When and how to start giving water to babies during weaning.

When and how to start giving water to babies during weaning .

During weaning, babies discover a new way of eating, combining mother's milk with other foods, both alone and liquid. It is at this stage that mothers begin to give water to babies.

In the first months of life, babies do not need to drink water because breast milk, as well as formula, is made up of about 90% water. In the gradual process of growth, the time comes to ingest solid foods, after having chewed them and to accompany the discovery of new tastes and textures even with water. Making babies drink water is therefore an important phase during weaning: something new is introduced into their diet.

How many months can babies be given water ?

The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding (or, if this is not enough, with formula milk) up to six months, without adding water or other liquids, such as chamomiles and herbal teas, which risk filling ineffectively the stomach of children, giving them a false sense of satiety. A small supplement may only be necessary if it is very hot, in case of fever or following episodes of vomiting or diarrhea, when you can give water to newborns to replenish the excessive loss of liquids.
However, these are sporadic episodes: as mentioned, it is advisable to start making the newborn drink water after six months, during the weaning period, starting with a small amount during meals.

The most suitable water for babies: which one to choose

If you are a new parent, a question arises: but which water is suitable for babies? It is better to opt for natural, non-sparkling water with low mineral content. Better if in a glass bottle, because glass, unlike plastic, is less perishable. Is tap water okay for babies too? It depends: if the water is declared drinkable, you can drink it safely (even better if it has been previously 'tested' by mum and dad), but if you live in areas where tap water, even if drinkable, is not considered all reliable (due to the excessive presence of chlorine or for other reasons), it is advisable to boil it before giving it to children (after, of course, it has cooled down), or to resort directly to bottled water.

Mineral waters are not all the same, so here are some useful tips to choose the most suitable one.
The first thing to note is the amount of minerals that are dissolved in the water and that make up what is called a fixed residue: this value indicates the amount of minerals that remain in the water after boiling it.
Based on this classification we can distinguish mineral waters into four categories:

With fixed residue below 50 milligrams per liter (minimally mineralized water)

With fixed residue between 50 and 500 ml / l (oligomineral or slightly mineralized waters)

With fixed residue between 500 and 1500 ml / l (medium mineral waters)

With fixed residue higher than 1500 ml / l (water rich in minerals)

According to this scheme, therefore, the most suitable water for newborns is the one with a concentration of mineral salts not exceeding 140 ml / lt because the milk, both maternal and formulated, is already rich in these substances. The risk of using water that is excessively rich in fixed residue is that of overloading the kidneys that are still in the development phase.

How to make your baby drink water during weaning

Up to over one year of age, children do not know how to feed themselves, but must be guided through various steps until the ultimate achievement of autonomy in eating and drinking. The question therefore that many mothers and fathers ask themselves is: how to make them drink water during weaning and in the following months?
The basic steps to learn to drink independently and in the most natural way possible are the following:

· First of all you have to start with small quantities of liquid and gradually increase;

· Children must learn to protrude the lower lip outwards and stabilize it on the edge of the glass;

The tongue must remain in the oral cavity and not be used as during sucking;

· The head must not be tilted excessively backwards to prevent water from going into the airways;

Gradually the child learns to manage the liquid in the mouth and to swallow it without difficulty.

To facilitate this evolution, the best way is to make children drink in comfortable and manageable cups, specially designed for them according to the age group they belong to, which accompany them in the various stages of growth by encouraging them to drink alone in the most appropriate way. as easy as possible.

How much water should children drink?

It is a good idea to start giving your child water to drink by ingesting small amounts of liquid that grow over time. So how much water should children drink? At the beginning of weaning, small amounts of water are sufficient, to be given in small cups or with a bottle, as babies still have milk during the day. On the other hand, when they turn one year old, the doses of breast milk having been reduced if not completely exhausted, the requests for water gradually increase, up to one liter per day, and then approach the needs of a person from three years upwards. adult.