How to give your baby water while breastfeeding. Do I need to give water to the baby: when and how much? Raw, boiled or bottled

Should I give my baby water? It will definitely be difficult to answer this question. Back in 1989, the World Health Organization adopted the declaration “10 principles for successful breastfeeding”. Among others, there was a point that stated that newborns do not need any other drink than mother's milk - except for those exceptional cases when it is necessary for medical reasons.

The same organization approved earlier that a child under the age of 28 days is considered a newborn (for more details, see the article:). The Russian Ministry of Health recommends not supplementing the baby with water until 5-6 months of age, i.e. before the introduction of complementary foods. Among supporters and opponents of these opinions, disputes have long been ongoing, and not unfounded.

Many pediatricians and neonatologists believe that it is not necessary to supplement the child with water, since mother's milk fully satisfies the baby's needs not only for food, but also for drinking.

Parents who cannot yet come to a consensus regarding supplementation of the infant should consider the possible consequences of each decision for the child. WHO puts forward the following strong arguments against additional drinking:

• Dysbacteriosis. The absolutely sterile intestines of the baby are filled with beneficial microflora coming from mother's milk. It helps to maintain the necessary balance in the child's digestive system. Regular fluid supply to a breastfed baby disrupts the natural balance and contributes to the development of dysbacteriosis.
• Load on the kidneys. During the first trimester of life, the baby develops kidneys. Their main task is to remove salt from the body, and with additional drinking they get an additional load.
• Malnutrition. A baby who is given to drink mistakenly thinks that he has eaten, because his stomach receives food with a volume of 1/6 of his body weight at a time. Consequently, he receives less nutritious mother's milk.
• . With active breast sucking, the mother produces a large amount of milk, and with additional drinking, the volume of breast milk eaten will decrease. It is highly undesirable to give the child to drink at night. At this time, when breast sucking, the hormone prolactin will be produced, it is he who is responsible for the production of the required amount of milk during the daytime.
• . Mothers who drink their babies from a bottle run the risk of a baby refusing to breastfeed (we recommend reading:). The liquid from the bottle flows effortlessly, the baby does not need to try and the child “chooses” the nipple more and more often.

The refusal of the child from the breast after supplementation may be due to the fact that water from the bottle is obtained very easily. If a decision has already been made to give the baby an extra drink, it is better to use a spoon

Is water essential for newborn nutrition?

The principles put forward by WHO have their opponents who are trying to convince parents of the benefits of supplementation. They claim that a child needs water from the first month of life, but, as you will see for yourself, these theories do not withstand the onslaught of opposing arguments. Let's consider the pros and cons.

Myths and reality:

• It is argued that milk is food, it does not satisfy the need to drink. However, there are two kinds of milk: foremilk and hindmilk. Fore milk is 90% water and can quench any thirst.
• They say that in the heat it is simply necessary to drink water. And this can be refuted: experiments were conducted when groups of women and children were placed in the Sahara at a temperature of 50 degrees with a plus sign. The representatives of the first group were allowed to feed babies only with breast milk. The second group of children was on an artificial type of feeding and received additional water. In the third group, the children received water along with their mother's milk. As a result, only the representatives of the first group successfully completed the test, while the remaining groups complained of indigestion and infectious diseases. Thus, it was concluded that breast milk completely quenches thirst, since most of it consists of water.
• There is an opinion that water with an admixture of salts helps to restore the water-salt balance in the body, otherwise there is a possibility of dehydration. And this is not so: breast milk is a saline solution in which the salts and minerals necessary for the baby are combined in a special way.
• It is argued that during illness, water removes all toxins and viruses from the body, and it is also an excellent medium for dissolving medicines. Mother's milk also has a lot of water and it will cope with this task just as well. It is even better to dissolve medicines in breast milk, because then they are even easier to digest and easier to drink by the little one.

Breast milk is the best medicine for a baby!

• It is noticed that drinking water from a bottle calms the baby. This is not entirely true, because the process of sucking, which is the key here, can be replaced by a dummy, mom's finger, previously thoroughly washed, or motion sickness.
• Water brings out. No, the cause of jaundice is bilirubin, and it dissolves perfectly in fats, not in water. Breast milk, rich in fat, better removes bilirubin from the body.

"Golden mean"

Contradictory opinions on both sides can confuse any parent. The famous doctor Komarovsky, in turn, reconciles the two warring parties and proposes to apply the principles of the "golden mean".

The only ones who are categorically contraindicated for supplementation are children of the first month of life (we recommend reading:). As soon as the baby turns 28 days old, you can start giving him some water with a spoon or from a bottle, but not with a nipple, but with a dispenser.

Let the child decide for himself whether he wants to drink or not, do not insist. good health- a sign of satisfied needs. Children who receive complementary foods or feed on an adapted formula require water without fail.

Medical indications for additional drinking

There are a number of medical indications when water must be given to newborns:

• heat;
• diarrhea, vomiting, diarrhea;
• constipation;
• profuse sweating.

With obvious signs of dehydration, it is imperative to give the baby water to drink, and possibly place him in a hospital. Signs of dehydration:

• elevated temperature;
• lethargy, dry eyes and lips;
• urine dark, concentrated, no more than 7 times a day;
• sinking spring.

Useful water

When deciding what water to give to a baby, many parents unanimously choose drinking bottled water - this is the best option, because it harmoniously combines the necessary salts and minerals, plus it is very useful for a growing child's body.

Boiled tap water is drinkable only in extreme cases. It has a lot of harmful microorganisms, as well as a high salt content. All this can negatively affect the health of the child or cause allergic reactions.

The high purification system installed in the apartment allows you to give water directly from the tap. Please note that you cannot boil the same water twice. The shelf life of boiled water is a day.

Required volume of liquid

Having decided to give the crumbs liquid to drink, you need to decide how much water the child needs. The average volume of liquid required (not only water, but also compotes, juices, adapted mixtures, mother's milk, etc.) can be determined as follows: 50 ml of liquid is required per 1 kg of weight. This scheme is relevant for children from birth to 3 years. Of course, these indicators may vary depending on the well-being of the child and on environmental conditions.

The table below shows how much water should be drunk in each age period of the child. Consider all the nuances.

It is impossible to give the baby water or other liquids in unlimited quantities, otherwise the water-salt balance of his fragile body may be disturbed. It is necessary to calculate the rate according to the table and adhere to medical prescriptions

1. Don't make me drink. You can only unobtrusively offer some water, but the child himself must decide. A breastfed baby may not need additional fluids until 7-8 months of age.
2. Offer water from a spoon or bottle with a dispenser. Horns with nipples provoke active fluid intake, and this is dangerous for the body. Excessive water in the kidneys will cause sand to appear. Noticing that the child has quenched his thirst, the water can be removed.
3. Generate interest. A baby in need of liquid (eating formula or receiving complementary foods, but not wanting to drink water) simply did not have time to taste and fall in love with it. You can offer dried fruit compote or raisins as an alternative.
4. Only quality water. Untreated water for newborns can cause allergies in the baby (rash, redness, cough, shortness of breath, intestinal disorders).
5. Water after feeding. Do not drink your baby before meals - it tends to satisfy hunger.
6. Heat is no reason for water. You can first try to humidify the air by spraying from a spray bottle, wipe the baby with a damp cloth and ventilate the room.
7. Mineral water is not intended for babies. Excessive salt content will lead to excessive load on the kidneys.
8. Decoction of raisins for constipation. A large amount of potassium contained in such a decoction has a great effect on the digestive process. Preparing a decoction is quite simple: one spoon of raisins is poured with a glass of boiling water, and then you need to let it brew for about 10 minutes.

Only the parents will decide when it is possible and necessary to give the newborn water. This decision should be balanced, taking into account all the positive and negative sides of soldering. Of course, every mother knows and feels better what her baby needs for excellent health.

On our planet, water is the main component of the human body. In order to both live and function normally, cells require a sufficient amount of water. With its lack, serious malfunctions in the work of all body systems begin.

But does this apply to a newborn baby who is breastfed? Does he need to give him extra water, or does he get enough of it from breast milk? We will understand the features of infant nutrition and when you can give a newborn some water.

Features of breastfeeding

As you know, mother's milk is an ideal food for a baby, because it contains in its composition all the substances necessary for proper development. The optimal combination of nutrients with trace elements has a positive effect on the growth and healthy development of the child.

In addition, breast milk has many other important advantages:

• allows you to fill the fragile digestive system of the baby with the necessary enzymes in a gradual, very gentle mode;
• supports a healthy bacterial balance in the children's intestines;
• has in its composition important antibodies that help the newborn to use the immune system when confronting viruses and diseases;
• well-established breastfeeding provides the child's body with all necessary nutrition, as well as liquid, because breast milk consists of 90% water.

Why is breast milk necessary?

• For a baby, there is still no difference in hunger and thirst. His ventricle is still very small, the size of his fist, so drinking water will take the place of milk in the stomach, and this will deprive the baby of much-needed nutrients, without bringing any benefit.
• Even the highest quality water can be unsafe for the digestive system, and the intake of a third-party substance into the body of a child carries a real threat of dysbacteriosis.
• Mother's milk, as opposed to water, is completely harmless to the baby, clean and nutritious, having a beneficial effect on his immunity.
• Water received by a child under three months of age overloads the work of the kidneys; mother's milk supplies the baby's body with exactly as much salt as it needs, and water removes them through the kidneys.
• Replacing feeding with water can interfere with the production of mother's milk, because when the baby suckles, its production is stimulated. If you skip the moment of feeding, replacing it with water, the whole process may be disrupted. In addition, having become accustomed to effortlessly sucking water from a bottle, the baby may completely refuse the breast, and you need to work hard to get food.
• Water interferes with the process of removing bilirubin from the infant's body and can lead to yellow skin pigmentation. Bilirubin comes out only with mother's milk, dissolving in milk fat.

In the light of such a convincing argument, there is no doubt that the child not only does not need water in the initial months of his life, but it can also interfere with his proper development. However, everyone understands that this liquid will still have to be introduced into the baby's diet. But at what age can you give water to a newborn?

When can you start feeding your baby?

No matter how harmful water is at the beginning of the adaptation of the digestive and other systems of the baby to the surrounding reality, you still have to start doing this, because this world is arranged in such a way that a person urgently needs water for life. In this regard, young mothers are very concerned about the question of how much water can be given to a newborn, and how often should this be done? According to experts, water in the smallest quantities should appear in the baby's diet with the introduction of additional complementary foods. Different children have different ages.

If the process of breastfeeding is well established, the baby, apart from mother's milk, does not need any bait until the age of six months. But now the moment has come when you can give a newborn some water. From the very beginning of baiting, the child should already be given some water. It is best to start drinking it from a cup or use a special drinking cup, because a six-month-old toddler can already quite cope with these devices. The feeding of the baby should be carried out only with water, no juices and teas.

What should be the water?

In order not to harm your baby, you should clearly understand what kind of water can be given to newborns.

According to the recommendations of doctors, it should be either pure water without any impurities, or structured melt water, which is even better absorbed by the baby's body. Today, pharmacies and some specialized sales outlets have a special purified water for babies, which is ideal for children's organisms that are not yet strong enough. It contains all the necessary salts and trace elements, so necessary for the healthy development of each child. But if it is not possible to buy such water, then you can use ordinary tap water, previously boiled and cooled to a state that is comfortable for the baby.

Which one should not be given?

We have already found out when it is possible to give water to a newborn child. Remember that in no case should you use raw tap water, since it contains microelements that are too harmful for such a crumb, which can bring him a lot of trouble. To exclude undesirable consequences, one should be very careful and serious about the choice of water for drinking a child.

From the time when you can give a newborn some water, you need to strictly follow the advice of doctors and use only special water for drinking the baby, at least boiled. This will save the child from many troubles, and parents - from worries and unnecessary waste of nerves. Given the often occurring malfunctions in the child's intestines, a logical question arises: is it possible to give dill water to a newborn? More on this later in the article.

Dill water: medicinal properties for babies

The adaptive processes of the digestive and nervous systems of babies do not always go as smoothly as mothers would like. Many children, starting from three to four weeks, begin to feel intestinal colic. For children, this is very painful and debilitating, because such intestinal manifestations can last for about 2-4 hours, mostly in the late afternoon or at night, completely exhausting both the baby and his worried mother. Since for the most part such processes are observed up to 3-4 months, it is necessary to remove the painful spasm using dill water.

This method of alleviating intestinal spasms has been used for a very long time and has been passed down through more than one generation. And although it has been used for a hundred years, it is still relevant and helps to calm the baby. But how often can you give dill water to a newborn? Babies have no other experience of taste sensations than the taste of mother's milk, and dill water causes very positive emotions. She has a mild sweetish taste, unusual, but pleasant for a baby. You can start with one teaspoon before feeding and immediately after it. If the baby is artificial feeding, then just add dill water to his nutrient mixture.

Older children with problems with the gastrointestinal tract can enter dill infusion through a syringe without a needle installed. And if, nevertheless, the baby refuses to take a healing infusion, mix it with breast milk and drink from a spoon.

When answering the question of how much dill water can be given to a newborn, it should be noted that this volume may differ for different children. For example, children who are breastfed, manage a smaller dose than artificial ones. But in any case, you should start with the minimum dosage, while carefully observing the reaction of the baby. Only after making sure that there is no allergic reaction, you can increase the volume of dill water up to 4 teaspoons at a time. Only this should not be done immediately, but gradually, during the week, bringing the dose to four tablespoons 3-4 times throughout the day.

When does dill water work? Is it addictive?

The action of dill water begins after its intake - after 15-20 minutes. You can drink it for as long as the specific situation requires. It does not cause addiction. But if it does not have an effect or gives, but is too weak, you need to consult a pediatrician. He will either adjust the mother's diet or recommend another remedy that is more effective for the baby.

How to give dill water?

When offering a baby dill water, you need to know how to give it correctly:

• You should start with one teaspoon, heated to room temperature. The next day, you can already apply this dosage three times, and subsequently increase the number of doses to five to seven per day.
• If 15 minutes after taking the remedy, the baby remains as restless and colic does not let him go, the dosage can be increased.
• Dill water should not be used as a drink - in large quantities it can provoke gas formation and increase pain in a child.

How often should water be given to a child?

Still very important aspect in the matter of watering a child: how many times can you give water to a newborn so as not to harm his body? After all, the same medicine does not recommend doing this daily, arguing that water has a bad effect on the baby's appetite. How to determine the optimal dose that is beneficial for the baby and safe for his body? Ideally, it is better not to give water to babies up to four months old, but if you do offer, then no more than 60 ml per day. But this is the absolute maximum, it is impossible to give water to babies more than this norm.

Answering the question of how often you can give water to a newborn, it should be said that it should not be too often either. But the interval and the number of receptions do not matter much. You can give water as needed, just do not exceed the established limits of daily volumes.

Gradually accustoming the child to water, after reaching the age of two months, you can give him to drink no more than 120 ml per day. When he is one year old, the dose should gradually reach 150 ml. But in general, the child's body itself regulates the amount of water needed, so you should never force a baby to drink a daily dose.

Having successfully figured out when you can give a newborn water, let's pay a little attention to how this should be done.

When starting the gradual introduction of water into the baby's diet, you should pay attention to some important things. You can give your baby water to drink with the help of such items:

• spoons;
• syringe;
• cups;
• a special drinking cup.

You can, of course, do this with a bottle, but this is the last way that you can use only when you can’t get your child to drink in other ways. The nipple greatly facilitates the process of drinking for the child, so that in the end he will no longer want to work, extracting food from the breast, and will begin to demand food through the nipple. In some cases, you can resort to abundantly moistened gauze, which, wound around your finger, can be given to the baby's mouth. But if you have to resort to using a bottle, the nipple should be the tightest there.

When water is in dire need

• at elevated temperatures - drink and regularly moisten sponges;
• in heat without temperature - in small quantities;
• with diarrhea, constipation, vomiting;
• with hiccups - a few sips to relieve spasms of the diaphragm.

And it is also very important to offer water, but not to drink through force. It is better to do this in between feedings, and just a couple of sips. In hot summer time, you can often put your baby to the breast, because the first portion of breast milk is not saturated with fats and is perfectly able to drink your baby.

Grandmothers and friends of a nursing mother argue that a breastfed baby should be supplemented with water. Only modern women usually follow the recommendations of pediatricians, who do not advise giving additional drink to children under six months. So does the baby need water or can it really hurt? You will find answers in this article.

For a newborn, mother's milk is not just food, but also the best drink. It not only contains all the nutrients necessary for the baby, but also 87%. Breast milk also has important properties necessary to maintain the normal digestion of the child, which is different from plain drinking water.

• Pediatricians are allowed to supplement babies under 4 months of age with water or supplement with formula strictly if there are medical indications. You just can’t do it at will, otherwise there is a risk of harming the health of the baby;
• In the summer heat or during a period of illness with a high body temperature, the baby should be breastfed more often. Children from 4 months to six months can already be offered water in a cup, but you do not need to force it to drink. For this age, no more than 60 ml per day is considered a safe dose of water.

Breast milk - food and drink for the newborn

It is so provided by nature that the baby receives breast milk almost immediately after birth. At the same time, the body of the mother after childbirth constantly adjusts to the needs of the baby.

Mother's milk changes its composition depending on the age of the child, as well as in different situations. So, if for some reason the baby needs more fluid, he begins to apply to the breast more often and more often requires changing it.

As a result, a thirsty baby gets more foremilk, which is 88% water. Only it differs from ordinary water in that such a liquid does not wash electrolytes out of the body of crumbs and maintains their optimal balance.

By the way, adults with dehydration are also recommended to drink not ordinary water, but a solution of glucose (grape sugar) and mineral salts necessary for the normal functioning of the body. Foremilk has just such a composition: it contains lactose (milk sugar) and a whole range of mineral salts. Therefore, it not only eliminates the lack of fluid in the baby's body, but also replenishes the reserves of necessary electrolytes.

Even fore milk and more fatty hind milk contain many vitamins, enzymes, bioactive substances that stimulate the digestion of a small child. When he receives water or tea in addition to mother's milk, the concentrations of all useful substances decrease. Therefore, in the stomach and intestines of the crumbs, protection against bacteria and the consequences of enzyme deficiency is reduced.

Thus, a healthy baby when breastfeeding needs only mother's milk up to.

Can water heal?

Even doctors have not yet come to a consensus on whether to give water to children under 4-6 months old if they have a fever or they have caught an intestinal infection. One way or another, you can give the baby extra drink only as directed by the pediatrician.

It is necessary to strictly follow the doctor's recommendations about exactly how much liquid to give the baby, at what time and from what dishes. At the moment, there is no conclusive evidence that water given to infants for dehydration and fever, either from a bottle or from a cup, does any good.

In severe cases, children are given droppers with special solutions. In other situations, when the baby cannot be attached to the breast, pediatricians recommend using not water, but rather, to compensate for the lack of fluid. It should be given with a spoon or a cup.

Even if a newborn has, you can give him breast milk - in very small portions and often, so as not to provoke a reverse reflex. If the doctor decides that the baby needs water, he must indicate this on the prescription sheet and determine the dose that is safe for your child.

For babies under 4-5 weeks old, plain water is fraught with the development of additional complications.

• If you supplement the crumbs with water at, this can slow down the excretion of bilirubin from his body, as a result of which the disease will only drag on. Bilirubin is excreted much faster when a sufficient amount of breast milk is consumed: it has a laxative effect, so bilirubin leaves the crumbs along with the stool. If such a need arises, then, in addition to breastfeeding, an infant with jaundice can additionally be given expressed breast milk;
• A newborn who receives a lot of ordinary water fills the stomach and dulls the feeling of hunger, so he sucks less milk from the mother's breast. This is fraught with weight loss, because there are no calories in the water, while the child does not get the necessary amount of mother's milk;
• If the baby is given plenty of water, there is a risk of intoxication, that is, water poisoning. This is accompanied by acute swelling and leads to a life-threatening condition for the baby. According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), healthy children who receive mother's milk on demand should not be supplemented with plain water until the age of six months.

Water mode for babies

For a child over the age of 4 months, a safe dose of water is 30-60 ml per day, but only if the baby asks for it himself and drinks from a cup with the help of his parents. If the baby refuses, you don’t need to force him to drink - instead, it’s better for mom to offer him breasts more often.

Most babies who are fed only breast milk are happy to drink even complementary foods with them, refusing ordinary water. This is considered quite normal and not dangerous even for children older than six months - of course, provided that they receive enough mother's milk.

Even in extreme heat, babies who are breastfed on demand are well protected from dehydration. It is only very important that the mother herself drinks enough water, does not overheat in the sun and does not wrap the baby up so that he does not sweat.

If the temperature outside the window rises above +25 degrees, a baby in a diaper and long-sleeved clothes overheats, which leads to excessive fluid loss. In this case, you should not give him water - to prevent dehydration, it is better to simply undress the baby and offer him a breast.

Water becomes a real need for a child from the moment when solid food appears in his diet. Breast milk or water should be offered after each feeding that included complementary foods. In most cases, children who were fed only breast milk drink more or less significant amounts of water only 1-2 months after the start of complementary foods.

Usually, at the age of 8 months, children already enjoy drinking water. Just do not give too much of it, because at this age, babies still need a large amount of mother's milk. From the age of 1, the baby already independently determines the amount of water that he needs to quench his thirst. You can offer it to your baby every time after he eats solid food.

We also read:

Is it necessary to supplement the baby with water?

Is it necessary to supplement the breast? Can I give water to a newborn? Is it necessary to give the child water to drink, “dill water”, decoctions, teas, juices, etc.? At what age should you start breastfeeding?

Question to Dr. Komarovsky: Do breastfed babies need additional water?

Dr. Komarovsky will explain why WHO does not recommend water supplementation and in what cases a child should still be given water. The criterion for the need for supplementation will be the behavior of the baby: if there is no pathological loss of fluid, he will refuse water, preferring his mother's breast, but if he literally pounces on the bottle, then he needs water - he suffers from overheating or gets sick.

Water is such a necessary product; from early childhood, a person needs a large amount of liquid so that he grows and develops harmoniously. Therefore, young mothers immediately after the birth of a child are wondering how and when to start giving water to their baby, and whether the baby needs additional liquid in addition to milk.

The role of water in a child's life

Water carries life, and, accordingly, the role of this liquid in people's lives is not exaggerated:

• Voditsa is actively involved in every metabolic process that occurs in the body.
• Regulates body temperature.
• It delivers nutrients and minerals dissolved in it to cells and tissues.
• With excess fluid, metabolic products are excreted from the body.
• In addition, it is a source of all the necessary mineral salts and fluorine.

About 80% of a person consists of water, which is why water is so necessary for the full development of a child's body.

What kind of water can be given to a child - the basic requirements for children's water

But not all water is healthy. The one that runs from the water supply may contain various bacteria, radionuclides, heavy metals and other substances that are poisonous and harmful to an adult, and even more so a child's body. She can't drink small children!

Parents have two options:

1. Or install a deep filter.
2. Or use bottled water for children's drinks and soups that meets all sanitary rules and regulations.

But it is not recommended to boil water, since heat treatment completely kills not only harmful microbes in it, but also useful microelements.

According to SanPiN 2.1.4.1116-02, children's water should be enriched with:

• Potassium (up to 0.02 g/l).
• calcium (up to 0.08 g/l).
• Iodide ion (up to 0.06 mg/l).
• Fluoride ion (up to 0.7 mg/l).
• Magnesium (up to 0.05 mg/l).
• And here silver should not be in the water.

Total mineral substances in water for children should contain at least 250 and not more than 500 mg / l. Such water should not be harder than 7 mg-eq/l, with an alkali content of no more than 5 mg-eq/l.

The name of the water on the label must necessarily contain the word "children's" or "for children", while it must comply with the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation.

The manufacturer must also have the following documents available:

• Certificate on state registration of Rospotrebnadzor.
• Certificate compliance with the brand for water.
• Declaration compliance with the brand for water.
• Declaration , confirming the compliance of the product with the requirements of the Customs Union, prescribed in the technical regulation.

On sale you can find two types of baby water, these are:

• Drinking water.
• Water for cooking.

The preparation of artificial nutrition for a baby in drinking water is not recommended, due to the content of minerals and trace elements in the liquid that can upset the balance of the mixture.

It is advisable to give children water only with bottled water, which is extracted from deep artesian wells in ecologically clean areas, and which is additionally passed through a filter.

In order not to accidentally purchase low-quality water, carefully read the information on the label, written in small print. The age at which you can drink this water and its shelf life should also be indicated there.

How and when can you start giving water to your baby?

At , until six months of age, babies do not need extra fluids. All the necessary liquid, vitamins and microelements enter the child's body with mother's milk.

If the newborn eats exclusively artificial mixtures , then you can start to give him a little water from the second month of life. At first, the baby will be enough 30 ml per day.

In order to drink the baby, you can use:

• spoon.
• Syringe without a needle.
• Non-spill mug (for children from 5 months).
• bottle.

Young children need extra fluid if:
Never force healthy children to drink! If the baby refuses to drink, then there is enough water in his body.

How much water should be given to a child from birth - the norms in the table

You can not give babies a lot of water, otherwise they will begin to refuse mother's milk. And milk is the main source of vitamins and useful trace elements, without which harmonious development and growth are impossible.

Every day, babies should consume from 30 to 200 ml (no more than 20 ml per dose), depending on age. More fluid will overload the kidneys and urinary organs. With age, the rate of fluid intake gradually increases.

Mixtures for newborns contain more protein, which is why when artificially feeding a child, it is necessary to drink water from the first day of life between feedings. The volume of water consumed does not need to be added to the volume of food, but it is necessary to give the crumbs water to drink if necessary.

If the baby is bottle-fed, then experts recommend giving the baby water in an amount of about 200 ml per day. If the child is mixed-fed, then 100 ml of water per day will be enough.

What water to give the baby?

The most best water for a newborn – bottled artesian, enriched with useful trace elements . It has a high degree of purification, an ideal composition of minerals and trace elements for a child's body and does not contain gas.

But tap water should be given to newborns very carefully, it is better to completely exclude it from the diet or purchase a filter with a deep degree of purification.

The optimal temperature of baby water at the time of admission is 25 degrees Celsius.

How do you know if your baby is not getting enough water?

There are some signs that indicate a lack of fluid in the body.

They appear:

• In the lethargy and apathy of the baby.
• In dry mucous membranes.
• In the recession of the fontanel.
• In problems with urination (daily rate at least six times).

If you find at least one of these symptoms, try to breastfeed your baby more often and give him water every time between feedings (up to 20 ml at a time). Thanks to these manipulations, the water-salt balance in the body of the baby will be restored as soon as possible.

Where to buy and how much does bottled water for children cost?

Prices for bottled water for children may vary depending on the manufacturer. On sale there is water in a container with a capacity of 0.33 to 5 liters. The average cost of a liter bottle is 40-50 rubles . You can buy it in any supermarket or grocery store, in some pharmacies.

Water in glass containers is the most useful, but its price is a little more expensive than analogues bottled in plastic bottles. If you decide to save money and buy some water in a polycarbonate bottle, choose the one where there is a triangle-shaped marking on the bottom with the number 7 inside. Such plastic is environmentally friendly, safe for health and does not contain harmful impurities.

How to store baby water for newborns - storage conditions and terms

Natural artesian water in hermetically sealed bottles is stored in a dark place at a temperature of 5 to 20 degrees above zero from six months to a year from the date of manufacture. Once opened, the bottle should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than five days.

Therefore, when buying large five-liter bottles, calculate the water in such a way as to use it within this period.

With the advent of the first-born in the family, young parents have a lot of questions: how to bathe, feed, dress, swaddle. The older generation, represented by grandparents, willingly shares their experience and knowledge, not taking into account that over several decades, approaches to the development of newborns, the organization of their nutrition could change. Even the most innocuous question can become a stumbling block: whether to give an extra drink to a newborn baby and how much water a day he should drink.

Previously, water for a newborn was always present in the diet. Now, according to the recommendations of experienced pediatricians, a breastfed baby can not be supplemented if he is not overheated, he does not get sick and does not feel any discomfort. But every mother should feel her baby and respond in time to problems. In what cases the child must be given water, and how much water he should drink, all parents should know.

Water for a breastfed newborn

A healthy baby up to 6 months does not need additional drinking - he has enough water contained in mother's milk. Moms know that the feeding process can be conditionally divided into 2 stages: the first, in which the baby sucks out the so-called “front” milk, and the second, when “back” milk is released.

At the first stage, the baby satisfies thirst, and due to the "hind" milk, which has a higher percentage of fat content, he eats up. Therefore, it is important to feed the baby for at least 10 minutes so that he has time to suck out the “back” milk, due to which he will gain weight.

If the first half of the baby's life falls on autumn, winter, spring, he is healthy, and his parents maintain the optimal temperature regime in the apartment, then the baby may well do without additional water. But if the room where the baby lives is hot (temperature over 20 degrees), dry (humidity below 50-70%), he is warmly dressed and overheated, then the baby needs additional drinking.

You also need to give the baby to drink if:

• he has constipation;
• he fell ill, his body temperature is elevated;
• he rarely pees, which may indicate a lack of water in the diet.

Water for an artificial baby

No matter what the manufacturers of baby food say, formulas are different from breast milk and are not absorbed by the baby's body in the same way. In children who are bottle-fed, who are fed with saturated mixtures, constipation is more often observed, and allergic reactions are possible.

How and what kind of water should be given to the baby

Having made the decision to give the baby to drink, parents usually face such problematic issues: how often to drink, how many times, at what time, what kind of water, whether to heat it up or not.

Pediatricians advise to water the baby in between feedings, about an hour after eating. If the baby is restless, crying, you can offer him some water at any time, but not before feeding. The baby has a tiny stomach, if he drinks water, he may refuse milk, so it is better to give him some water after he has eaten. Pediatricians and lactation consultants advise giving water to babies from a spoon. So parents can control the amount of drinking at a time.

An artificial person who already eats mixtures from bottles can drink from them. Of course, on a walk, it is more convenient for all mothers to use bottles of water. Its temperature should not be lower than 20-25 degrees, and at first, when adding crumbs to water, it is advisable to heat it up to 30 degrees.

Many mothers want to know the exact answer to the question "How much water to give a newborn?" As much as he needs to quench his thirst. Usually pediatricians recommend focusing on such figures: about 30 ml per day per 1 kg of baby weight. It is necessary to monitor the baby and regulate his drinking regimen: if constipation is observed, the baby is hot, he sweats, pees a little, you can offer him more water. Usually, a couple of spoons are given to the child at a time, watching how he drinks - greedily, with pleasure or reluctantly.

The next stumbling block for the parents of the firstborn is the question of what kind of water to give him: boiled, spring or special bottled for babies. The easiest and safest option for the psyche of moms and dads is boiled water. Babies older than 3-6 months can be given baby water to drink from a pharmacy or store. Manufacturers claim that it has undergone special cleaning and is designed specifically for the children's body. As practice shows, the parents of the 2nd, 3rd child, as he grows up, give him to drink the kind of water that they use themselves - spring, purified by filters or a mineral canteen of a neutral taste.

To give a drink to a newborn or not to give, parents should decide, assessing the well-being of the baby and the state of his environment. Young mommas and daddies need to remember A few golden rules:

1. You need to water the baby if the air temperature around it is above 20-22 degrees. The hotter and drier, the faster the baby loses fluid and it needs to be additionally replenished with water.
2. Be sure to give water for intestinal colic and other problems with the tummy. Previously, “dill” water was considered a panacea for constipation, gaziki, now almost everyone understands that you need to give your baby any water to drink - it will help intestinal juices in digesting food.
3. At first, the water needs to be heated to 30 degrees, babies older than 3 months can already be given water at room temperature.

To drink or not, the baby decides for himself, the main thing for parents is to provide him with comfortable conditions (temperature, humidity), dress properly, without wrapping and not overheating, and offer him some water between feedings. On hot days during walks, if the baby sweats intensely, mommy should always have a bottle of water on hand to drink him and prevent overheating. By carefully observing her baby, mommy will learn to recognize all the signs in a short time, and will clearly know when the baby is thirsty and needs additional water.