Serving H2O to Baby in 1St 6 Months?

I always gave my son an ounce or two of formula if he was still a little hungery. Or I had some extra that I pumped just for things like that. I would rather give him my milk or a little fromula than water but I have never heard that you aren't supposed to give them water. How long are you trying to hold him over for? Maybe he needs another meal? However I am a young mom and don't know and haven't heard it all. We also gave my son little sips of juice mixed in with water when he started eating baby food and he never had a problem. He did not like it much but other than that no problem with it.

My pediatrician told me no water!? She said it gives no nutrition and they don't need it! I have seen people give babies water on hot days, but not to hold off a feeding.

I wouldn't give it to him. I was told by the doctor and read it many times it's not good for them. It throws their elctrolites off.

Simply, using water (or anything else for that matter)to hold off feedings for a little one should not be done. I've done daycare for over 10 years, both in a corporate setting and for 5 years from my own home. I also have two darling little girls of my own. Whenever the babies need to eat, they will let you know. It sounds like your cargiver is getting the clues from your 4 month old, but would prefer for him to wait. As the children get older, they can use water. However that is not usually until they start needing larger spacing between their feedings (5 hours or more)-usually around 10 months or so. If you do use water, make sure it is the 'baby' water. As the kids get older they do desire just something to drink and hydrate them. They should be getting enough to hydrate them from breastmilk, formula, and eventually cereal in your case. My key phrase that I use with my daycare parents is "I don't have an M.D. behind my name, so always talk to your doctor if you have concerns."

There are two reasons I say no water. First water intoxication. Babies bodies are fragil there bodies cannot not fulsh out the water fast enough. A little extra breast milk or formula will not hurt. They are always hungry at four months.

Second parasites and other toxins in water. Our water is cleaner than in the past. Water purification cannot get all the parasites and other disturbing items out of the water. Example drugs.

Boiled sweet potatoe, watered down juice or just milk sounds better to me.

Agree with Patricia, I was told by both peditrician and lactation consultant that formula or breastmilk is the main liquid the first 12 months of life. You can give water in a sippy cup after 9 months to have them learn self-feeding skills, but water can be toxic on their small and growing kidneys and flush out important electrolyte function for the body.

Breastmilk is enough for the baby, he does not need anything else. When you are nursing you don't always know how much they are getting and to give water to make them feel hungry is not nutritional wise nor good for him. Too much water can be harmful. Breastmilk provides the child with enough hydration. He will not need extra fluid until he is 9-10 months old.

No reason to give water to a baby that age. Some doctors might say it's ok...as alot of them also talk about starting solids at 4 months, but if you are nursing it is better to hold off on giving anything but breastmilk until at least 6 months.

Hi S. -

My mom had read the same article that another mom mentioned below, about not giving babies under 6 months water. When in doubt though ask the doc.

J.

there was just a thing on the news last nite or nite before that you are not supposed to give water to babies 6 months or under because their kidneys and liver are not fully developed and this could cause damage. i think this was on nbc or wgn those are the only news channels i watch hope this helps

No way! Your 4 month old does NOT need water in between feedings. You are absolutely right, all they need for the first 6 months is breastmilk...trust your gut! :)

Shaki,

I gave my son water when he was about 5 months. He is 6 months old now and weights 23 pounds and 27 inches long. I give it to him in a sippy cup. He as a little trouble with that, but he is learning. I still give him his formula on his normal feeding times, but when I give him his solid foods, I give him water and then after he is finished with his solids then I give him his formula. Just as someone else said, they get thirsty as well. I only put in about 2 oz or so of water. I don't give him a full 8 oz.

Good luck on this.
L.

Water is not good for babies! Thier kidneys are too under developed for water. It can lead to siezures amoung other things. You can start giving them water at 1 year old.

I've always thought that when they start solids it's ok to give water, but not before.

I wouldn't, but that is just my choice. Baby needs the nutrients and calories from BM or formula (whichever the individual's choice is.)

I just saw this on the news last night - it's an absolute no no for babies under 6 months! Doctors used to recommend this when I was a baby 30 (GASP) years ago, but they don't anymore. Your caregiver may have done this with their children or are following the footsteps of their mothers, but it is definitely not recommended anymore. Breastmilk is best - and yes, they will eat often - but breast is best especially if you can do it exclusively.

I believe your instinct is right - baby doesn't need anything other than breastmilk in the first 6 months.

Breastmilk is all your baby needs. There is no reason to supplement with water. I never did with my sons (age 4 and 6).

HTH S.

Hello,
I do agree with the Caretake, you are already doing the best that I know.(BREASTFEEDING) Please add the WATER and you will be the GREATEST MOM. You can never ever go wrong with WATER. That's my favorit drink.
Peace and Blessings.
Obaapa.

I was told absolutely not by my pediatrician from Northwestern

S., yes it is good to give the baby water in between feedings. It is also good for the baby but make sure the water is pure. Buy water or boil and let cool down faucet water. Baby might not like it at first if not you can add just alittle sugar but do not use honey. D.

Hi, S.! NO, you do not give a child under 6 months water, ever - there was even a story on the news Tuesday night about this. Their kidneys are still immature, and water would have good things flush out as well, and can make them very sick or worse. Breast milk and/or formula is all your baby needs.

Please read the article:
http://wgntv.trb.com/news/health/wgntv-052708medicalwatch... - here is an excerpt:

No Water Babies
Choose breast milk or formula for babies ... no water! Johns Hopkins Children's Center doctors say water could be deadly for infants younger than six months old. Babies' kidneys aren't mature so when they get a lot of water, they release sodium along with the excess water. Loss of sodium can impact brain activity leading to water intoxication. When this happens babies get sleepy, irritable, puffy and may have seizures. The condition can cause permanent damage or even death so doctors say never offer water to a thirsty infant.

N.

S.,

He shouldn't be eating on a strict schedule. If he's hungry, he should eat, and shouldn't be given anything to 'hold him over'. I'm guessing this person is quite a bit older and is still operating under an 'old school' mentality?

My 4 month old doesn't need any tiding over, she's not eating solid foods but she does sleep thru the night, and so during the day she eats every 3-4 hours (4 hours max).

At this point, don't let her skimp on the nutrition by giving water. If baby is hungry, feed him breastmilk. If baby is fussy, maybe he's tired, or overstimulated, or needs a diaper change, or wants a little stimulation.

Of course, I don't think a 'sip' of water or a couple ounces throughout the day is going to be harmful, but if given under the mentality that it's going to 'hold him off' til his next feeding (according to the clock), it could easily become too much.

Good luck, tough spot your in handling this one...

~J.~

As long as you are drinking enough water, your baby is getting enough water through the breastmilk. Water may fill your baby up and then they won't drink enough breastmilk!

I started giving my kids sippies with water around 5 months with their solid food meals. Just like we get thirsty when we eat, so do they - or at least I feel like they do. It also helps get them started on sippies earlier so they take off a little better later. Some people put water in bottles and use it to "pacify" the baby till the next meal. I never liked the idea, plus if you are nursing, why would you want to short your milk supply by putting more time between feedings? I never let my kids have water or juice in their bottles - I wanted those things to be from sippies only so they wouldn't try to keep bottles forever. Good Luck!

Water is not needed until baby begins solid feedings at around 6 months or later. Breastmilk should be the only food/drink source the first 6 months. Is she withholding/stalling feedings from your baby?? You may want to question her a bit more.

Some people are saying wait till 9 months but I am pretty sure that once you start solids you need to offer water to help with absorption and to help with BMs.

I agree with the majority of your responses - I also remember seeing something about water presenting serious dangers if given to early -prior to 6mos, I believe. I would definately consult your pediatrician - and if he/she says yes... then do some research yourself as well so you are aware of the the risks.. I didn't give my son water until he was well over 6mos. Good Luck!

I just saw on the news today that you should not give a baby under 1 yr water since they're kidneys are not fully developed. That it can be dangerous as in life threatening.

I breast feed on demand and your breast milk has enough water in it.

I also never understood feeding a baby on a schedule, I'm glad I don't have anyone telling me when I should or shouldn't be hungry, don't mean to sound rude, just my opinion.

Yes I did give my baby a little water in between feedings. My son was taking 2 oz of formula before we left the hospital and we actually were told when he was about 5 months old that we had to cut him back on the formula he was getting to big. He was and still is a good eater. He isn't over weight I am very careful about what he eats. The doc told me to give him some water in between and that I could even do just a little bit of the Gerber juice of babies. I would only put about 1 oz of juice and 4-5 oz of water and let him drink that in between feedings just a little here and there. He did good on it. He loves his juice now too. He is 2 1/2 right now. I know it seems crazy but some times we have to make changes for the little ones. If it makes you feel better you could always ask the doc before you make any changes. I used to ask all sorts of questions and the doc would just smile but he understood that I was a first time mom. I was also told by several people to always go with your gut instinct because as a mom we have that for a reason. Some people also give their 4-5 month olds cereal and I was very uncomfortable in doing that. They do it to hold them over through the night but I would rather get up with the little one then give them something they aren't ready for. Hope this helps. Good luck

There was something just about this on nbc5 news the other night about NOT giving them water under 6 mos. Maybe you can find the link on their website. There were reasons why but now I don't remember! Good luck.

Yesterday I read an article in my babycenter.com newsletter about a report that said babies under six months should not drink water because of water intoxication. It said something to the effect of the baby's kidneys are too small to handle too much water and they can't flush out the protein or something like that. You can probably find the article somewhere on babycenter.com.

S.:

a) breastfed babies do not need water. breast milk is 83% water.

b) why would you want to give something totally non nutritional to a growing baby?

c) why are you holding off feedings?

P.,RLC, IBCLC
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions

I agree - NO WATER. There is enough water in your milk to supply your baby with all of his needs. How long is she trying to "hold him over"? Breast milk is less filling than formula so she needs to understand that he needs to eat more frequently than the formula fed babies.

My children both were starting to feel the hunger bug more often when they were about 4-5 months. I started my kids on a little cereal around 5 months, once a day before one bottle. It helped curb their little appetites. OF COURSE I talked to the ped first and got the go ahead.

I think it's more of an 'old school' thing that people feel the need to give babies water before six months of age. I've seen babies do more choking on water than drinking at that age anyway.

Remember that is your child and what you say goes....no matter what the provider thinks. :)

I agree w/ most of these other posts I have scanned thru your baby (or any in my thought) does Not need water at such a young age!! Babies get all the water they need from the BM or the formula they are on. Sounds more to me like the sitter is not wanting to deal w/ the in between fussyness, kind of like some people who automatically stick a bottle in a baby's mouth anytime they fuss just to not have to deal w/ it. I would say if you are pumping to a bottle try increasing the feeding around 4mos babies do go thru another growth spurt maybe he's just getting more hungry.

If you have questions about what to give your baby, you should talk to your doctor. Too many people give bad advice about what to feed babies. Follow your doctors instructions to have a healthy child.

Hello S., I breastfed all 3 of my kids for over a year each and in all my reading and talking to other moms, I have never heard that giving water is recommended at that age. If your caregiver hasn't worked with a breastfeeding baby before, it may be that she just needs some ideas about what else to do to "hold over" the baby between nursings. If it is a long time span, perhaps the she needs breastmilk on hand? But, if you are not pumping while you are gone, she needs to know that you will need to greet a baby who is ready to nurse when you get home. Not one who is full from the bottle she just gave!

I know I introduced water to my daughter but unsure of what age she was....I am sure it was after 6mon. though. To this day (my daughter is 9 now) Water is the number one drink over anything. She rarely desires pop or any sweetened drinks, and if she has them, they are left 1/2 full in the fridge. She doesn't finish them.
My other daughter (25 years old now), whom I never introduced many sweets, Doesn't eat many sweets...at all, lol, but the 9 yr. old unfortunately loves sweets, I feel because I allowed them. So my belief is what you introduce to them is important having said that, "You are what you eat/drink" statement, holds true.
Also, my opinion is that water is better than the sweetened drinks of course. I feel that if water is to be given to your son, it should just be done occasionally at first but I would wait until after 6 months definitely. At times my daughter would take water over nursing. Perhaps that is like us to when I would rather have water than milk.
Regards, R.

Absolutely NO water to breastfed babies under 6 mo. I kept on having to remind my MIL about that. Thankfully the pediatrician warned us about that in the hospital, so my husband was even more adamant than I was. If you want to "hold her over" for a feeding until you show up, you can do a "skim milk" breastmilk bottle, by taking the fatty milk that clumps at the top after you pump your milk and feeding her only the watery milk at the bottom. You can do this with several bottles and she can have a nice filling fatty bottle and then another "skim" bottle that will hold off her thirst until you can get there to nurse her, if she has a need to eat in an hour or so before you can get to her!

I have 2 children that I breastfed. My daughter is 5 months...she is currently on cereal and baby food too.

If your son is needing more food, nursing him isn't enough...or your milk supply has died down, you want to start him on cereal (baby cereal rice, oatmeal or mixed grain).

And then at 5 months you can start the baby food.

I didn't give my kids water until they were over 6 months old...and it was usually with a little Gerber apple juice, or mixed in with their food. I didn't give them a 6oz. bottle of just water. And I used the "baby water".

Good luck

My grandma always wanted to give my babies water - it was common belief during another generation that babies need water. It was a strong vein of belief for my grandma, who passed it on a little to my mom. That was before all the perfect nutritional content of breastmilk was unknown, and colostrum was thought not to be enough for the baby and all sorts of crazy myths. Good thing we understand stuff like that better now. I would say just have extra breast milk on hand!

Your baby does not need water at 4 months of age. I first started giving my twins nursery water, at 6 months of age in their sippy cups. Babies only need breastmilk for the first 6 months. I introduced rice cereal at 5 months & baby food at 6 months. You can even wait on the rice cereal until 6 months.

My last child was given water in the hospital at an hour old. I've always given my kids water in between breastmilk, and I breastfeed until they were 2.

I asked my doctor about this b/c people had also mentioned it to me. My doctor said NO. She said that the baby's system really can't handle the extra water and that they get plenty of water in breastmilk.
I think that as the baby get closer to 6 months it probably isn't that big of a deal b/c you supplement other things into their diets at that point.

No! Unless your baby is sweating a lot, or severely overweight, there is no need to give her water in between feedings, and it can actually be bad for her.

#1 It will make her feel full, so she won't eat properly.
This can cause weight loss, and at her age, she should be gaining weight every day.
#2 It can throw her electrolytes off, which can cause a whole range of problems.
#3 Also if she doesn't eat properly, besides weight loss, she could become malnourished, have her growth stunted, brain development delays, etc.

For those who say "the hospital gave my baby a bottle of water" - check again. They most likely gave your baby glucose & water. The glucose acts as a stimulant to get the baby to become more active. It also helps to keep the bilirubin levels down in some newborns. You're not supposed to KEEP giving it to them, otherwise they'd be giving every new Mom a case to take home!
I hope this helps!

I would def. NOT give a baby under 6 months any water or anything else but breastmilk!! That is all they need...bm is the PERFECT nutrition for babies :) :) Maybe the caregiver should try offering a pacifier inbetween feedings or increase the number of feedings if there is a problem.

My son is also 4 months old. Our Pediatrician told us that we should not give water in place of feedings because there is no nutritional value to water. However, we should give water if he is outside in the heat for awhile now that summer is starting to warm things up.

I really think it is old school thinking. H2o is empty nutrients for your baby. I breastfeed mostly and when I do give formula, I use nursery water. I wouldn't pacify baby with water. When breastfeeding I have always feed my baby when they are hungry, no real schedule when nursing...only my opinion. Good luck to you!!

You are correct - your baby should not be given water. Consult your pediatrician; I'm sure he or she will agree. Babies should not be given water during the first six months - just breastmilk or formula.

Updated - saw this article today:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24760916/

The only water I give my 5 1/2 month old is the nursery water which is what you use to mix with the formula. (I breast fee and Formula feed) I usually only give it to him when he has the hiccups or when he is eating cereal or baby food, just something to help him wash it down. I would talk to your dr. because if he is hungry I would think that you wouldn't want to give him water you would want to give him the breast milk.

Hope this helps.
D. K. Mother of a 2 year old girl and 5 1/2 month old son.

the baby gets plenty of water in your breast milk and does not need water- that is a belief from years ago. sometimes infants go through a growht spurt and need more- breast milk. at the age of 4 months or older you can start solids

This is almost a 2-part question:
First, no, you shouldn't "hold over" your son between feedings. If he's hungry, feed him! If you can't breastfeed him during the day, then just pump your b/m and have your caregiver bottle-feed it to him. He'll stop drinking when he's done. If your baby gets to a point where he's eating SO much to the point where you'r concerned and all the liquid is giving him an upset stomach or something, then definitely talk to your doctor.
Second, no most babies don't "need" water at 6 mo. Babies can be fine on just milk or formula for a year, no water, no food, etc. And as long as your son doesn't have any stomach/digestive issues, then you have nothing to worry about. My daughter has an extremely sensitive stomach and so our situation was different.

But always, when in doubt, call your dr! I usually just call and ask for the nurse if it's a general question, b/c I can get to them quicker, and if they don't know, they'll ask your ped.

When our son was four months old we took him to Florida in July. I was worried about dehydration so my doctor told us that we could give him water during the day to prevent dehydration from the heat. Ended up that he really didn't want to drink much of anything except water during the day because he was so hot and cranky. But...he was waking up two times a night to drink his bottles that he was missing during the day.