If you are a new mother, you may be a curious learner on feeding and weaning your baby for sure. Today we will educate you correctly on a frequently asked matter, ‘When Can My Baby Drink Water?’. Newborn babies depend on their mothers’ breast milk before introducing solid foods.

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How Long Should Breastfeeding Continue?

Even though mothers used to breastfeed their babies for more extended periods in the past, at present working mothers face some practical difficulties. Therefore, the period of breastfeeding is short today. Some may continue it for 6 to 12 months or less than that. However, The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding for up to 2 years or more. New studies have found that mothers should breastfeed for at least two months to prevent the risk of Sudden infant death syndrome also known as SIDS, which is the sudden death of a baby younger than one-year-old.

When Can My Baby Drink Water?

Considering the above facts, a baby should spend at least six months breastfeeding. Then he can be introduced to solid foods. The more your baby eats solid foods, the lesser amount of milk he will need. If your baby is keen on eating more solid foods several times daily, they may even drop breastfeeding entirely so that your baby can sip water when he or she is six months old.

How and When Can My Baby Drink Water?

Once the baby starts a solid food diet, he/she must drink enough water. For that, you can use either beakers or cups. When your baby is six months older, he/she can drink from a beaker or a cup. You can make them get sips of water after each meal.

There are some drawbacks to using bottles for babies in drinking water. Therefore, you can introduce an open cup or a free-flow cup without a valve to prevent tooth decay and other risks to their health. An open or free-flow cup is ideal for educating your baby to sip water without harming teeth. Even Though they will make a mess initially, they will learn gradually over time.

How and When Can My Baby Drink Water? Continued

Once your baby starts eating solid foods (from around six months), you can offer them some sips of water from a beaker or a cup with meals. In general, drinking water for babies over six months is not necessary to be boiled first. Fully breastfed babies only need water once they start eating solid foods. However, during hot weather, they may want to breastfeed more than usual. Formula-fed babies under six months of age might need some amount of cooled boiled water during hot weather apart from their usual milk feeds.

When preparing infant formula for babies, you can boil fresh tap water first. And then, let it cool for no more than 30 minutes. This time is required to keep it at a temperature of at least 70C. But bottled water is not recommended for making up feeds because it is not sterile and may contain too much sulfate or salt (sodium).

When Can You Discourage Using Bottles?

Once your baby reaches one year of age, you can discourage him from feeding from a bottle. When using a bottle or trainer cup, make sure you o not put anything in it other than water, breast milk, or formula milk.

Furthermore, do not add anything else (including baby rice, sugar, cereals, or chocolate powder) to the feed. Comfort sucking from a bottle of sweetened drinks causes tooth decay in young children. Drinks flow very slowly through a teat, meaning the sugary substance will contact their teeth longer.

What are the Suitable Drinks For Babies?

In the question, ‘When Can My Baby Drink Water?’, he/she can drink water even using an open cup when they are six months old. However, you can offer them a drink. It would help if you mainly prevented giving them flavored drinks. The following drinks are safe and suitable for your child.

Breast milk
Formula milk
Other recommended liquids by doctors

Breast Milk

As mentioned, mothers are encouraged to breastfeed their babies for at least six months. Once your baby eats solid foods (6-month-old baby), he can be fed with a variety of food items and enough water. The longer you breastfeed your baby, the better results it will generate.

Breastfeeding for up to 12 months is associated with a lower risk of tooth decay. Anyways a baby depending on a solid food diet gradually decreases their dependence on breastmilk.

Formula Milk

The best and only available alternative for breast milk/infant formula is usually based on cows’ milk during the first 12 months of your baby’s life. Babies under six months should not be given the Follow-on formula; you do not need to introduce it after six months. First infant formula, follow-on formula or growing-up milk are unnecessary when your baby is 12 months old. You can introduce cows’ milk as a main drink from 12 months.

What Should You Avoid?

Unlike cow’s milk, goat’s milk formula is not suitable for babies with cows’ milk protein allergies. But you can give your baby soya formula if a health professional advises you to do so.

Flavored milk, Squashes, “fruit” or “juice” drinks and fizzy drinks are unsuitable for small babies. This is because they contain sugar and can cause tooth decay, even when diluted. Basically, fizzy drinks are acidic and likely to damage the enamel of the tooth. Hence, they should not be given to babies and young children. Even though fruit juices, such as orange juice, are a good source of vitamin C, they also contain natural sugars and acids that may cause tooth decay.

Even low-calorie and no-added-sugar drinks can encourage children to develop a sweet tooth. Usually, herbal and baby drinks contain sugars and are not recommended for babies. Tea and coffee are neither suitable for babies nor young children. If sugar is added, this can lead to tooth decay.