Should I give water to me 8 week old baby?

Question

Everyone keeps telling me that my 8 week old is gaining weight too quickly and that i should give him water at night instead of feeding him so he'll sleep longer. I read in one of my books that you shouldn't give water to a breast feed baby because they are getting the water they need from the milk. Please help because i'm so confused right now. btw, his birth weight was 7lbs, and today he weighed in at 12.08lbs. his length was 20.4 at birth and is now 23.5 inches.

Answer 1

No he's too young

Answer 2

At 8 weeks my baby feed more for a couple of days which was put down to a growth spurt. I think demand feeding is the best approach at that age. To give water in place of a feed may not be the best approach as the baby needs the feed to grow. My baby is chubby but the way I see it, if he is growing and developing well then I'm doing my job. I did however give water and mint tea to help with wind from an early age. I think water is ok so long as it is in addition to the feeds not in place of the feeds.

Answer 3

Do not give an 8 week old baby water. You are right the baby gets it from the milk, I say whenever in doubt just rely of mothers instincs which you have done so and you know you should not give it water. I mean you don't want your baby to starve!. Would the people who say give him water at night, would they like it if they had water at night for dinner??, same thing, if your concerned that he is putting on too much weight then have him checked out by your doctor and if he says its' normal, then it is and disregard all other comments and that way yo uwill not be confused cos your only listening to 1 advcie which is the correct one. Don't listen to everything everyone says thay are not doctors. Look after your baby and yourself. Good luck.

Answer 4

Don't listen to those people. My baby weighed 7lbs at birth and was 21 inches long. At 2 months, she weighed 12.4 lbs and was 23 inches long. I thought it was quite a bit but my doctor said it is normal for breastfed babies to gain weight like that. As for the water, my doctor said no water. He said my daughter was getting everything she needed from the breastmilk. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

If you have any concerns with how your child is developing you should consult your pediatrician.

I was told not to give my baby water as it fills the tummy when they may actually need food. My daughter is exclusively breast fed and weighed a healthy 14 lbs. at her 2 month appointment. Also - ask anyone who breastfeeds - you can't over feed a breast fed baby.

Best of luck to you! I hope you talk to a professional and he or she calms those fears. You're not alone with the confusion and advice. Trust your gut.

Answer 6

Firstly please ignore any member of "everybody" that doesn't have training in breastfeeding/lactation OR pediatric nutrition. And that probably includes your doctor. If you will refer to this growth chart from the world health organization for BREASTFED babies you will note that your baby was born slightly below the 50th percentile and is now EXACTLY on the 50th percentile. I don't see how on earth you could get any more average that that!
http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/cht_wfa_boys_p_0_6.pdf

Giving a baby under 6 months a bottle of water can cause water intoxication which at its most serious will cause death. This is not an uncommon reason for hospital admission, though it is slightly more common with formula fed babies (as moms may water down formula to stretch it out longer, or just misread instructions).



This is the WHO length chart if you want to check that too, but it sounds about right to me:
http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/cht_lfa_boys_p_0_6.pdf

Is my exclusively breastfed baby gaining too much weight?
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/growth/weight-toomuch.html

Answer 7

He's fine! I would be worried if he gained like 15 pounds in 8 weeks, but he is just growing. Don't give him water at such a young age, I didn't my daughter water until I started to stop breastfeeding which she was around 8 or 9 months.
Good Luck

Answer 8

Gaining weight too quickly?! My dear, anyone who told you that is an idiot. Babies are supposed to gain weight quickly; as long as a baby is eating the kid of food he's supposed to (which, at his age, is nothing but breastmilk), you should NEVER limit the amount of food he eats. He's far too young for water, or anything other than Mommy milk.

Answer 9

NO WATER! Unless it is 105 degrees outside (even then, it's not really necessary) the breastfed newborn does not need anything else. Your foremilk will quench his thirst.

Consult a lactation consultant if you are really concerned.

Water will not make him sleep longer. If anything, he'll wake up sooner when the water leaves his tummy and he's hungry for what he really needs, which is breastmilk.

Answer 10

No. He wouldn't sleep any longer with water. Babies usually only eat as much as they need. I think 12 lbs is pretty normal for a 2 month old. Ask his doc if you're concerned.

Answer 11

Water, providing its boiled thoroughly is fine to give to any baby. I think it sounds like its doing very well, and you are obviously doing all right, but play it by your own instincts, offer him water, if he wants it he will drink it, he may actually be thirsty from time to time. You will gets loads and loads of advice from all well meaning folks, but at the end of the day, its your baby, and between you, YOU decide what is best, you wont fail, just keep an eye on its weight, it sounds as though he is thriving !