Especially in the summer, when it's hot, you may be wondering if your baby needs to be fed water. The short answer is: no. Nathalie Leng will explain why.
As a mother of two and founder of The Little Leopard, Nathalie helps new and expecting parents feel empowered, confident and prepared by providing them with an onboarding so they can take on the most challenging job in the world with confidence.
Here's her advice on water intake for infants in the first six months of their life:
Exclusively breastfed babies do not require extra water (even when it's hot outside). As long as you are breastfeeding on demand, they will get all the fluids they need from the breastmilk. Offering them water could even mess up their breastfeeding frequency and sufficiency.
Formula fed babies also generally do not require supplemental water because their needs are met through the bottles of milk they get. However in case of an extreme heat wave or a fever, check with your pediatrician if they recommend giving a few extra sips of water.
Until the age of 6 months it is actually recommended not to give supplemental water to babies because it could fill up their tiny stomachs and keep them from drinking the breastmilk or formula that contains the important nutrients they need.
Thanks, Nathalie!
PS: As a Kietzee member, you can get €30 off Nathalie's Parenting Essentials Toolkit. Just check in your member dashboard under discounts.
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