re: . when did you start giving your baby water? .

DO NOT give an infant water that has not started solids. New studies have been done. Your son does not need water until he starts eating solid foods at 6 months. Giving water to a newborn can be dangerous, as it can create an electrolyte imbalance and cause seizures, even death. The only exception is if your baby is sick and your doctor recommends it. Here are some links:

http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.co...
http://www.stlouischildrens.org/tabid/88...

I've introduced the sippy cup at 6 months with water in it. I do it only to introduce the cup, not really for the water. I didn't give my daughter was as a drink until maybe 9 months? I don't remember, but around there.

Quoting *auzzysgirl*:“ I'm sorry I was talking about formula fed babies...Both my sons were not hungry for 4 hours after being fed! I don't know about breastfed babies.”

It is very different with breastfed babies.. My son ate every 45 min to an hour, but my sister formula fed and still fed on demand because during a growth spirt or if there sick and a few other reasons they may need a few extra oz's of formula...

i think babies under 4 months should not be given water at all...

Quoting jamils_mommy:“ It is very different with breastfed babies.. My son ate every 45 min to an hour, but my sister formula ... [snip!] ... on demand because during a growth spirt or if there sick and a few other reasons they may need a few extra oz's of formula...”

Wow every 45 min to an hour? Kudos to ya!  
Dang I didn't know you had to breastfeed that often...Did you get any sleep at night for the first few weeks?

Quoting *auzzysgirl*:“ I'm sorry I was talking about formula fed babies...Both my sons were not hungry for 4 hours after being fed! I don't know about breastfed babies.”

 Adison is almost 6 months old, and she still gets hungry again a couple hours after her first bottle of the day...and we feed her...

If it is in a certain circumstance where a baby is eating too much formula, according to their dr, and you are advised to give a bit of water...that is one thing...but I would certainly not advice anyone to give any supplementary water to a newborn, ESPECIALLY without asking their own pediatrician about it beforehand.  Newborns are supposed to eat a lot...eat and sleep and poop..it's what they do!

Quoting jamils_mommy:“ That's excatly how your suppose to do it!”

You always give such good resources!!  Do you give Jamil tap water or bottled water?  The water here has no floride so I give him tap water sometimes.  

Quoting Megan♥ baby Lydia:“ thanks merideth, i was getting ready to say the same thing and christina: great info as always”

 I think Adison would look at me like I was nuts if I tried to give her plain water when she was hungry!  To me, that would feel too much like putting a baby on a diet!

Quoting *auzzysgirl*:“ Wow every 45 min to an hour? Kudos to ya!   Dang I didn't know you had to breastfeed that often...Did you get any sleep at night for the first few weeks?”

That was during the day, at night he would go an hour and a half... I don't think it is that often for everyone, but he has always been a snacker...

We co-sleep but the first few weeks when I was awake during his feedings it was hard. I did need a nap every day for a while...

He finally spaced it out around 2 months, and then he was eating every 1.5 hours during the day and about 2.5/3 if I was very lucky one 4 hour strech at night, and that lasted until about 7 months and then at 8 months he finally started going 3 hours during the day!!!

Quoting merbobear:“ I think Adison would look at me like I was nuts if I tried to give her plain water when she was hungry! To me, that would feel too much like putting a baby on a diet!”

lol, I get your point...Sorry I didn't mean to sound like a drill sargent!

Quoting natesmomma:“ You always give such good resources!! Do you give Jamil tap water or bottled water? The water here has no floride so I give him tap water sometimes. ”

\and thanks... I read a LOT!


Our tap water is no good, I give flouride bottled water occasionally and regular water the rest of the time...

I keep reading up on flouride and I know it is good for the looks/stregenth of your teeth, but then I read how to much is bad and I get nervous, so I don't give it all the time.. and I hope he's getting enough, but would rather him have a cavity than problems with his bones...

I started giving Kendall sips of water when she was like 4 months old... I gave it in a sippy cup, and really she played with the cup more than anything...even now she gets it to play with...she drinks maybe 1/2 an ounce on the days that she gets it....

Quoting merbobear:“  I think Adison would look at me like I was nuts if I tried to give her plain water when she was hungry!  To me, that would feel too much like putting a baby on a diet!”

oh i know!! Lydia doesn't even like water unless it's from my cup or water bottle!!  I had a friend who didn't like to nurse in public so she'd try to get her kid to drink water at like 3 months instead of nursing during a feeding  
we were 19 at the time...but still

Lydia has tried to drink out of my cup since she was 4 months.  I let her have a sip if it's just water...(we only drink bottled and purified) which I don't think can hurt her, but as far as giving your child a bottle of water...we don't do that still...I will give her a bottle with water in it and she plays with it, but she never drinks it...idk there's a difference...she can't feed herself a bottle (booby baby doesn't know how to hold it without handles like the sippy cup has) so she's just chewing on it and throwing it!

Quoting jamils_mommy:“ \and thanks... I read a LOT! Our tap water is no good, I give flouride bottled water occasionally ... [snip!] ... don't give it all the time.. and I hope he's getting enough, but would rather him have a cavity than problems with his bones...”

The fluoride stuff scares me. I mean you can't give your child adult toothpaste because of fluoride, but doctors want you to give them fluoride drops?! I don't get it.

Quoting Megan♥ baby Lydia:“ oh i know!! Lydia doesn't even like water unless it's from my cup or water bottle!! I had a friend ... [snip!] ... (booby baby doesn't know how to hold it without handles like the sippy cup has) so she's just chewing on it and throwing it!”

That's sad...


Now Jamil loves water! I always worry he will drink to much, but he signs for it...