When to give water?

henderson1026 · June 2013

For STMs and breast feeders - when does baby start getting bottles of water?

magdalina.h · June 2013

Lucas didn't start until close to 1. I have heard that in hotter states, like AZ, pedi's will say it's okay earlier than normal.

CupcakeGirl08 · June 2013

My pedi said we could start giving water at 6 months when we started introducing solids.

kje120 · June 2013

DS never had water in a bottle. He didn't start drinking water until it was out of a sippy cup - so close to 1.

LnR70707 · June 2013

We introduced sippies with water around the same time he started solids...so 6 months.

MommyKristin88 · June 2013

Because it was so hot, I was told to give her water around 3 months when I first asked about it. Not a lot though, because they didn't want it to replace meals.

SarahKate31 · June 2013

We never gave water in a bottle. When we first introduced a sippy cup around 6 months, we put water in that.

magdalina.h · June 2013

Water can be harmful if given too early. It screws with the balance of something. It's been awhile so I don't remember what exactly it is.

It's best to ask your pedi.

zulan78 · June 2013

Living in the pacific northwest, my kids pediatrician said there is no reason to give water to a baby less than a year old. It doesn't get hot enough here to replace milk with it so I believe your answers will vary depending where you live. Ask your baby's pediatrician if you want to know as that is the safest route. Low weight babies might also have a different suggestion as they need more fat in their diet.

Soleil3 · June 2013

We don't give water until older than 1. The first year for us is breastmilk/formula.

Brewsbabymama · June 2013

Your breast milk has a lot of water content and I have read will change accordingly. There is no reason to supplement water just feed more often and make sure that you stay hydrated. I know from speaking with my mom that she never gave us anything including food items before 1. If you are introducing food before then extra milk or a little water may be appropriate but I believe even most peds don't suggest it until at least 6 months.

SarahinMD · June 2013

We never gave water in a bottle. We actually never gave anything other than breastmilk ever in a bottle. Plain water can be very bad for babies.

We did BLS/BLW and so when DD started with solids around 6 months, I think we eventually gave a cup...a small cup, like I think we used something like a shot glass early on, to allow her to learn the mechanics of it (and so only once she had the ability to pick it up). She didn't really DRINK any for a long time accept accidentally. Because I always nursed BEFORE she got solids, when she started really EATING (not playing) with food, was when we first really tried to get her to drink something. We didn't just do water though, but mostly it was to help with digestion. We tried to usually do an open cup at the table, but for snacks, having around, a sippy or straw cup. DD got really good with a cup and was using an open cup well when her (year and a half older) cousin was still doing sippy cups.

beckyanddon · June 2013

I did sippies of water with solids. Like others said

BelhurstBride · June 2013

SarahinMD:
We never gave water in a bottle. We actually never gave anything other than breastmilk ever in a bottle. Plain water can be very bad for babies.
We did BLS/BLW and so when DD started with solids around 6 months, I think we eventually gave a cup...a small cup, like I think we used something like a shot glass early on, to allow her to learn the mechanics of it (and so only once she had the ability to pick it up). She didn't really DRINK any for a long time accept accidentally. Because I always nursed BEFORE she got solids, when she started really EATING (not playing) with food, was when we first really tried to get her to drink something.

this was pretty much us. Dd was pretty close to if not over a year before she really took an interest in eating or drinking much.

NiksMama · June 2013

kestock120:
DS never had water in a bottle. He didn't start drinking water until it was out of a sippy cup so close to 1.

This. No bottles of water in my house.

kateisgreat · June 2013

Babies don't need water, even in hotter climates. Breast milk (and formula) has plenty of water in it, they aren't going to get dehydrated. I would seriously question the judgment of any doctor who told me otherwise. I didn't give DD a sippy cup of water until right before we stopped BFing , and even then it was mostly for practice with the sippy cup at that point because water is easier to clean up- most of it wound up on the floor until we discovered the straw sippy cups. I think I gave her water at 12 months and stopped BFing at 13.

ETA: I see nothing wrong with giving baby a sippy once they start solids, but giving a kid under 6 months old anything besides breast milk or formula is unnecessary IMO.

hnic14 · June 2013

kestock120:
DS never had water in a bottle. He didn't start drinking water until it was out of a sippy cup so close to 1.

This

PrimRoseMama · June 2013

6 months and rarely a whole bottle full. It messes with their electrolyte balance and can be fatal before you introduce solids.

BlueJewelM · June 2013

6 to 8 months in a sippy. Never a bottle. He probably didn't get much water in him anyway, he didn't figure out how to drink from a sippy until about 12 months anyway.
We were cruel parents that took away bottles the day after he turned 1. So he figured out it was "sink or swim" with sippys at that point and then drank more water

magdalina.h · June 2013

kateisgreat:
Babies don't need water, even in hotter climates. Breast milk (and formula) has plenty of water in it, they aren't going to get dehydrated. I would seriously question the judgment of any doctor who told me otherwise. I didn't give DD a sippy cup of water until right before we stopped BFing , and even then it was mostly for practice with the sippy cup at that point because water is easier to clean up- most of it wound up on the floor until we discovered the straw sippy cups. I think I gave her water at 12 months and stopped BFing at 13.
ETA: I see nothing wrong with giving baby a sippy once they start solids, but giving a kid under 6 months old anything besides breast milk or formula is unnecessary IMO.

There were several girls that posted that they were advised by their pedi to give water because they live in AZ. Now it was a couple of sips, but they were advised to.

rissa06 · June 2013

CupcakeGirl08:
My pedi said we could start giving water at 6 months when we started introducing solids.

This, but we never put in the bottle. We just had it in the sippy cup.

MammaBear81 · June 2013

kestock120:
DS never had water in a bottle. He didn't start drinking water until it was out of a sippy cup - so close to 1.

This, but we started sippys around 9 months, when they started "self feeding" solids

kateisgreat · June 2013

magdalina.h:
kateisgreat:
Babies don't need water, even in hotter climates. Breast milk (and formula) has plenty of water in it, they aren't going to get dehydrated. I would seriously question the judgment of any doctor who told me otherwise. I didn't give DD a sippy cup of water until right before we stopped BFing , and even then it was mostly for practice with the sippy cup at that point because water is easier to clean up- most of it wound up on the floor until we discovered the straw sippy cups. I think I gave her water at 12 months and stopped BFing at 13.
ETA: I see nothing wrong with giving baby a sippy once they start solids, but giving a kid under 6 months old anything besides breast milk or formula is unnecessary IMO.
There were several girls that posted that they were advised by their pedi to give water because they live in AZ. Now it was a couple of sips, but they were advised to.

I really don't understand this response since you even said above that it's not safe to give water too early.

As I said, I would question the judgement of any doctor who told me to give my child water. They don't need it before 6 months, and experts advise against giving water before then. I'm not the only person who said babies don't need water in this post BTW.

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