baby with drinking water
June 20, 2009 4:59 PM Subscribe
When do I start giving my baby plain water?
Guidelines for offering water to breastfed babies
posted by kmennie at 6:11 PM on June 20, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by kmennie at 6:11 PM on June 20, 2009 [1 favorite]
I started giving my breastfed babies water when they started eating solid food.
posted by ellenaim at 6:59 PM on June 20, 2009
posted by ellenaim at 6:59 PM on June 20, 2009
i say 6 months if you really want, but personally I think closer to a year is more appropriate. Before a year there really isn't much reason to, since breastmilk provides adequate hydration plus lots of other beneficial stuff too. My ped said 4 months btw (along with solid foods), and I just ignored his advice.
posted by Joh at 7:22 PM on June 20, 2009
posted by Joh at 7:22 PM on June 20, 2009
My children's pediatrician suggested offering it regularly at 9 months -- around the same time the baby starts getting significant nutrition from solid foods. My children have both relied heavily on nursing until almost a year, though, so neither of them really started drinking much water until then.
posted by palliser at 8:34 PM on June 20, 2009
posted by palliser at 8:34 PM on June 20, 2009
My pediatrician suggested 6 months, but my baby is 9 mo and still refuses to drink water or water with a bit of juice in it. She gets all her hydration from breast milk. She pees a lot so I'm not worried.
posted by gaspode at 9:23 PM on June 20, 2009
posted by gaspode at 9:23 PM on June 20, 2009
When you start solids, you start water, and you don't expect either of them to really catch on. It's all practice up to about twelve months or so, which is when most babies start getting the majority of their nutrition from solids.
But of course, not all babies are created equally in this regard. Many a baby gets really excited about solids right away, and many a baby shows no interest at all until well past a year of age. Some babies treat the advent of the sippy cup like the second coming of Christ, and some will fight it like you're trying to poison them. As with so much about babies, you play it by ear.
As noted above, as long as a baby is peeing a lot and showing no other signs of dehydration, you're probably doing it right. If you are spending a lot of time out in the sunshine this summer, or doing a lot of activities in the heat and humidity, pay a little closer attention to this. It's worth offering a cup of water (just often enough not to annoy the baby) a little more often during hot weather; if nothing else, it keeps you in the habit of having it available to them, because down the road, toddlers and preschoolers are frequently too distracted/focused on their play to realize they're thirsty.
posted by padraigin at 10:09 PM on June 20, 2009
But of course, not all babies are created equally in this regard. Many a baby gets really excited about solids right away, and many a baby shows no interest at all until well past a year of age. Some babies treat the advent of the sippy cup like the second coming of Christ, and some will fight it like you're trying to poison them. As with so much about babies, you play it by ear.
As noted above, as long as a baby is peeing a lot and showing no other signs of dehydration, you're probably doing it right. If you are spending a lot of time out in the sunshine this summer, or doing a lot of activities in the heat and humidity, pay a little closer attention to this. It's worth offering a cup of water (just often enough not to annoy the baby) a little more often during hot weather; if nothing else, it keeps you in the habit of having it available to them, because down the road, toddlers and preschoolers are frequently too distracted/focused on their play to realize they're thirsty.
posted by padraigin at 10:09 PM on June 20, 2009
We did it when we started solid food. Your baby will ask you about starting solid food.
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 2:33 AM on June 21, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 2:33 AM on June 21, 2009 [2 favorites]
Little llama has never been interested in it and she's almost a year. We offer it, but-meh. She's started enjoying a few sips of water with some juice in it, but that's it. She is okay with eating solid foods, she started with avocado and worked her way up to Mongolian beef, so she seems to have her preferences in order. We offer her things, and as long as she's healthy, growing, and peeing regularly, she runs the show.
Your pediatrician could give you guidelines, if you're of that bent. Both the llama household and the llama family doctor are pretty casual in the area of food/drink introduction, but if you're a person who seeks guidelines, there are a ton.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 4:18 AM on June 21, 2009
Your pediatrician could give you guidelines, if you're of that bent. Both the llama household and the llama family doctor are pretty casual in the area of food/drink introduction, but if you're a person who seeks guidelines, there are a ton.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 4:18 AM on June 21, 2009
I read in SuperBabyFood that giving water in a cup after a solid food is a good habit for teeth cleaning.
posted by k8t at 11:11 AM on July 16, 2009
posted by k8t at 11:11 AM on July 16, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by k8t at 5:38 PM on June 20, 2009