giving water

[Lizzybee]

OH asked me when LO should have water. I said he doesn't get it because I am ebf. He thinks that babies should have it as they get thirsty. I know the first part of milk is thirst quenching and this is why LO is feeding little and often in hot weather. But when would I give water as there will be a point sometime?

 

[staralfur]

Six months when you start giving solids. Milk is perfectly fine for thirst.

 

[Maxy1]

BM changes consistency over the course of the feed. So the first milk is hydrating and the hind milk is the fatty milk. Think of it as drink, main meal and dessert on each breast

Water is not needed until you introduce solids. I continued to BF my first through to 22 months and he just played with food until about 14 months, only when he actually started eating did I introduce water. It also coincided with him starting to run around a lot more.

 

[BearFamily]

I was told that EBF babies don't need water until they start eating solids at 6 months

 

[sheldonsmommy]

I started giving water just recently at 6.5 months. And by giving water I mean letting him play with a sippy cup with 30 ml of water in it. He pretty much just spills it all over himself. I don't think it's necessary as baby gets hydrated from bm, but I've introduced it just like a new food.

 

[MoldyVoldy]

If you're EBF, and doing it on demand, then your LO doesn't need water until you stop breastfeeding on demand.

If you give water to your LO when you would have been nursing instead, your LO is missing out on that nutrition.

My DS didn't start drinking water until he was 1 year old, and even then it was mostly just a sip here and there. He preferred to hydrate with breastmilk.

 

[Bevziibubble]

The guidelines are not to give water up until baby is six months old.
Your LO will be fine on breastmilk. I offered water from six months but she didn't want to drink any until she was 9-10 months and she was fine.

 

[Lizzybee]

Thanks everyone.