Water to a breastfed baby: when to give?

With the development of medicine, the ability of our country to use the best practices of specialists from other countries, much has changed in our understanding of it, especially in pediatrics. Until now, old-school doctors repeat dogmas learned many years ago. One of them is the need to give a child water to drink when breastfeeding. But is this true?

Does a newborn need water when breastfeeding?

A baby, like all people, cannot do without water, especially since its metabolic processes are faster than those of adults. But breast milk has enough of it, since it is 85% water.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, which operates under the auspices of the UN, in their declaration "10 principles of breastfeeding" in one of the points clearly state that when breastfeeding, the newborn does not require any other food or drink, except for medical indications. [ 1 ]

When to introduce water when breastfeeding?

Since the document does not contain more detailed explanations, it is possible to determine when to introduce water during breastfeeding based on the keyword "newborn". These are children up to 28 days of age. If there is enough milk and the baby receives it on demand, then this may be a later date.

This approach can be disrupted by high ambient temperatures (+35ºС and above), enterovirus infections. The so-called "foremilk" contains more water than the subsequent milk, so you need to alternate breasts. [ 2 ]

How much water should I give my baby when breastfeeding?

Up to 4 months, it is recommended to give no more than 60-100 ml of clean water. On average, if the mother's milk enters the child's body in the amount of 500 ml per day, then 50 ml per kilogram of weight is enough.

How to do it? There is a convenient option to give it from a bottle with a nipple, but the baby may like it because of the ease of getting liquid and he may refuse the breast. It is best to use a spoon, a cup or a special sippy cup.

Water for complementary feeding during breastfeeding

If supplementary feeding of newborns with water during breastfeeding reduces the absorption of valuable elements, for example, iron by as much as 2 times, prevents the formation of immunity, contributes to the appearance of constipation in the baby, then the introduction of complementary foods requires an increase in fluid intake. Usually it is introduced after 4-6 months.

The need to drink is due to the fact that additional food partially displaces the flow of mother's milk, it has a different consistency and only water can prevent dehydration. [ 3 ]

What kind of water should I give to a breastfed newborn?

Water for supplementary feeding during breastfeeding should not be boiled. When using raw water, you need to make sure that it is well purified, does not contain nitrates and microorganisms that are dangerous for the immature digestive tract.

Other options may include:

• dill water - helps well with colic, you can make it yourself from fennel or buy ready-made at the pharmacy. It not only relieves painful spasms, but also contains vitamins A, C, P, group B, phosphorus, potassium, iron, useful elements for the baby;
• mineral water - it is also used, but not carbonated and with low mineralization (no more than 500 g of salts per liter).

You can try introducing lemon water to your child closer to a year, or even later. Despite the fact that this fruit has many useful properties, strengthens the immune system well, thanks to its high content of vitamin C, it is still, like all citrus fruits, too allergenic. You can start with just a few drops in a glass of water, squeezed from a fresh fruit, and observe the reaction. [ 4 ]

Baby spitting up water while breastfeeding

Nursing mothers know that a child often burps milk or curd-like masses during breastfeeding. This is a normal phenomenon associated with the body's natural reflexes. But sometimes water flows out of the baby's mouth, which he does not drink. Why does this happen?

This can only be due to increased salivation and does not carry anything dangerous. Another reason is that milk in the stomach curdles and, like any other, separates into curds and a fairly transparent whey, which is released.