The other question on here about giving babies boiled cooled water?

I saw a question on here the other day about giving young babies water and nearly everyone said do not give babies water it makes them ill and they have all the water they need in their milk!

So i asked my health visitor (who is a specially trained nurse in childcare) about it as she has told me to give my then 4 week old daughter water when and as she needed it as babies like the rest of us humans get thirsty too! So when i asked again she told me again it is perfectly safe to give water as long as it is boiled cooled water and they are still getting their milk as usual. She stressed that it will not hurt her kidneys or liver or whatever it was all those people were saying it would damage! She also has a two year old and she said she gave her water all the time!

So who do i listen to?
A specially trained nurse (my health visitor) in childcare?
Or a bunch of idiots on here who i am told are very wrong and dont know what they are talking about? (according to my health visitor not me)

i also asked my midwife at my 6 week check up and she says the same as the health visitor!!!!!!!!!!

I think this is the question that your on about http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...

I was absolutely gobsmacked by some of the answers to that question!
I have 4 children, #5 on the way, and i have always given my babies a little boiled water, it helps with wind, and also helps get babies into a routine IF you are not feeding on demand.

Listen to your health visitor - she is the expert, not people on here!!!

milk is made of mostly water,so does that answer the question? water is fine for babies.

I would listen to your health visitor. I always gave my babies boiled, cooled water and no harm ever came to them. My grandaughters are alo given the same. Your baby gets thirsty just the same as you do - go ahead and give it, I would xxxx

Formula fed babies can have water. Breastfed babies don't need it. When they are thirsty, they only nurse a little bit. When babies only nurse for a few minutes, they get the foremilk, which has a higher water content and quenches their thirst. Formula fed babies get the same concentration of nutrients at every feeding, which is why it is OK to give them a little water from time to time, especially if it is very hot or they are dehydrated from illness.

That is the most stupid thing I have ever heard!!How can boiled cooled water make a baby ill??? Of course u can give you little baby water, just don't over fill her so she will still take her milk. She will probably only take an ounce anyway. Don't take things u hear on here as the complete truth, most people only go by what they have heard, not what they KNOW to be true

Babies that are breast fed dont need extra water, but bottle fed babies most certainly do. Formula milk was never intended to quench thirst- only hunger. There are cases of babies becoming constipated if they dont get enough water in addition to their formula, and this can lead to hernias (if the baby is straining too hard too pass stools), and thats aside from the complications that dehydration can cause. So please yes give her some water....It must not be mineral water or filtered water though because this can cause problems. Cooled down boiled water is best.

i have three kids and as babies i gave them all water (boiled of course) and i am so happy i did because now as young children they drink water and plenty of it most kids would prefer not to drink it - but its water and thats one of the best tinhgs for your body right. Please just give they baby some water!

um.....duh! You listen to the medical professional.
I always gave my babies water. Just a little now and then.

The health visitor - I answered that question, and all the stories of kidney damage are pathetic rubbish. My son was constipated when he was little and I was told to give cooled boiled water - it worked a treat and his kidneys are fine.
I think it's stupid how people scaremonger purely to try and advocate breastfeeding. Some people are medically unable to breastfeed - like me - and yet still get abuse!!

listen to your health visitor,

she's paid, and therefore liable!!

Your health visitor is right; this is a poor choice for seeking important information regarding such topics. However, as a Registered Professional Nurse with over forty years' clinical experience, I have to point out that it's not necessary to boil the water. Tap water is fine. If you're concerned about chemicals in the tap water, boiling it won't remove said chemicals - you'd need to use distilled water, and homemakers don't have the means to distill water - you'd have to purchase it at the grocer's. Most folks in the industrialized world don't need to be concerned about their tap water...if the adults in the household can safely drink it, so can their infants.
One more thing: whomever told you that infants don't need water to drink in addition to mother's milk is a fool. One must realize that the Internet is not the only resource prone to gross error and misinformation!

boiled cooled water is fine for your baby, your health visitor is right. My little girl loved a drink of water. It helps there bowel movements aswell

sometimes people on here give very spund advice that I would be glad to listen to, but other times its obvious thy don't know what they are talking about and are just typing any onld thing for their 2 points worth. Shame really

Yes there are a lot of idiots on YA. Today, someone asked if you could get pregnant the day before your period. Although not common, the answer is yes and i have a 6 year old to prove it. I got thumbs down and loads of people told the asker that you could not. Why do people answer questions when they are not 100%. This person could now take that as saying "Have unprotected sex the day before you get your period and you wwill be safe". Makes me really mad.

Oh yes, I gave my daughter cooled water when she was a baby!

my docotr told me NOT to give the baby water, unless they are dehydrated. they get plenty of fluids from milk...is the baby running a marathon? why do they need extra liquids??
I guess some docotrs just have different points of view on this subject. i am guessing your doctor answered this more as a mom than a doctor since she gave it to their babies.
I dont think water would HURT them, so, if your baby is really that thirsty, i guess give him the water...

My baby boy is three weeks old and has occasions where he gets constipated. He is on formula and my mother etc said to give him cooled boiled water every now and then and I asked the health visitor and she said the same. Breastfed babies dont tend to need water as the breast milk changes from a 'drink' to 'food' during a feed. So you can give them water and it doesnt hurt them. Why would it hurt them if you use boiled water for the formula?!!

I had 3 children and I gave them water and they all turned out fine. As your health visitor has said that Baby's get thirsty too!

You listen to who you are comfortable with. I gave my kids water as babies. like you nurse said, they too get thirsty. its not like you are giving them water in place of a feeding, you are giving them like an oz to quench a thirst.

A small amount of water is fine, especally if the baby is having trouble going to the toillet,
Your health visitor knows best.

it won't hurt your baby. but water does fill them up and instead of having nutriotious formula/breastmilk they drink the water. water really has no nutritionally value to a baby.


too much water can hurt but a few teaspoons won't hurt. i used to give my son a few teaspoons when he had the hiccups. it wasn't boiled water, it was bottled water.

I have a hard time burping my little boy and the HV advised i gave him cool boiled water - he is exclusively breastfed though so when it is offered he looks like i am trying to feed him poison - it's not a favourite!!
Always listen to the HV - people here are good for advice but any real concerns go to the medical professionals!!

Hi, i agree with you, i put in an answer to that question, telling people they are very wrong i have gave my daughter water since she was 1day old. Yes they get thirsty, i think some people think that babies are not human beings lol !!!! it just makes me wonder about all those babies out there who were only crying for a drink, and the fact that their parents were probably giving them milk as they thought thats what they wanted. Even when my daughter was born and we were still in the hospital i went to the nurses station to ask for a little bottle of formula and they also had water from cow and gate in little jars too. Im glad you posted this on here. Take care xx

i think a lot of the advice not to give water is with regard to breast feeding, breast milk is said to be all a baby needs, however a bottle fed baby definitely needs to be given water in between feeds if you find the baby needs it, i don't think its dangerous to give water in any case as your baby will likely not drink very much , as for who you should listen to well that's a no brainer, your health visitor and you should also trust yourself you have instincts too and although you may feel you don't know what you are doing sometimes the majority of the time your instinct is correct so if you feel your baby is thirsty then by all means give water. if you bottle feed and your baby takes the bottle warm then you may find it will take the water better at the same temp as a normal bottle.

Moan away!!!
I have answered many questions on should i give my baby tap water, ive always answered saying No not tap water cooled boiled water, but i can understand where you are coming from

Take care