giving baby water?

Question

is it ok to give my week and a day old baby water because in this weather it is really hot and it seems to work but i dont want to give her to much cos i dont know if it will make her sick and also of a night time she tends to make really weird noise like if she has water at the back of her throut and her breathing seems weird with it is this normal i know we do it of a night time so is the baby ok to do it
first time mom

Answer 1

When my two boys were babies I kept a separate bottle of cool boiled water (don't give it to her too cold) for them to drink in hot weather. I would give her small amounts so not to affect her feeds. If you have any further concerns consult your health visitor.

Answer 2

ditto on the no and the comments about the water making the baby feel full. You can also give a bottle that is NOT hot or cold, but room temp. Just don't leave it out to make it room temp. I would go the route of a little heating and letting it cool rather than the other way around so that the milk doesn't spoil. Congrats on the new baby. Also....keeping a little something on the skin even though it's really hot outside is good too. It protects from early skin damage. (I have known people not to cover newborns because they think the baby feels the way they do. LOL)

Answer 3

As long as she is getting enough milk and not filling her tummy with water, that's OK. Make sure the water has been boiled first, then cooled, but not in the fridge. With regard to the noise from her throat, it's probably nothing important, but ask at the clinic next time you go. Good luck.

I've just read all the answers so far. So much different advice! I bet you're more confused than you were before! Just to clarify, tepid water is ok, very cold water is not.

Answer 4

Ok, When in doubt---call your pediatrician. The baby does NOT need water! This should explain all you need to know about this:


"According to CNRC pediatrician Dr. William Heird, healthy babies do not need, nor should they be given, bottles of water or any other liquid except breast milk or iron-fortified infant formula during the first year of life. The reason is that a baby's stomach is quite small and if she 'fills up' on water she might not drink enough formula or breast milk to get all the nutrition she needs to stay healthy and grow. So don't worry, as long as your daughter is feeding well, she is getting all the "water" or "liquid" she needs from the breast milk or iron-fortified infant formula she's consuming. "

Yes, some mothers may have given their babies water and they turned out fine but now that studies have been done please go the safe route and don't give him/her water!!!!!!

Answer 5

Hello I have a 3 month old and water is really ok for them just not to much maybe 2 ozs at the most and don't feed formula or breastmilk right away after the water that makes m y lil man sick in this heat but your doing fine any more questions just ask :-)

Answer 6

Being a 1st time mom of a now 8 mon. old son, all of the info. is still pretty fresh in my mind. all of the pamphlets and books say that a healthy baby under six mon. doesn't need water. Are you ff or bf? if formula, you know that is almost entirely water. I'm not sure why you shouldn't give it to them, but i think that it is because the water is an empty filler with no nutrients.
also, my son had that gurgle, and it's just the milk catching in her throat. babies can't clear their throats like we can. And i was worried about my son's breathing, he snored since he was born. the dr. said no worries there. ALWAYS when in doubt call your pediatrician.

Answer 7

No, it is *not* okay to give a young baby water. Human milk has all the water a baby needs, and giving water instead can fill up her stomach with something that has absolutely no nutrition but makes her less hungry for the food she needs for growth and development. It can also change the environment in her digestive tract and make her more susceptible to diseases and health problems. Don't. No, it won't cause obvious harm to *every* baby, but if it's your baby who is damaged, it's 100%. Why risk it?

Answer 8

My son is 7 months old, and he was very constipated when he was first born, and his pediatrician recommended sugar water when he was about 2 weeks old. I also could just give it to him straight from the tap. I just had to make sure it was warm enough to desolve the sugar. Also, if the noises sound like she can't breath, use a bulb syringe. It might help get some mucus out of her throat and nose, if there's any in there.

Answer 9

Though people will tell you that it isn't okay, it is perfectly FINE to give the baby nursery water. However, it can NOT be regular tap water. You can purchase nursery water at most grocery stores. Just make certain that you only give her a few ounces at a time and that she is still consuming a normal amount of formula.

Answer 10

If you are breastfeeding on demand, the baby will gain all of the fluid that she needs from this.

If you are bottle feeding, you would probably best to just use the formula as well.

I would suggest talking to your midwife or health visitor though.

Babies snore and grunt and make all sorts of noises when they are asleep so try not to worry too much about the night time noises!