Is he breastfed or formula fed? I know if he's breastfed he will be getting all the hydration he needs from your breastmilk and doesn't require any extra liquids. Are you wanting to give him water to help with wind? At 4 months i wouldn't be worried if he doesn't seem to want it.
AT my sons 2 week check up i told her that he was constipated and had wind problems. With wind problems he always thought he was hungry. Before seeing the health nurse i had tried to give him water inbetween feeds cos he just wante dthe bottle. He hated water and i was lucky if he drank 10ml lol, he would just spit it out and keep crying. I told the health nurse, and she told me to add half a teaspoon of brown sugar to 50mls of waters. Since doing that he now drinks it. I m slowly decreasing teh amount of sugar and he doesnt even relaise. You can try this if you like, i was told this by the health nurse, and she said dont use normal sugar, brown sugar is better for them, and its just to sweeten it up.
Also teh reason he probly takes a little at a time is because it isnt as thick as breastmilk or formula and as he sucks the teat more comes out.
I don't necessarily have any advice, but a question about YOUR question:
My pediatrician told me that I was NOT to give my infant water--that he didn't need it. He said that it could actually be harmful if he was given too much, and that he would get ample hydration from the breastmilk he drank.
I wonder--is this some kind of "different-across-the-pond" thing, or is my pediatrician crazy?
I think he is crazy lol..My health nurse advised me to give my baby water at only 2weeks old. You have to make sure its cooled boiled water. It helps flush them out and is good inbetween feeds and also good while eating solids
I asked the same question about 4 months ago, my daughter is now 9 months old. I got some great advice from this website which told me this: if you stew your own fruit to give as solids for baby food, then keep some of the water you used, dilute it a bit and give in a bottle. Only on occasions though because you dont want bub to only drink sweet water. I also give my daughter water through a staw. as soon as she see's me do it.... sha HAS to have it
My son was the same. He didnt actually really start drinking decent amounts of water til he was about 8 months old. Before that i was lucky if he would drink 50mls. He will get used to it eventually, just keep on persisting.
Most babies don't like water only because it doesn't have any flavour to it but adding stuff isn't good for them either. Just keep on persisting with it and you'll notice in the warmer weather he'll probably take it quite happily. Both my boys were formula fed so needed to drink water and when the weather was warm they drank it without too much hassle.
Hi....l also have a 4 month old son, he does not like water either....so at the moment l am giving him little drinks here and there to get him use to the water. Sometimes he drinks alot and other times just a tiny bit....l did find when feeding him his soilds (HN advise me to start him) he will drink more water, than between bottle feeds. Just keep trying but try not to worry if he will not drink it, dont worry him will in his own time.
As cazza just said, if he is only taking little bits now, don't stress.
Our boy very rarely drank water as a baby but now at 2 he asks us for it and this I believe is because he sees us drinking it, so keep in mind as he gets older, monkey see monkey do. We fell into the trap of flavouring, If he knows of nothing else he won't want anything else.
i use to give my children a little bit of Baby juice to take the bland of the water away,, But they do say not too, as its good for the babies to have plain water...
If he is taken only little bits now, i wouldnt worry too much...
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