Thirsty Babies
Big girls like me need to drink water in order to stay hydrated. I make sure to drink some water every day. I also drink whole cow’s milk every day. Some days I even get a bit of juice. I like juice a lot. Juice is my favourite because It’s a bit of a treat.
I have a lot of beverage options these days but there was a time when mommy would only let me drink breast milk or formula. It was once common practice to give infants water but now we know better. Not only is it unnecessary, it can even be harmful to give a little baby water.
Both breast milk and formula contain enough water to keep an infant fully hydrated in just about every climate. In fact, breast milk is made up of 80%-90% water and anyone who has ever prepared a bottle of formula knows that the main ingredient is water. Any infant that is feeding well on an all liquid diet does not need any more water.
Introducing water too early can have several negative consequences. Water takes up space in the tummy. Little babies have very limited tummy space to begin with. If they fill up on water they won’t have space for breast milk or formula on which they rely for all their nutritional needs.
Along with lacking the necessary nutrients, water also lacks calories. Babies need calories to grow. Water can quickly fill up a small tummy and suppress appetite. Introducing water too early can interfere with normal growth and cause slow weight gain or even weight loss.
Water is not very effective at lowering Bilirubin levels. Therefore newborns who are given water are at greater risk of jaundice. This can result in the need for treatment under specialized lamps. Newborns that are given water tend to need a longer hospital stay.
In extreme cases, babies can develop a serious condition called water intoxication. In this case, the water affects normal sodium levels. The effects of water intoxication can be quite severe including seizures, coma, brain damage, and death.
As long as a baby is on an all liquid diet they will not need additional water. Once solid foods are introduced to the menu, water should be introduced slowly. The only time water may be necessary earlier is in cases of severe illness where much fluid is lost. In this case a doctor would probably recommend that a bit of water be given to the baby.
When a baby begins to eat solid foods, small sips of water should be offered. The first foods generally contain quite a bit of fluid and dehydration is still unlikely in these early stages. However it is good to offer small amounts of water with meals as a precaution, introduction to the new routine, and to prevent constipation.
The amount of water offered should gradually be increased. This is especially true as the baby begins to eat food that contains less moisture. A baby is ready for unlimited water at around a year old. At this point water should be available throughout the day.
There is no need to force a baby to drink water. We know when we are thirsty. We’re just too little to get our own water so make sure you give us the option to drink frequently and only give us fresh and clean water.
My mommy has shown me how to use a sippy cup that I can drink from all by myself. It is always available to me during the day so I can decide when and how much water I drink. I like my sippy cup and the independence it gives me. I am a big girl after all and I don’t need help to drink my water.
That cute Peachy!
I remember when my first niece was born they would give parents little bottles of water to take home from the hospital and would encourage them to keep up the practice. Weird how things change!
Thanks
My mother told me that she was told to give me water from the day I was born. She was very surprised when I told her we’re not doing that anymore. Thanks for visiting.
I never knew this, and was encouraged to give my kids water through the summer months when they were babies. #ThatFridayLinky
This used to be the norm. It was just assumed that babies would need water. But when babies were tested for dehydration, turned out that’s not the case at all. Even in hot weather babies get all the fluids they need from their milk and formula. Thanks for reading.
It’s a really important message as it can be pretty dangerous and can be tempting to just give water sometimes #ThatFridayLinky
The fact that so many of our parents were told to give infants water is not helping. It’s only natural to rely on our parents for help but what they did isn’t always the right thing. Thanks for reading.
Really interesting post my mother has always said drink lots of water not sure I did but she was right I think Thanks for linking to the #THAT FRIDAY LINKY come back next week please
I’m pretty bad about drinking my water too. I just keep forgetting. Peachy tends to forget too since she’s such a busy baby. But she has me to remind her. If only someone would remind me. Thanks for reading.
I don’t drink enough water. I could probably go most of the day on a just a few cups of tea! Thanks for linking up to #ThatFridayLinky
Same here. I’m trying to teach Peachy better habits now that she’s old enough for water. Thanks for visiting.
Thanks for sharing! You really do learn something new everyday! #stayclassymama
Thanks for visiting.
This is a great post! Very informative. The first thing anyone said to me when my first was born (in a scorching hot!) May Was that he needed water! (They also told me not to pick him up when he cried but that’s a rant for another day!) I have no experience of formula, but I do know that breastmilk is classed as a clear fluid, so even when a child is unwell, there should never be a need to offer water over BM. (In times of illness etc, )
We introduced a sippy cup of water pretty much as soon as we started BLW (the awesome Momma cup with a straw) without painting an entire generation under one light, the offer water thing does seem to be an outdated piece of “advice” certainly from my parents generation, but often as new parents ourselves the first people we turn to for help are our own parents, which may be why some are still confused by the offer water advice. #StayClassyMama
You’re very correct in saying that. We tend to go to our mothers for baby advice since they managed to keep us alive. But what was known then isn’t always the best advice to take. It’s best to do our own research and speak to our doctors when in doubt. Thanks for reading.
It’s amazing how things change. My mother gave my sister and I water when we were babies because that’s what was recommended but I never gave my children any. At first my mum would nag me to because that’s what she knew but then realised that actually there was no need too. Thank you for sharing with #StayClassyMama
I had the same conversation with my mother, who was also told to give me water. Thanks for reading.