Tatyana Stanislavovna Kurtsaeva

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There are so many conflicting opinions regarding whether infants need water or not. Even among experienced pediatricians, there are no exact indications of how and when to feed a child. But, it’s still worth listening to common sense and understanding for yourself at what moments in a child’s life he really requires the introduction of liquid into his diet, and when water is simply contraindicated for him.

Should I give water to my baby?

Many mothers remember with fear the pediatrician’s admonitions that you shouldn’t give your baby water, otherwise the milk will practically disappear. There is, of course, some truth in this. But few pediatricians specify the age at which infants do not need water. In this case, their focus on the Ministry of Health is practically unfounded, since it concerns infancy. It is at this time that the baby’s need for milk increases and the volume of consumption becomes more and more. Thus, it is possible to regulate the mother’s lactation quite normally, so that this “milk source” never runs out. Contrary to the recommendations, infants do not need water until 28 days, since what their caring mother provides is enough for them. In later life you cannot do without liquids.

The statement that milk already contains up to 82% water is not unfounded. But it will not be able to fully help in the heat and quench your thirst. But when all the signs of dehydration are evident, it is very difficult to help the baby. There is only one conclusion: when a child has a need for water and asks for it, then it is worth giving him extra water. Although the maximum permissible daily intake does not exceed 60 ml. This is quite enough to raise a healthy and happy child.

Infants need water, as they try to be active, and therefore sweating increases. In addition, taking into account the specific climate, especially in the southern regions, children simply need water. Many parents are very concerned about the quality of water and even if they buy it in special children's stores, they boil it before drinking. Thus, they deprive their babies of natural products. After all, boiled water is the least likely to quench your thirst. In order for the child’s body to develop properly, it is advisable to give children either well-filtered or bottled water that has not been subjected to heat treatment.

Whether to give water to infants depends on each parent individually. The widespread belief that it is water that leads to dysbiosis is not always correct. You cannot be exclusively breastfed and not test the waters. A child must try the water if he needs it. The truth will depend a lot on his parents, who regard it as a threat or benefit to life.

When to give water to a baby?

It would seem that such a simple and understandable question: “When should I give water to infants?” can provoke lengthy discussions and even disputes. At the same time, some argue that you can only give water to infants until they are one year old, while for others a figure of one month is quite acceptable. And it is the latter who will be right. A baby can feel thirsty at any time, and it should not be quenched solely with breast milk.

When to give water to infants:

• in hot weather to avoid overheating and dehydration;
• during illness, against the background of high fever and lack of desire to consume breast milk;
• during diarrhea, it is necessary to prevent dehydration of the body, so it is worth giving the baby not just pure liquid, but with a rehydration solution;
• during intense physical activity, when the child sweats a lot.

Some pediatricians recommend giving water to infants at night, so that the babies do not require mother's milk, but simply drink a few sips and calm down. Such a recommendation has both supporters and opponents. In principle, this is how children can be weaned from night awakenings and wakefulness. But water for infants will not replace maternal affection and warmth.

When to give water to infants depends on the condition of the child and his wishes. If he has a need for fluid, he will definitely demonstrate it. Under no circumstances should you force your baby to drink. This may cause screaming and crying. But this is exactly the kind of behavior that parents strive to avoid with all their might.

How much water should I give my baby?

Children need water, like all living organisms. True, when offering your baby water, you shouldn’t get carried away. How much water to give a baby depends on his age and needs. Before the age of 2 months, you should not give your baby water at his discretion. He will favorably accept any liquid. This means that in this way he can deceive his need for food, which will lead to a refusal to breastfeed. An important issue remains the saturation of the body with the necessary vitamins that the child receives from milk.

To satisfy children's need for liquid, it is worth offering them no more than 20 ml at a time. Do not forget that infants should receive water not through the pacifier, but through the use of a spoon. This way, it will be possible to control the flow of fluid and not overload the child’s kidneys.

Should I give my baby extra water?

Regarding whether to supplement the baby with water, we can say “Yes”. The child needs fluids, especially in hot weather. His needs to receive it increase significantly. It is impossible to satisfy them with breast milk alone. For these purposes, it is recommended to always have a bottle of water on hand. The baby will not be able to decide on his own how much water he needs. Therefore, the doses should be dosed.

If the child wants to drink between feedings, then the norm should not exceed more than 30 ml. In this case, this will not interfere with the process of digestion of food and the normal absorption of mother's milk. In no case should you supplement your milk immediately before feeding, as the amount of milk consumed will decrease, which will lead to a decrease in production.

On walks, in the hot season, you need to supplement your child's drinking. In this case, strict standards must be observed.

What kind of water should I give my baby?

When there is a desire to raise a child completely unprepared for an aggressive external environment, then it is worth feeding him exclusively with boiled water. Moreover, the fanaticism of some parents reaches the point that until they are one year old, they bathe their children exclusively in boiled water. If you are now faced with a dilemma: “What kind of water should you give your baby?”, then you need to look towards special offers from numerous companies producing baby food. They offer absolutely pure water, ideal for babies. You can give your child something to drink, cook soups and porridges with it, or add it to mixtures. It is absolutely safe and healthy for the child.

Tap water for babies is less safe. And here not only foreign microorganisms are involved, but also harmful salts and other microelements contained in it. They have a very unfavorable effect on children's bodies, contribute to the formation of sand in the kidneys and the introduction of pathogenic bacteria. If the system has a good filter with a high degree of purification, then you should not be afraid for the safety of the baby. Clean water, suitable for consumption in any form, is ready. All you have to do is collect it from the filter and give it to your baby. In addition, it retains very good taste. The baby will be fully grateful for this.

Almost everyone has heard from their mothers about how beneficial dill water is for infants. It especially helps children with weak stomachs, where flatulence is almost always raging. Simple “Espumisans” and medications cannot cope here. Whatever one may say, every medicine has some chemistry, and dill water is infused with seeds. It perfectly relieves gas formation. Therefore, all children suffering from colic, bloating, and intestinal pain simply need it.

It happens that infants do not like dill water. This inconvenience can be easily avoided. For these purposes, caring mothers begin to take it on their own. As a result, mother’s milk contains the same beneficial components that relieve bloating and colic. The only thing that mothers need to remember at this moment is that increased flatulence will haunt them too.

Sometimes the tastes of babies change, and if dill water for babies is not to their taste the first time, then their attitude towards water may change over time.

Baby does not drink water

For some parents, the problem of their baby not drinking water becomes very serious. They try to get him drunk from time to time and in the end they get the same negative result, screams and tears. There is no point in raping a child. He himself knows what he needs. And if he prefers breast milk or formula, then it’s worth meeting his needs. When the time comes, he himself will ask for some water. Although, sometimes, once a week or month, it is worth continuing your attempts at supplementing. Perhaps they will produce results. If there is no need, then this is the norm.

How to teach a baby to drink water

Wanting to know how to teach a baby to drink water, some mothers try their best to instill this habit in him. But they completely lose sight of the golden rule: “If you don’t want to, then don’t.” When the baby needs fluid, he will ask for it himself. From time to time, the baby should be offered some water. But, in most cases, having received a refusal several times in the first months, a positive result can be achieved only after 9-10 months. And even in this case, parents resort to deception. By brewing delicious compotes and uzvars that suit the baby’s taste, they find “the way to his stomach.” Accepting these efforts with gratitude, the child drinks the water with pleasure later.

Babies need water and the little creatures know very well when to start taking it. Don't worry about refusals. Everything has its time. Caring parents will understand what the child wants and satisfy his needs to the fullest.

Baby drinks a lot of water

When a baby drinks a lot of water, this does not mean that he is thirsty. A child can drink large amounts of liquid without completely controlling his urges. What he was given, he drinks. In order to limit the baby, it is worth giving him liquid from a spoon, and not from a bottle. In this way you can see when the child is completely drunk and stop drinking. We must not forget that excess fluid seriously affects the kidneys and leads to the formation of sand.

Baby spits up water

Many mothers sound the alarm if their baby spits up water and does not drink it. It is noted that such a reaction of the body is not observed immediately after eating, but after an hour and a half. The reason lies in the excess of food eaten and its processing. Without removing the excess in a timely manner, the stomach tries to get rid of the heaviness and brings out water, sometimes with small curd grains. There's no need to worry. When the amount of enzymes is normalized, this phenomenon will go away on its own.

Water temperature for baby bathing

A child needs water, whether for drinking or bathing. At the same time, it is very important to observe moderation in everything. And if it is not recommended to give water to a child in the first days of life, then bathing cannot be avoided. And even though the first acquaintance with water will take place in a shallow bath and will be only indirect, you must strictly observe the temperature. 37 degrees is the optimal temperature in the first months. Under no circumstances should you make it warmer. The water temperature for bathing a baby should be at such a high level due to its adaptation and habituation. As soon as he gets used to such degrees, it is worth starting hardening and reducing the temperature. For a baby, with his elevated body temperature, it seems quite normal. There's no need to worry. Although, overly zealous parents can bring hardening to very low degrees. And this should under no circumstances be allowed in the first weeks of life. Everything should happen gradually. It's no secret that by 6-8 months, the baby splashes well even at 26 degrees. But a lot depends on the hardening and sensitivity. And it is individual for each child.

Water got into baby's ear

If water gets into a baby's ear, it is very easy to get rid of it. For these purposes, there are special cotton swabs that can be used to blot your ears thoroughly. In addition, cotton swabs also do a good job of removing excess liquid. If you want to have a lot of fun in the bathroom, then you can’t forget to put cotton wool in your ears first. Although, there is nothing criminal in this. It just seems to parents that babies are very gentle creatures. A small amount of water in the ears can be easily eliminated and will not cause any harm.

When a baby appears at home, it is a joy, but at the same time you want to know the answers to all the exciting questions related to the baby. It is good if the baby does not need various medications and other drugs, is cheerful and healthy throughout the very first year of his life. From the first months there are situations when a newborn will need to be given water. A child does not always readily drink liquid even from a bottle, so how to teach a child to drink water is a pressing question for many mothers.

Why does a child need water?

Water is an elixir that is needed by both adults and children. The human body consists of a large amount of fluid, its reserves must be constantly replenished.

During breastfeeding, children receive mother's milk, which is 80% water. Babies need water in the willow, since the mixture is thick in consistency and the intestines will have difficulty coping with it. If there is not enough fluid, infants will experience constipation and disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.

The meaning of additional soldering:

• Saves from overheating and dehydration;
• Helps normalize cell division and active growth of the baby;
• Removes toxins;
• Invigorates.

How much fluid does a newborn need?

The norms and amount of water depend on the age, weight and nutrition of the baby. So, you can avoid using it while on guard for up to 6 months. Infants need to additionally give it in the amount of 20 ml 4-5 times a day, and also clearly monitor the amount of liquid introduced into the mixture.

Advice. After introducing complementary foods, the amount of liquid is calculated using the formula: 50 ml * child’s weight.

When to give

Newborn babies who are breastfed do not need additional water until they are 6 months old. At six months, most children begin to eat solid food, and then they start learning to drink. For bottle-fed babies, the rules are different - after the first month they begin to learn to drink from a special drinking bowl, bottle or even mug. Children especially love the sippy cup, from which they can quickly and independently learn the necessary techniques.

Important! Most pediatricians believe that both artificially born and breastfed children need fluids a month after birth. The recommendations are supported by the opinion of WHO. Supplementation of children is necessary in hot weather, with colic, constipation and congenital jaundice.

How to train

How to quickly teach a baby to drink water? Follow these rules:

• Liquid temperature – no higher than 25 degrees;
• During breastfeeding, offer not bottles, but a sippy cup, spoon or syringe;

Note! If you give a baby a bottle, there is a chance that he will refuse the breast.

• Do not sweeten the liquid with anything;
• Give water between feedings;
• The sippy cup should always be accessible;
• Show by personal example that mom and dad drink water.

Features of training at 4-6 months

It is best to offer infants aged 4-6 months a sippy cup, mug or spoon for drinking liquids.

Additional Information. Some mothers immediately give a mug, explaining that this way the baby will quickly learn to drink water correctly.

How to teach how to use a sippy cup

When to introduce a child to a sippy cup? You can start from 4 months. The baby already knows how to swallow, sit and hold his head.

How to teach your child to use a sippy cup correctly:

• It is better to sit at a table or on a chair;
• Do not play with the drinking bowl;
• At first the baby drinks only water, then compotes and juices;
• Help the baby - hold the bottom of the sippy cup;
• First, bring the drinking bowl to your face, tilt it, and give the baby time to swallow. It is important that he does not choke;
• If the baby does not want to take a sippy cup, immediately give him a mug;
• Wash the sippy cup regularly - dirt and bacteria often accumulate on it;
• Dry the item naturally, do not wipe with a towel;
• The silicone tip can be boiled for 2-3 minutes.

How to teach to use pills

How to teach a child to take pills is a particularly important question. It so happens that not all medicines for newborns are syrups and suspensions. There are both tablets and capsules. There are several rules that will make the process easier.

Rules for taking tablets and capsules:

• Find out exactly from the pediatrician how much medicine the baby needs, whether it can be combined with food;
• How to swallow a capsule to a child - carefully open it, pour the powder into a small amount of water, give it from a spoon or insert it into the baby’s mouth with a syringe. You can use the same method with a tablet, which is easiest to grind with two tablespoons;
• For dilution, use the liquid indicated in the annotation. It can be not only water, but also milk.

Why does the baby drink little?

If a child does not want to drink water, then perhaps a personal example will help speed up the process. If everyone in the house drinks tea and coffee, then you may not even expect your baby to start drinking liquids.

Parents' mistakes:

• The liquid is replaced with drinks, fruit drinks and juices. It is logical that the child will refuse ordinary neutral water;
• The drinking bowl is not freely accessible, so the baby is distracted by games without finding it next to him.

If the baby drinks little, then you should carry out a special ritual associated with the intake of liquid, not give any juices, teas or compotes, but offer only water to quench thirst.

Important! Don't panic - children will quickly learn to drink water if there are no other alternatives.

Possible difficulties

The most common problem is the child’s reluctance to drink liquids. This happens not only with small children, but also with babies who are already one year old. Here you can use a trick: ask your child to choose his favorite mug. The baby will happily pour any liquid into it, even neutral liquid, and drink it with pride.

In some cases, if the baby is still very tiny, you should postpone training for some time, then gradually introduce water into the diet, starting with 1-2 teaspoons per day.

Teaching children to do anything is patient and consistent work. You shouldn’t be too harsh, it’s better to turn everything into a game. In this case, a positive outcome is guaranteed.

Video

If a child doesn't drink enough water, many mothers become concerned. From the moment complementary feeding is introduced, all children must be taught to drink water. After all, water is very useful and necessary for the proper growth and development of a child and the normal functioning of the body. But, having tasted sweet breast milk or formula, children refuse to drink a drink without taste, color and smell. So what is the right thing for parents to do in this case? How to teach a child to drink plain water?

Before you teach your child to drink water, you need to find out. However, it is necessary to remember that all children are different - some need to drink a lot of water, others less. If the child feels well, is active, smiles, has regular bowel movements, but drinks little water, then there is no need to force the baby to drink more. But if the child has dry skin and mucous membranes, cracked lips, little saliva, and the baby urinates less than once every 3 hours, then you need to sound the alarm - the child does not have enough water.

It is best to start getting acquainted with water with bottled “baby water”, and not with juices, compotes and sweet water. Having tasted sweet juices or compotes, the child will not want to drink regular water. If your child already drinks juices and sweet compotes, then gradually dilute these drinks with regular water, bringing the sugar concentration in the drink to a minimum.

If there is a tendency to, then the child needs to establish a good drinking regime.

Often breastfed babies have an extremely negative attitude towards their mother’s attempts to exchange the breast for a silicone nipple, and milk for a nutritional formula.

Naturally, after a certain period of time the child will have to come to terms with an unequal replacement. However, there is an opportunity to significantly simplify this process, armed with patience and numerous useful recommendations from specialists.

Usually, breast milk is enough for a newborn baby who is breastfed. But in certain cases, it is still necessary to accustom a child to a bottle.

The most common causes of such situations are presented below:

1. Children under 4 months often suffer from colic and abdominal pain due to imperfections in the digestive system. In this case, special herbal decoctions come to the rescue - for example, dill water. It is also given in a bottle.
2. The need to supplement the baby's food appears in the spring and summer due to dry air in the room or high temperature. However, doctors are convinced that it is not necessary to specifically give water until 4 or 6 months, even in these cases. The child will receive the necessary liquid with milk.
3. Switching to a bottle “surrogate” is possible if the mother or baby is ill. Sometimes a nursing woman is forced to take medications that are contraindicated during lactation, then the baby temporarily feeds on formula. Due to the fact that the baby also needs to be switched to special baby food.
4. Not all nursing mothers can sit quietly on maternity leave. For various reasons, it ends prematurely when the child turns, for example, 4 months. There are also frequent cases when women are absent for a long time, and the baby remains with relatives.

The most common reason for turning to a bottle is a lack of breast milk or the baby is premature. In the first case, they resort to artificial formulas, in the second, they often use expressed breast milk.

But it’s one thing when the habit of eating from a bottle has been formed since birth. But if previously the baby sucked exclusively on the mother’s breast, the process of accustoming to a different “container” can take up to 4 weeks or more.

Before using the advice of specialists and experienced parents, it is necessary to thoroughly understand the current situation. And the first step that a mother must take is to analyze the goals for which she plans to teach her baby a bottle.

For example, some women introduce their children to this device to make it easier to take medications. However, in this case there is obvious inexpediency of attempts.

To give your child a liquid medication, you can use several alternatives:

• beaker;
• needleless syringe;
• teaspoon.

Of course, the baby will not like such manipulations, but for short-term use of medications such options are more preferable than fully accustoming the baby to a bottle.

If the situation really does not suggest any other way out than the final refusal of the breast, then artificial feeding with the help of a nipple remains the only alternative.

Why won't the baby take the bottle?

To accustom your baby to replacing his mother's breast, you need to understand why he is against receiving formula from a bottle. There may be several reasons for this:

1. The most obvious reason is that the baby is simply not hungry. For a small child, milk or formula is enough, but when he gets a little older (after 4 months) and begins to actively move, he will get used to the bottle sooner. Thus, the smaller the baby, the more difficult it is to wean him to a breast replacement.
2. Also, the baby may not be satisfied with the contents of the bottle. Babies who have previously tried breast milk do not always quickly switch to nutritional formulas, each of which has its own taste. Mom will have to change several product options before finding the optimal mixture.
3. The baby is extremely picky in terms of food temperature due to the high sensitivity of the oral mucosa. If your child does not drink from the bottle, the formula may feel too cold or scalding. The optimal temperature is 37 degrees, the same as for breast milk.
4. Also, the baby may react negatively to the feeding device itself. It is only the mother who thinks that the bottle is ideal, but the child is not satisfied, for example, with the width of the hole in the nipple, which affects the baby’s absorption rate of food, the smell and taste of the silicone product, and the shape of the container.
5. A child who was introduced to a bottle at 4 or 5 months may not immediately understand the purpose of this tool. As a result, instead of receiving nutrient liquid from the container, it begins to play, turning the useful device into a gaming accessory.

Sometimes the reason for unsuccessful training is a psychological factor. For example, a baby receives formula for the first time in a hospital or after an emergency separation from his mother. In this case, he begins to associate negative emotions with the bottle and the mixture.

2 ways to teach a baby to use a bottle

The question of how to teach a child to drink from a bottle worries many mothers who transfer their baby from breastfeeding to artificial or mixed nutrition.

First of all, you need to be patient and choose one of the two main training methods that experts and experienced mothers recommend using.

Try to imitate the process of receiving breast milk that is familiar to your baby.

To do this, take the baby in your arms (as he is used to), and place the pacifier at the height of the mammary glands. Habitual sensations will play a positive role.

In order for the child to take the pacifier into his mouth, it must be applied to the cheek to activate the sucking reflex. The baby will “automatically” open its mouth; all you have to do is insert the silicone tip into it.

To speed up the sucking action, you can squeeze out a little milk formula. Perhaps the baby will like the breast milk substitute and will finally agree to bottle feeding.

Help from loved ones

If the question of how to teach a child to drink formula from a bottle has not been resolved, do not despair. Probably, the child cannot come to terms with the fact that the mother who smells of milk gives a silicone nipple instead of a breast, and that’s why he gets angry.

In this case, you should ask your husband or grandmother for help.

Let them repeat all the steps described above, most likely, the baby will respond favorably to their attempts to feed him from a bottle. Mom just needs to further consolidate the positive result.

In order to transition from breast to bottle without any problems, the mother needs to be patient and take a responsible approach to the child’s acquisition of this skill.

You may need a certain trick. If a baby, accustomed to suckling from the mother's breast, turns away from the bottle with the formula, you need to express your milk into the container.

In addition, introduction to this useful device must be unobtrusive. First, you can show the bottle to the baby and let him hold it, but it is important to create an understanding that this item is not a toy.

And only then, when the child gets hungry, you should run the silicone tip over the cheek or lips. The activated sucking reflex will “force” the baby to take the pacifier into his mouth.

There is also no need to rush, completely switching the baby to formula in one day. At first, it is better to give food in a bottle no more than twice a day. As soon as the baby gets used to the container, the frequency of artificial feedings is gradually increased.

If the child is categorically against this particular bottle, try offering different nipple options - experiment with shape, material, hole size. This will allow you to select the most optimal silicone tip.

Another important rule that answers the question of how to accustom a child to formula involves choosing the right time for feeding. The bottle should be offered to a hungry child. But if the baby is too hungry, he will begin to demand exclusively his mother’s breast.

The baby will more likely get used to the plastic container if you do not force him to drink formula or water. If the mother, wanting a speedy result, screams and gets nervous, the baby will begin to be afraid of the bottle and, in the end, will generally refuse to eat from this item.

If the first acquaintance was successful and you need to consolidate the positive result, you should use several useful tips:

• Is your baby fussy when bottle feeding? The mixture may be coming in very slowly. In this case, you can enlarge the hole in the tip, but it is important not to overdo it, otherwise the baby will choke;
• as mentioned above, you should choose the most optimal shape of the nipple. It is also important to take several of them, as they tend to “fail” at the most inopportune moment;
• the temperature of the silicone tip differs from the temperature of the mother's breast, so the nipple (as well as the bottle) should be slightly warmed before feeding under running warm water. With a pacifier, on the contrary, you need to cool it to soothe the gums;
• It is strictly forbidden to leave a child alone with a bottle, especially if he is under four months old and constantly lies down. In such a situation, the baby may simply choke;
• if the transition to feeding from a plastic container was temporary, you need to give the bottle with the mixture to the child not on your favorite sofa (where it took place) and in a completely different position.
• Of course, you need to remember to take extra care of your feeding equipment. Bottles must be regularly sterilized and washed with a brush, but without cleaning agents.

Thus, properly accustoming a baby to a bottle must take into account all factors: the first meeting, the psychological mood of all participants in the process, the shape of the nipple, the temperature of the mixture and other conditions.