From the very first days after the birth of a baby, young parents have thousands of questions about the correct upbringing and feeding of the baby, daily care for him. One of the most exciting new-born dads and mothers moments is the question of the need to give the baby water to drink.
This issue is controversial already because our grandmothers and great-grandmothers considered clean water to be an irreplaceable product that a person needs. Therefore, from a very early age, they supplemented the baby with clean drinking water.
Modern breastfeeding experts are convinced that breast milk should be the only and uncompleted food for the infant (provided that it is fed on demand) until it reaches 6 months of age. Human breast milk contains up to 70% water, which is enough to saturate the baby's body with life-giving moisture. Moreover, if you drink a baby from a bottle, there is a possibility that he will not breastfeed. And this should not be allowed.
In addition to all of the above, breastfeeding consultants convince women that only full breastfeeding will help maintain lactation at the level necessary for each particular child and prolong it for as long as possible. After all, the more milk the baby eats during feeding, the more it will be produced for the next meal. If the crumb drinks water, then, accordingly, for full saturation it will need less milk and less and less milk will be produced.
However, if the baby is artificially fed, then it is imperative to give him water. Also, additional moisture is needed if the break between feedings is more than 3.5 hours.
Young mothers need to take into account external factors in order to decide whether the baby needs a drink. So in a hot stuffy room or during a long summer walk, clean water is simply necessary to maintain the health of the child's body.
It is necessary to water the baby even during illness. Especially if it is accompanied by fever, rapid pulse, or symptoms of poisoning. Encourage your baby to drink some water at short intervals. If the child's thirst does not bother him, he will simply refuse to drink.
