Water during weaning: how much should the baby drink and how to offer it
Introduction
The topic of water in weaning is one of the most explored by new parents. To help you understand something more about it, I have prepared this guide accompanied by an index, inserted to allow you, if you want, to delve deeper into the aspects that interest you with a simple click on the paragraph titles.
To guide you in discovering the secrets of the weaning and water combination, you will be given the advice of Doctor Federica Dell'Oro, a nutrition biologist and author and curator of the video course “Practical, easy and stress-free self-weaning”, accessible at the end of this paragraph.
For more information, you can of course find me on Instagram at @drsilva.com_official .
Do newborns drink water?
Especially when it is your first child, you may find yourself having difficulty managing aspects such as water administration . When can you start offering it to your baby?
The world's leading scientific societies agree that starting to offer water at 6 months is the best choice for the puppy's well-being.
First , as also highlighted by the World Health Organization in 2009, the introduction of water or other liquids such as tea and herbal teas can interfere with the production of breast milk , reduce the supply of nutrients and increase the risk of infectious diseases .
Around the age mentioned above, as I have had the opportunity to specify in this article and as Doctor Dell'Oro reminds us several times in her video course, the child develops the requirements for the intake of foods other than breast milk or formula .
Parents who approach the topic of water during weaning understandably ask themselves questions regarding the quantities that the little one should consume.
At the beginning of self-weaning , you can safely refer to your child's ability to self-regulate.
This is why you should not worry if your puppy does not drink water. In fact, the diet consists mainly of breast milk or formula for at least the first year of life.
Depending on the situation, he will be the one to make it clear that he wants to be attached to the breast/bottle or that he wants water in case the mother is not available.
Water for weaning babies: how to offer it?
Even if, up to the age of one, it is not necessary to count the ml of water offered to the baby - the baby self-regulates starting from the decrease in feedings or requests for artificial milk - it is still advisable to start getting him used to drinking water by offering it to him with the right tools, similar to those he will use, growing up, to drink in his daily routine .
As Dr. Dell'Oro points out in this video , it is best not to use bottles and cups with a spout. Why? Because they only stimulate the baby to suck, not allowing him to learn to sip water.
The right allies for the proposal of water in self-weaning are silicone cups - plastic ones should not be used - or cups made of ceramic or glass.
Thanks to them, the puppy has the opportunity to use the tongue in the right way and to better coordinate breathing and swallowing . What to do when you are away from home ? Use a glass or steel water bottle with a special cup.
When the child is a little older, he or she can use a water bottle with a straw - in the video course, there is a PDF with links to specific advice on the best ones to buy - although the best means is still the cup.
