Just wondering because Jack is 4 months old now and I've tried to get him to drink some cooled boiled water from a bottle a couple of times in between feeds, but as soon as he realised it wasn't milk he's rejected it.
The last time I tried it it was pretty much just out of the fridge though so it might have been a bit too cold. He did enjoy biting on the teat for a while though. Think it was nice on his gums.
My friend said she used to dissolve a bit of sugar in the freshly boiled water then it would be sweeter so he would drink it, then she gradually reduced it. But I'm not sure about this so wanted to see what other people's opinions are?
I've seen conflicting information saying that bottle fed babies either do or do not need water before 6 months

_________________

I gave mine water when I started spoonfeeding. I always gave it in a cup and they were fine with it.
My babies did not drink much to start with, but that's nothing to worry about.

I used a bottle of water to get him out of the habit of comfort feeding in the early hours of the morning when I stopped breastfeeding him. I switched him to bottles and solids at the same time, and innitially let him breastfeed for a minute or two occasionally to reduce the engorgement. He had a habit of waking up at around 3am wanting a comfort boob feed. I replaced this with a bottle of cooled boiled water to relieve his thirst, but as soon as he realised he wasn't getting anything else, he quickly fell back to sleep afterwards.

Oscar drank water pretty much from then, at six months. When he was around 12 months, we gave him bottled water, rather than cool boiled, which he preferred. I didn't introduce any juice to his diet until he was 18 months, and even now at almost 3, he prefers drinking water. He does like fizzy water now though, but it's still better for his teeth than juice or pop.

_________________

I didn't start giving water regularly until I started weaning at 6 months. There were a few times, though, when he was still very small, when I did give him a little cooled boiled water on very hot days because he was thirsty, wasn't hungry, had just had a feed but still wanted something else and I didn't want him to get dehydrated (basically hard stools and fewer wet nappies with more concentrated and darker wee).

Lewis used to have a tiny bit at about 6 weeks, just from a syringe because he was comfort feeding so midwife s started drinking water suggested I try and relieve his thirst rather than try a feed. He started taking water properly when he was 4 months old, thats when we started weaning with him.

_________________

_________________

Loving being a mum to my 4 boys (pic update soon)

Thanks. I don't really want to give him juice for as long as possible so would like to get him used to water really. I might try giving him a little bit out of a syringe as he used to have gripe water that way and we've finished giving him that now so he might just think it's that. Then once he's used to the taste I could try it from a bottle again or from a cup when we start weaning him.
I struggle to get him to drink milk, let alone water lol!

_________________

Hi! I'm new here but I am not a new mom. Anyway, giving babies with water usually starts at approximately 4-6 mos. old. But it varies for every baby; other moms give their infants water at an earlier age as there are some babies that are prone to constipation although they are still under 4 mos. old. With yours, you said He is 4 mos. old already, so I think it's fine to give your baby a few ounces of filtered/distilled room temperature water added with a little hot water. Usually at first babies do reject water because of its unfamiliar taste as babies under 4mos. old usually only knew the taste of milk. Just keep on giving water to your baby until he becomes familiar with the taste and eventually be able to accept it by drinking the water. As a mom, I would not suggest giving your baby a sweetened water(w/added honey,etc.) because most nutritionists and dieticians recommend that feeding babies on their first solid food mos. if possible years should be bland(no added sweetener/salt), this goes to water as well.

I gave Eijah the Boots baby flavoured water, but with the other three it was weak baby juice. I made it weaker and weaker over a few months and eventually they just drank plain water.

_________________

we started giving water from an open cup at 6 months when we started weaning, but i know other mummies who have given earlier from a syringe or spoon as their little one seemed thristy between feeds, i would just follow your little ones lead....