Hello ladies... :)

I have a question.... when did you start giving other liquids to your babies? (Besides milk) .... I want to know 'cause I've read that I shouldn't give water to a newborn.... but I just want to know what you ladies have done... so.... when did you start giving water to your children?

Thanks!

Paloma.

I personally didn't until a year and not a great deal until 18 months to two years....tried to keep the high fat/calorie builders in the milk coming until then for growth and brain development....I'm not sure what is actually rec'd though! Just what we ended up doing for both of our boys!

Yep, definitely no water at first! I think mine started a little water (maybe one cup a day) when they were consistently eating solids.

Babies pretty much need to only take in liquids that can give them some fat and calories.

I started offering Payton a sippy cup of water when we started giving him solids at 6 months. I now give him either water or juice at mealtimes.

Same here not till 6 months.

Ditto, it was 10 to 12 months for both my girls and i would not reccomend it any earlier.

We did at about 8 months if we were out side and it was very, very hot other wise our doc said wait until after the first Bday.

Our previous doc said no water as a baby because it causes the brain to swell...[whatwacko] I'm not entirely sure this is true, but it scared me!!

I started giving water at 6 month when they started nippling on solids. Just some water here in there more so they would get used to water (the taste and all).

Ditto. Not until 6+ months and then it was only a sip here and there to get used to the sippy cup. Certainly nothing very consistent until at least 1 year old or more.

Very FEW SIPS around 6+ months. But not enough to amount to anything until they were eating solids well...which has been 1+ yr with mine.

I also heard/read something not long ago about hazards of giving baby too much water. What WAS that? Argh! Can't remember now, sorry, but, like Kate, I remember thinking 'Yikes!' and being glad my kids don't get it anyway.

I think when Rhy had quite a few teeth in her mouth (9+ months) I would give her a little water after meals to try to rinse her mouth while I was clearing dishes and until I got a chance to brush her teeth.

our kids only had water if it was an urgent type of situation, like dh or other caregivers were out of expressed breastmilk and they really wanted something to drink. I think they had water maybe once or twice each before their 1st birthday. Otherwise, it was breastmilk or (after 9 mo.), apple/cherry/peach/pear juice.

I think while he was young like 6 months, he only got water in a sippy cup, because we were trying to get him to use one and water won't stain or make a mess. He got juice mixed with water (1/2 x 1/2) when he was really constipated, but then it was only apple/prune or pear juice. For the most part it was just breast milk or formula and then we added the whole milk after one year.

When DS was still a young infant, I remember people trying to tell me "I think he's thirsty, what about giving him water?" (even my own mother said that). But I remembered the NO WATER rule when it comes to infants unless Doc said he needed it for some reason. If your baby is doing good but just seems thirsty...just nurse her or formula-feed if that's what you do.

My DS gets water now since he's nine months, and eats three meals a day along with snacks...plus it is typically pretty warm all year round in Hawaii.

I gave water to Abby when she was about a year old. They say that babies do not sweat as infants because their sweat glands aren't open yet and they can get water posioning if given too much water. How much is too much? I don't know, but I would just avoid it until they are at least eating solids.

Both my boys were about a year old when they were allowed to have water. I didn't know about the water poisioning thing (smacks forehead) but water just doesn't have the fat/calories/nutrients a baby needs. It was only breastmilk/formula for the first 4-6 mos then breastmilk/formula and soft solids until 12 mos. After that we did a little bit of water or cow's milk or a little bit of 100% fruit juice diluted with water, but not all at once, spaced out over weeks or mos just like solids in case something doesn't agree with their little tummies.