do/did you give your 9 month old(s) water?

omalley

My nanny left me a note asking if she could give my boys water to drink.  I haven't been able to ask her why so I thought I would ask here.  They drink about 30 oz of formula made w/ bottled water per day.  They also just moved to from 2 to 3 meals a day of cereal and stage 2 fruit/veggies.

Do you give your baby water?  If so, why?  Is pedialyte better than water.  I thought they were hydrated through their formula and I would think that the water would just fill them up.    Or this is the norm?

ETA: another question.  when did you start using sippy cups? she is pushing for that too?? 

Temp159135562506975

I gave Griffin some water in a sippy cup around that age- not to really consume- but to get used to the sippy cup.  Babies do NOT need water - unless you live in a really hot climate - there's no need to hydrate more than they are getting from bottles.

you don't want them filling up on water and then not eating/drinking bottles- so if you do put water in sippy cups- just a little bit - for them to get used to the cup- it's not about the water.

Temp6313048411121614

I don't remember when we started giving JR water.  I know his pedi when he was a baby said to only give pedialite (sp?) if it was super hot out. 

lisa&andy

My understanding is that around 6 months you introduce the sippy cup with water or formula/BM so they get used to the idea of it. From 6-12 months it is all about practice with it so when it comes time to get rid of the bottle, they will hopefully transition better. The water has no purpose since their hydration comes from their formula. Some people will put their formula in the sippy cup so they kids learn that not just water comes out of it.

MoMandA

I agree with Goldie. My LOs get water to practice drinking from a cup and that's it, other than what they annoyingly drink out of the bathtub.

meldoo2002

We started sippies of formula around 6 months just to practice with maybe once every couple of days.  Then by 8-9 months were were offering sippies at every meal with just about an ounce of water in them.  They were up to 3 meals/day by then.  Now we offer sippies of water at meals and when they have their 1-2 snacks each day.