When is the right time for breastfeeding babies to drink water?

Nowadays, many mothers choose to breastfeed, but when breastfeeding, in order to make the child healthier, they must give the child water to drink while breastfeeding. This can make the child healthier. The following content introduces in detail the appropriate time for breastfed babies to drink water, so as a parent, you can have a comprehensive understanding.

It is not advisable to feed your baby too much water too early.

It is normal to feed infants and young children with boiled water, but babies who are just a few months old need special treatment. It should be pointed out that 80% of breast milk is water, which is enough to meet the baby's needs for water. Especially for babies under 6 months old, there is absolutely no problem with exclusive breastfeeding and there is no need to feed them additional water. Mothers can rest assured about this.

If you feed your baby water too early, it will not only affect the amount of milk the baby eats, but also inhibit the baby's sucking ability, reducing the amount of milk they actively suck from the mother's breast, and indirectly leading to a decrease in breast milk secretion, which is very detrimental to the baby's growth. Therefore, when babies under 6 months old are fed with exclusive breast milk, it is best not to feed them additional water. Does it mean that babies who are exclusively breastfed don’t need to be fed any water at all? Of course not! Nothing is absolute. So, when can you give your baby some water?

4 special situations when you need to feed your baby water

(1) In hot summer, when babies sweat a lot and it is inconvenient for mothers to breastfeed them, it is very necessary to feed them some boiled water.

(2) If your baby has symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea, you need to give him/her plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

(3) When your baby is sick and has a fever, feeding him some boiled water can help remove excess heat from his body, helping to reduce his temperature and fever.

(4) Except for babies who are exclusively breastfed, babies who are bottle-fed or mixed-fed must be fed some boiled water appropriately. After the baby is 6 months old, it is also necessary to drink an appropriate amount of water between meals. This is not only good for the baby's healthy growth, but also very helpful for the baby's weaning in the future.

Don't add juice to your baby blindly

New mothers should not blindly add juice to their babies. Although fruit juice is high in vitamins and minerals, the baby's digestive system is not yet fully developed, and the juice is difficult to digest and absorb. The baby is likely to experience adverse symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea. If this is the case, wouldn't the mothers' good intentions be wasted along with the baby's vomiting and diarrhea?

Fresh juice can supplement minerals and vitamins, but blindly adding juice to your baby's diet will have the opposite effect.

The above is a detailed introduction for many parents on the appropriate time for breastfed babies to drink water. Therefore, for many families who breastfeed and want to know the appropriate time for their babies to drink water, they can have a comprehensive understanding of the above. After understanding, they can let their children replenish water through the most appropriate time period to ensure that their children are healthier.