Cooled boiled water

[kirstyolivia]

Hi all

Just a quick question...my baby will be 3 weeks old on Monday and I was just wondering what age I can give her cooled boiled water inbetween feeds?

 

[Elljo3]

Se can have some now but to be honest unless she is constipated I wouldn't give her any.

 

[ke29]

^wss. Unless constipated giving water can cause more harm than good.

 

[kettle28]

they worry that giving water at this age may reduce formula consumption which would reduce nutrient consumption.

i was told to give no more than 2oz per day of water to my lo at 4 weeks as he was constipated.

doctor of the opinion that 2oz or less wouldnt hurt at any age, but i believe the advised age is 6months

 

[TTC First]

I have always read that there is no need to give a healthy baby water under 1 year of age.

 

[kat2504]

I disagree with one year - I think it is ok once you have started on solids at 4-6 months. I started offering water at 6 months along with meals in order to avoid constipation. He doesn't drink much water but it does help.

You should not need to give water to a newborn unless it is totally scorching. Really with a baby that age there is no such thing as "between feeds" - there is a danger of giving them water to make them go longer between bottles but really it would be better to give them their bottle sooner instead of the water. Trying to stretch them out with water could affect weight gain as water is filling up their tummy with zero calories and fat. There is also the danger of diluting essential minerals in their blood but you would probably have to give a fair bit of water to get to that stage!

In summary - the official recommendations say milk only for babies under 6 months. If you wean earlier than that you might like to offer sips of water.