs, otherthan they tend to gulp it down.
Missus S
12-10-2006, 10:47
Yeah the quote above that quote was from the same book which addresses thirst and mentions that water is the ideal drink.
pookiesossige
12-10-2006, 10:48
If I'm still breastfeeding Ariene throughout summer (I assume that I will be) then there is no need for me to give her water, just extra feeds which is great for supply anyway. I, on the other hand, will need to drink more water to meet both our needs for extra hydration :yes: :thumbsup: .
Ronan was forumula fed from 4-5 months and had serious issues with constipation, so he needed as much water between feeds as I could cram into him.
I wish the poll specified whether or not babies are breastfed or formula fed, as that makes all the difference as to whether they need water or not!!
I was told if bubs if formula feed to give them extra water throughout the day, not much though. Plus it gets them used to drinking water. I would offer my kids water if they woke in the night, but if they drank more than 20mls and pretty fast, then they were hungry, and not thirsty at all, if they only drank a little bit (which most times they did) it was from thirst. Plus I also had a summer baby and would offer him water throughout the day in between formula feeds, didnt want him dehydrating now
I started giving Lyla water when she started having formula around 4 months. Before then she was exclusively breastfed and as breastmilk has lots of water i didn't feel the need to give her any extra water, plus it was autumn.
i gave ds water as it was summer, so obviously it was really hot and i was worried he would dehydrated, i ask the chn first thou as i wasnt sure and she said just to offer him 20mls at a time
wa mum of 4
12-10-2006, 12:11
Hi everyone,:wave:
I am so amazed at what is comming out now days.
So many things not to do to your children.
I wonder how you poor first time mums manage, I am bringing up my children like I was raised.:yes:
Water if they are thirsty, food at 3 months and sleeping on their tummy's and guess what all are alive and well.
Every parent has a choice at how to bring up their children and what advise to follow but how do these poor mums decide which is best and are they then labled as bad mums because of those choices?:mad:
Sorry to ramble but it really gets my goat about the rubbish that is forced on our new mummys.
Sarah.
jess_live_die
12-10-2006, 12:14
i gave my baby boild water babies get thristy as well and milk is a food source and my babies loved it.
FourAngelKisses
12-10-2006, 12:15
Hi everyone,:wave:
I am so amazed at what is comming out now days.
So many things not to do to your children.
I wonder how you poor first time mums manage, I am bringing up my children like I was raised.:yes:
Water if they are thirsty, food at 3 months and sleeping on their tummy's and guess what all are alive and well.
Every parent has a choice at how to bring up their children and what advise to follow but how do these poor mums decide which is best and are they then labled as bad mums because of those choices?:mad:
Sorry to ramble but it really gets my goat about the rubbish that is forced on our new mummys.
Sarah.
I totally agree with you!!! Things have changed so much between the time when I had my first and when my last will be born. I am just doing things as they were when my first was born. And if they want to sleep on their stomachs, I let em. I'm not going to sit by their cot all night rolling them over every 5mins.
Off topic....sorry. :o
Little Gorilla
12-10-2006, 12:18
My bub was ff - he had water from about 5 weeks old...why? because we live on the Gold Coast, he was born in February and it was way way way too hot for him not to have any water.
Truthfully, even if I had been bf him, I still would have given him water.
How can it possibly hurt a baby to give them water :confused: I mean for the love of god...its just water (boiled of course!!)
i gave water, whenever i felt they need a bit of extra water, due to hot weather....
i had 2 reflux kids and they didnīt have any more or less problems with or without the water...
i think it is VITAL to give them water on an extra hot day...
but thats just me....:)
Crazy Bananas
12-10-2006, 12:37
I think it depends on circumstances! I lived in a town that the average temp was 30 degrees. If you are an active mother you are constantly trying to keep hydrated. Things like having the A/c on or even walking from the car to the shops would make you thirsty. There was no way i was whipping out my boob every five minutes. So a sip of boiled water did the trick. Also dd ended up constipated so the hospital told me to give her boiled water between feeds. I bottlefed ds after about a month and would have given him boiled water had the weather been hot. A sip her or there. Beats them being hospital and put on a drip (i'm talking of extreme heat North-West Australia). At the end of the day try and make an educated decision and hope for the best because there is no book on what is 100% right or wrong on most topics regarding children. :eek:
I have never heard of it being harmful to a newborn:confused: The hospital asked me when DD could not breast feed for a day because my nipples where bleeding into her mouth if I wanted them to give her formula or just boiled water(in case I did not want to introduce formula) to get her by until the next day & I opted for water.
blaykendtahneemum
12-10-2006, 12:53
ive never heard of it being harmfull... my ds is almost 4 and he had boiled water from the age of bout 3 weeks, my dd is 7mths and she has had it since 2mths... im really amazed on how somethings have changed so much since my ds was born in 2002 and my dd in 2006...:confused:
Ana Gram
12-10-2006, 12:57
It amazes me that the idea is there that babies don't need water. Breastfeeding babies are supposed to be fine in hot weather but I think you are supposed to increase the feeds to make sure they are hydrated.
Adults need a lot of water to stay properly hydrated, more so in hot weather. Babies and children are no different.
I have read that for adults it isn't the "eight glasses of water a day", but it goes on weight. The bigger you are the more water you need, or something like that.
I figured once I'd introduced solids, it was also time to introduce water. And Chelle is right, a fully breast fed baby doesn't need water, but you would want to make sure they were fed more frequently if they want it to stay hydrated in hot weather.
Cheers
MummyCharmzy
12-10-2006, 13:15
Zach had water from 3 months, 40 degree days meant it was a neccessity!
Isobella from 9 months, she wasnt interested before
Savannahs 3.5 and had a bit to hlep with constipation
jemma's dad
12-10-2006, 13:30
We started Jemma on boiled water about the same time she stopped breastfeeding. This wasn't only to help with constipation, but mid december in WA is pretty warm. She loves it now, and has it whenever she wants it, even to the extent of not wanting any juice in preference to water.
cheezelkat
12-10-2006, 13:33
I started at 6 months. I've heard water for newborns can make them very, very sick. I had a summer baby and gave extra breastfeeds on really hot days.
A link -
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/baby-water.html
Newborns
Babies under two months should not be given supplemental water.
Water supplements are associated with increased bilirubin levels in jaundiced newborns.
Too much water can lead to a serious condition called oral water intoxication (http://www.stlouischildrens.org/articles/kids_parents.asp?ID=171).
Water supplements fill baby up without adding calories, so water supplements can result in weight loss (or insufficient weight gain) for the baby.
Babies who get water supplements are less interested in nursing. If baby is not nursing as often as he should, it will take longer for mom's milk to come in and can delay or prevent mom from establishing an optimum milk supply. For babies past newborn-
Too much water can interfere with breastfeeding because it fills baby up so that he nurses less. Babies need the nutrition and calories in breastmilk to grow - water has none of these.
Breastmilk has all the water your baby needs, even in very hot weather.
When your 4-6 month old baby is learning to use a cup, giving him a few sips of water a couple of times a day (no more than 2 ounces per 24 hours) is fine and fun.
Once baby starts solids, you might want to give him a few sips of expressed milk or water with his solids - some babies need this to prevent constipation.
*Country Bumpkin*
12-10-2006, 13:41
I started at 6 months. I've heard water for newborns can make them very, very sick. I had a summer baby and gave extra breastfeeds on really hot days.
A link -
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/baby-water.html
Newborns
Babies under two months should not be given supplemental water.
Water supplements are associated with increased bilirubin levels in jaundiced newborns.
Too much water can lead to a serious condition called oral water intoxication (http://www.stlouischildrens.org/articles/kids_parents.asp?ID=171).
Water supplements fill baby up without adding calories, so water supplements can result in weight loss (or insufficient weight gain) for the baby.
Babies who get water supplements are less interested in nursing. If baby is not nursing as often as he should, it will take longer for mom's milk to come in and can delay or prevent mom from establishing an optimum milk supply.For babies past newborn-
Too much water can interfere with breastfeeding because it fills baby up so that he nurses less. Babies need the nutrition and calories in breastmilk to grow - water has none of these.
Breastmilk has all the water your baby needs, even in very hot weather.
When your 4-6 month old baby is learning to use a cup, giving him a few sips of water a couple of times a day (no more than 2 ounces per 24 hours) is fine and fun.
Once baby starts solids, you might want to give him a few sips of expressed milk or water with his solids - some babies need this to prevent constipation.
:yelclap: thank you cheezelkat- saved me having to explain why i WONT give skyla water.
~EmsMum~
12-10-2006, 13:44
Started giving DD water around 4 months old
Ana Gram
12-10-2006, 14:11
That info is great, however it is only for breastfed babies who don't need extra water. Formula fed babies are a little different.
FourAngelKisses
12-10-2006, 14:14
I still highly doubt that 30-40mls of water 2-3 times a day could harm a baby.
Thankyou Cheezelkat for posting that info! I was about to do the same.
DD was born at the end of November and she didn't get water until she was 6 months old. Even now, at 10 months old she only drinks 10-20ml a day. In summer I just bf her more often....even when we had temps 40 degrees + and no a/c. She never got dehydrated.
This is the bit of info that cheezelkat didn't post...for formula fed babies
Note: Formula fed babies do not routinely need extra water. Some sources do suggest offering water to a formula fed baby when it is very hot outside (though baby may prefer to get extra water from more frequent feeding), or when baby is sick with a fever (consult baby's doctor for guidelines).
This is what water intoxication can do (taken from http://www.stlouischildrens.org/tabid/88/itemid/166/Water-Intoxication-in-Infants.aspx)
too much water dilutes a baby's normal sodium levels and can lead to seizures, coma, brain damage and death.
Breast milk or formula provides all the fluid healthy babies need. If a mother feels her baby needs to take additional water, it should be limited to two to three ounces at a time and should be offered only after the baby has satisfied his hunger with breast feeding or formula
cheezelkat
12-10-2006, 14:32
Thanks mumtoone,
I've never done FF, so didn't want to post incorrect information :)
mum2bubba
12-10-2006, 15:43
On very hot days I gave Hayley water, she didn't really like it at first though but now she loves it and actually drinks more water than milk. She was born in oct so the weather was pretty hot when she was born.
RedPanda
12-10-2006, 15:49
The CHN just told me last week that I should be giving DS water to "give him a taste for it". She said it's better than trying to introduce it later.
InSaneOne
12-10-2006, 16:05
Quote:
too much water dilutes a baby's normal sodium levels and can lead to seizures, coma, brain damage and death.
Breast milk or formula provides all the fluid healthy babies need. If a mother feels her baby needs to take additional water, it should be limited to two to three ounces at a time and should be offered only after the baby has satisfied his hunger with breast feeding or formula
so according to the above a little bit (say a teaspoon) of warm (previously boiled) water to help with colic is fine to give your baby as 2 ounces is equal to 60ml.
My DD was a winter baby and fully breastfed, so I started her on a little cooled boiled water in the summer at 4mths, and she really didn't like it and take more than a sip or two, until she was 6mths old and starting solids.
Mum&bubs
12-10-2006, 16:11
I gave Summer about 10mls of cooled boiled water at 4 months- she didn't like it & to this day still doesn't like water.
Rhys'Mum
12-10-2006, 16:12
I was told not to - that as I was demand breastfeeding he didn't need it until we introduced solid food. Even when it was really hot and humid he was fine. The advice was from a range of sources and I was happy with it. I also figured I'd rather not have him fill up on water when milk would keep him hydrated and give him more nutrition (and possibly have him sleep better!!!!! lol).
At 6 months when we started solids he was offered water with his meals. He loves his water.
He has had a sippy straw bottle thing full of water since he was about 9 months old, he didn't take to sippy cups and liked the control of the bottle over an open cup I had to hold. Its still offered at meal times and he's now old enough to go and point to it and ask for it during the day. He has tried juice and cordial once or twice when other kids have been drinking it (once he was 12months+) and he didn't really seem to be particularly taken with it.
Oh and he now likes to play with his plastic cup in the bath and drink the water EEWWWWW!!!
Ana Gram
12-10-2006, 17:19
This is the bit of info that cheezelkat didn't post...for formula fed babies
Note: Formula fed babies do not routinely need extra water. Some sources do suggest offering water to a formula fed baby when it is very hot outside (though baby may prefer to get extra water from more frequent feeding), or when baby is sick with a fever (consult baby's doctor for guidelines).
Unfortunately demand feeding a formula fed child on a hot day who is just after hydration is not terribley practical or economical.
FourAngelKisses
12-10-2006, 17:21
I'd like to see the statistics on babies who have gotten sick or died after been given cooled boiled water to drink.
I think we can just add this to the VERY LONG list of things where professionals have different opinions :yes:
My DD was bottle fed water at 48hrs old for 1 day in Hospital by one of the GC best pediatricians because I could not breastfeed her(for a day) & I am sure he would not have done it if it was going to cause her any harm
indigoin0z
12-10-2006, 17:58
i had big bubs in sweltering conditions & at least #1 was given it just under 4 weeks, by absolute necessity... & i was b/f plenty.
they are both water regular water drinkers now, & they really dont complain..
i go the CoMMoN-SeNSe route..
*if it was life threatening, it wouldnt be such a big secret to most of us & wouldnt be recommended by 'some' health carers..
*if you have a small weight baby who needs nutrition, then you fill them up on breastmilk/formula at every given chance.. & you are not going to risk them being filled on non-nutritional water..
*if you have a big bub, you dont want the extra cals & bloatedness that overfeeding causes... so water is good for the extra hydration needs..
*if you are breastfeeding, its not always convenient to pull something out at any given time/place in feral temperatures..
{& uninformed here, but doesnt too much formula make constipation/tummy aches?}
*if its damn well disgustingly hot to the rest of the neighbourhood, why are babies any different to need water..
*you dont give them, pond water... its boiled.
*you dont give them 150 mls at a time... we are talking 10-20mls here..
i agree also,
that its just like everything else in life, especially with being a mum,
you'll get 10 differing opinions, from 10 different people [yes, evennnn professionals]...
i have been giving DS water since he was about 3 weeks old and he loves it
melfunction
12-10-2006, 18:36
I started giving K water from about 4 weeks. He started off at 2mls tds.
blessedmummy
12-10-2006, 18:40
yeah i gave both my daughters water when i was hot when they were only a few weeks old, since we were living in a hot place at the time too, so it helped with them keeping hydrated.
mumofcaleb
12-10-2006, 18:40
It is not necessary for babies under 6 months old to have water. All they require is breastmilk or formula for the first 6 months of their lives. Give them water when they start solids, which should be 6 months of age.
I gave it to DS when he was a month or two old cuz it was really hot, then gave it to him again when he started on formula to help constipation. Now i give it to him with his solid meals.
I plan on giving Cobey water when I introduce solids. Beforehand he doesn't need it, but at the 6 month mark he'll be going into the care of his grandma while I'm at work, so he can't have boobie on demand
i introduced water around the time i introduced solilds.
before that i have never really found the need to give water as i breastfeed whenever wherever. even in hot weather i just make sure i am drinking enough.
avoiding giving water to my newborns meant avoididng sterialosing and potential nipple confusion too.
i assume with bubs any water offerred would be boiled for a few minutes and the concern would be that bub would fill up on the water and not get the calories and extra nutrition in milk. it could also lessen the apetite for suckling which could lead to less milk produced if it became a regular thing , in some susceptible nursing mums.
Natsmummy
12-10-2006, 22:26
I started DS on cooled boiled water when I started him on solids at 5 months, as he was from that point on taking less breast milk and I didn't want him to dehydrate. When he was purely on the breastmilk though I didn't worry as from what I understand its supposed to be quite thirst quenching for them.
Quote:
too much water dilutes a baby's normal sodium levels and can lead to seizures, coma, brain damage and death.
Breast milk or formula provides all the fluid healthy babies need. If a mother feels her baby needs to take additional water, it should be limited to two to three ounces at a time and should be offered only after the baby has satisfied his hunger with breast feeding or formula
so according to the above a little bit (say a teaspoon) of warm (previously boiled) water to help with colic is fine to give your baby as 2 ounces is equal to 60ml.
Yep a small amount is fine...according to that website them guzzling water is bad (not that you can guzzle a teaspoon) and it's more likely for the intoxication to occur.
Mischief
13-10-2006, 09:09
Oliver loves his cooled boiled water. :) I gave it to him at about 5 weeks I guess.....and he has it occasionally. While I was BF him I didnt use it, but now he is FF I often offer him some to help keep him a little more regular. LOL
danielle13
13-10-2006, 09:24
I started giving Ezaria cooled boiled water on advice from the Early Childhood Nurse when she self-weened at 8 weeks. Apparently it's good to give formula-fed babies a little bit to keep them well hydrated - especially on hot days. The reason being formula is alot thicker than breastmilk and can clog them up a little at times.
:)
missmelbourne
08-02-2009, 19:30
Yes I have given my 7 week old bubs boiled water quite a few times over the past two weeks. Being in Melbourne last week over the 40 degree days, I kept giving her little sips every hour to make sure her fluids were up in between feeds.
It would have been silly not to. However she can go days without it and she is fine. It is only every once in a while if I think she needs it.
:thumbsup:
A Party of Five
07-07-2009, 12:10
I gave my babies water and they were under a month old :yes:
UmmInayah
07-07-2009, 13:38
I'm quite interested in this because it's 35 here today in Adelaide.
I just looked in my Baby Love book and it says
"Water is the ideal drink for babies and toddlers and if they are truly thirsty they will drink it, especially if juice is not immediately offered as an alternative. Town water is best as it contains flouride and is relatively inexpensive. Bottled water, one of the crazier innovations of the last 20 years, has no flouride, no advantages over town water and is a waste of money. Mineral water has high levels of salt and other minerals and is definitely not recommended for babies, toddlers or kids of any age."
It also mentions:
"Your baby doesn't need daily water" and "Some mothers do give their baby water in a bottle for a few reasons that have nothing to do with nutrition."
That fluoride argument is a joke. Fluoride can actually be harmful, and why any breastfed baby needs "extra" fluoride is beyond me. Robin Barker is an idiot.
Anyway, to answer the OP, I didn't give my first DD water until I dunno, 9 months or something, and that was only cos I was too lazy to express.
My 4 month old I haven't given any water to as breastmilk is mostly water anyway, so if she were thirsty, she would be getting it from my boob, not from a cup etc.
I also read somewhere that giving water instead of boob to a breastfed baby can stuff up their electrolytes? Not 100% on that..
Boobycino
07-07-2009, 14:25
I got into the habit of smiling politely and thanking people for their well meaning advice when I was told over and over that I needed to give Jasper water - as he was born in November and it was a really hot summer this year.
Until Jasper was 5 months old if it didn't come out of my boobie, he wasn't going to eat or drink it. On hot days I was happy to breast feed jasper as often as he wanted it, to keep up his fluids, but I did not want to give him water - mainly because something inside me felt uncomfortable with the idea, so I trusted that inner voice.
I gave him his first sips of cooled boiled water (steady boil for 4 minutes) with solids when he started solids about 2.5 months ago. Nowhe loves water, he has it with meals 3 times a day and sometimes if he's being a bit sooky in the pram he can have it from a sippy cup as e can drink it himself.
In a pinch I'll give Jasper filtered tap water (he's nearly 8 months old, its not my preference though) - but I try to keep a few bottles (or sippy cups) of well boiled water in the fridge for meal times.
edit : The only reason I'm giving him water is mostly for the consistancy of his poos, as he is still breast feeding frequently, but I find if he doesn't have a few sips of water with solids he can get a bit bound up. I'm trying not to give him a lot of water (maybe 30mls or so) because also I dont want him to fill up on water and not eat much or not take a breast feed.
Mochamumma, I see you've taken my lead and started dredging up old threads too ;)
I gave DD water 1t 5.5 months when she began solids.
Opinionated
07-07-2009, 14:35
My kids had sippy cups of water from when they started solids. They never drank much though, they prever (.Y.)
BabelFish
07-07-2009, 14:59
Those statistics posted a few pages ago gave me a good laugh. Do you know how MUCH water it takes to have water poisoning? For it to affect your electrolyte balance? And that it's not just peculiar to babies - that adults can and do suffer from these things, too?
More `information' designed to scare mothers into not listening to their own intuition.
Breastfed babies are recommended not to have water not because it could be dangerous, but because they really just don't need it, because breastmilk suffices - hot weather or cold. It certainly doesn't HURT your baby to have water as well - obviously you're not going to drown them in it - it's just not strictly necessary.
My DD had water for the first time at around seven months of age, I think. I didn't give it to her with shaking hands thinking `oooooh my God! This WATER is so terrible! It's going to drown my baby! It's going to cause her lifelong damage! It's going to stuff up her electrolytes and throw her whole system into chaos aaaaaaarrrrrrgggggggh'. I just gave her some of the cooled, boiled water we keep on hand to see what she thought. She had been on solids for months, I wondered what she'd think of the taste. She didn't mind it. She's nearly one now and she really likes water. That terrible, terrible, dangerous stuff that it is.
And as for the reasons more things have `come out' now, this is because of research, knowledge, greater awareness of the causes behind dangers and just generally a better understanding of the human body and the way we function. It is equally as dangerous to scoff at new information that can help keep our children safe as it is to listen blindly to everything you hear and therefore ignore your own common sense and intuition.
If you feel that your baby would benefit from water you are probably right. I, too, would like the see the statistics on children dying or becoming ill from being given water. The mind boggles.
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