Extra water???

[k4th]

I found an NHS pregnancy book that I was given when I was expecting dd, so it's almost 5 years old. Anyway, it mentions that in hot weather ff babies may need a little water between feeds. Is that true??

I know you have to be really careful & it's sips rather than a proper drink that might replace a feed.

I never did this with dd & she was ff from 6 weeks - but she was born in the winter. Ds is getting pretty warm in this humid weather, but he's not constipated or anything.

Any thoughts?

 

[Rainbow82]

Our Dr at six week check told us this too and the HV at the weighing clinic when it was really hot but for us we found that even if he only had a few sips every hour it added up to an ounce or more and DS would start refusing his bottles, as he struggled to put on weight for a couple weeks when his reflux was bad we don't give him water any more on HV advice. It's a good idea when it's got to offer a few sips though.

 

[george83]

I've always given mine water in hot weather if they get grumpy. I can't remember it causing problems with ds1&2 but ds3 is only 4 months old and it rarely causes him to miss a feed. He might fall asleep and sleep through when I would expect him to want his bottle but that's all (he doesn't have a particular routine for it to effect that) he won't completely miss his feed. He has at most 2oz so it's not even technically little sips

 

[MindUtopia]

I think this probably comes out of the advice about feeding on a schedule rather than on demand. So if you are feeding to a schedule and not feeding based on hunger or thirst cues, then yes, it's likely babies will get thirsty in between feeds, so they would recommend that if you didn't feed them, at least offer water so that they don't become dehydrated, since baby's signal for a feed both because their hungry as well as when they're thirsty. The advice in recent years has very much shifted back to feeding on demand, just like breastfed babies, and that's why you probably don't need to offer water between feeds if you are feeding on demand, just offer more formula if they seem thirsty. But obviously, you know your baby best, so if even fed on demand, they don't seem to be making enough wet nappies and won't take more milk, but will take water, then I'd offer it.