Can Newborn baby drink water? I would say NO!!
Do you feel thirsty after sipping Orange juice or a milk shake? Hopefully I get all No’s as answers. But do we feel thirsty after having food or something solid? I believe, I’ll get a Yes. And that’s all the logic behind why newborn baby should not drink water or juices till 5-6months.
Reasons why Newborn baby should not drink water :
1. Newborn baby should not drink water for the simple reason that their tummies are too small. If fed with water even on a screechy hot summer afternoon, his/her tummy will takeaway the appetite of breastfed milk or the formula milk leading to “weight Loss” or suffer from “malnutrition”. Sharing an example of Reena, a close friend of mine who confessed to me and told me how it still hovers in her heart and mind!
“The temperature had soared to as high as 40degrees, and there were words of precaution from everyone here. My mother-inlaw was after my life to feed my baby with 5-8spoons of water every 2-3 hours, sharing the logic that babies also feel thirsty like we do. Feeling that very convincing, I started giving water to my baby. Within 10-12 days, she lost almost 500gms of her weight and started taking less of my milk. It also resulted in reduction of my breast milk supply. Upon approaching the doctor, I came to know of the harm of giving water to newborn babies. Knowing the reasons why Newborn baby should not drink water just astonished me. Delay of 10-12 more days would have led to seizures in my baby. It was an experience which no mom should ever have.”
2. Breast milk is considered the lightest milk for babies to digest, reason, it has so much of water content that babies do not need additional water. Any dose of additional water will dilute up all the nutrients in their bodies.
Even if feeding formula milk, always use the recommended Milk:Water ratio as shared on the box. DO NOT over dilute the same. As nutrients will get diluted and your baby will get fewer nutrients than what their body needs now. Amount of water to be added is researched & standardized as per the babies need.
3. Excessive water intake may also lead to “Intoxication”. Excess water dilutes the concentration of electrolytes as “Sodium” in the blood and body. This can lead to electrolyte dis-balance which can result in seizures when the tissues swell up. Sodium, the positive ion is a must for the proper functioning of Muscles and Nerve cells and when these are lost it can result in Nausea, vomits, spasms in muscles and a serious condition may also drift to Coma.
The above information is not to scare you parents, but to make you more of “Aware Parents”!
4. Try saying NO to “Juices” as well. Tempted to give babies a try to yummy juices? Control your temptations moms and dads, they have complete life ahead of them to couch on juices:). Packaged juices contain enough of added sugar and preservatives, which can be super harmful on the teeth and tummy of babies who have not been exposed to the taste other than Breast/formula milk.
So now, I’m sure that you’ll not bring in the delicacy called “water” to your babies life * Until some senior doctor advises so!
This easily summaries why newborn baby should not drink water till atleast 5-6months.
When can newborn baby drink water?
Sit at ease, let them enjoy the drink they love right now. They wont ask for it when grown up;)
Let them switch completely to solids when they are close to a year and then don’t stop them from drinking water. You can rather start very little of water by 6-8 months, post discussing with your paediatric, coz by then your baby would have started munching on some soft solids or semi-solids. Steadily start giving them small of spoon water then and after one year, enjoy looking at your baby sipping water:)
Offering water to baby before 6months : Sometimes babies suffer from dehydration/Flu/Constipation, when the doctor might advise you to offer Electrolyte or even some quantity of water. But that would be highly situational and under strict control of your doctor. Please do not practise this profession (medicating baby)all by yourself searching the internet.
Now have your glass of Juice or Coffee and enjoy coz you no longer need to worry of keeping your baby hydrated with water! Your Breast milk or defined formula milk is there to solve your water problems!
Happy Feeding!!
