Does a 1 month old baby need to drink water?

Question

I would like to know if a 1 month old baby needs to drink water if he is on breast milk and if he is on formula does he need to drink water.If so how much and how to feed him water.i have heard from some sources and even doctors saying that just milk is enough but i still do get conflicting opinions.Please advise

Answer 1

If you want to give your one month old water it is fine, but not too much. Your child needs the milk/formula more. I wouldn't give him/her more than 2 oz. a feeding/4 oz. a day of water.

Answer 2

Does Baby Need Water

Answer 3

My daughter was due 26th Aug and came 26th July and was 5lb 5oz too! :) She is almost 3yrs old now. But anyhoo, no, it is totally wrong to say that drinking milk only causes constipation. Water wouldn't do harm but nutritionally it has nothing to give like milk which contains fat, proteins and vitamins for healthy growth. But it isn't natures intention for them to have water so young. I breastfed not formula fed though so not sure if formula might be different. Also note though that breastfed babies (if yours is breastfed) pass less stools than formula fed. Your baby shouldn't need ANYthing other than milk before 6mths old. Sometimes people start a little if this and that, tasters, at 4mths at the earliest but its best to make sure your baby is ready by looking out for the signs (mostly if they show interest in your food). Some people even do 'baby led weaning' where they leave it totally up to the child to pick and eat foods when they're ready so they depend on the milk much longer. This isn't harmful at all. Milk CAN be the no1 nutrition provider upto age 1 and even beyond.

Answer 4

This is a frequently asked ?, but the recommendation by pediatricians is NOT to give water to babies (whether breastfed or formula fed) until they start solids at around 6mths of age. There are many reasons why it is dangerous to give water to babies, so I'll paste here part of an article explaining why not to give water to newborns (in particular younger than 2mths) and guidelines for offering it once baby reaches a certain age:

During the first 6 months of age, even in hot climates, water and juice are unnecessary for breastfed infants and may introduce contaminants or allergens.
For newborns (especially under 4-5 weeks), water supplements can be risky.
Babies under two months should not be given supplemental water.
Water supplements are associated with increased bilirubin levels in jaundiced newborns.
Too much water can lead to a serious condition called oral water intoxication.
Water supplements fill baby up without adding calories, so water supplements can result in weight loss (or insufficient weight gain) for the baby.
Babies who get water supplements are less interested in nursing. If baby is not nursing as often as he should, it will take longer for mom's milk to come in and can delay or prevent mom from establishing an optimum milk supply.

For babies past the newborn stage
Too much water can interfere with breastfeeding because it fills baby up so that he nurses less. Babies need the nutrition and calories in breastmilk to grow - water has none of these.
Breastmilk has all the water your baby needs, even in very hot weather.
When your 4-6 month old baby is learning to use a cup, giving him a few sips of water a couple of times a day (no more than 2 ounces per 24 hours) is fine and fun.
Once baby starts solids, you might want to give him a few sips of expressed milk or water with his solids - some babies need this to prevent constipation.

Answer 5

A baby doesn't need water. It's empty calories and will fill your baby up. They need the nutrition and calories in breastmilk or formula to grow - water has none of these.
If you are breastfeeding, breastmilk is 88% water. If you use formula, the baby at this age doesn't need water. Plus giving water to babies under 5 weeks old is dangerous.
For newborns (especially under 4-5 weeks), water supplements can be risky
Babies under two months should not be given supplemental water.
Water supplements are associated with increased bilirubin levels in jaundiced newborns.
Too much water can lead to a serious condition called oral water intoxication.
Water supplements fill baby up without adding calories, so water supplements can result in weight loss (or insufficient weight gain) for the baby.
Babies who get water supplements are less interested in nursing. If baby is not nursing as often as he should, it will take longer for mom's milk to come in and can delay or prevent mom from establishing an optimum milk supply.

Answer 6

If your baby is breast feeding don't worry so much,I was worried to when i had my daughter. The breast milk is enough.If your baby is on canned formula you can give him water, even if it is just a little. How about trying what I did with my daughter. Use a medicine dropper to feed him or her the water It works great. It doesn't matter if he only drinks one or to dropper filled every day.

Answer 7

I work in the neonatal field. We tell parents NOT to give thier infants water. Giving your one month old just a little too much water can cause serious harm in the form of electrolyte imbalance. Giving your infant a bottle of water is not the same as you drinking a glass of water if you think of it in terms of body mass and kidney function. Your breast milk or the formula you use should suffice at only one month of age. Please follow your doctors advice.

Answer 8

No, your baby doesn't need any water at this age. For them there are no nutrients that benefit them with water. We were told not to start feeding our son water until he was closer to 5-6 months. Then it is only about 2 oz. Just keep him on breastmilk or the formula at this age.

Answer 9

I gave my newborn son water, with a half of a tea spoon of sugar in it. He had the hiccups often and the nurses told me that it would help him. Once we were home I gave him a half a bottle (2 ounces) of sugar water a day. My son never had any problems with drinking water with the sugar in it, and Yes I was told not to give just plain water, that wasnt good for newborns system, so just add a little little bit of sugar to the some bottled water and baby will be okay:-)

Answer 10

Your baby does not need water. There is plenty of water in breast milk and formula. Check the American Academy of Pediatrics website...they're the foremost authority on infant and childhood development...in my opinion, they're a little bit extreme on making sure your child gets everything he/she needs, so if they say he gets enough water from breast/formula milk, you can take it as fact.