So we all need water it's one of the body's most essential nutrients and if you're pregnant or home with a new baby healthy hydration is more important than ever. Patients to drink plenty of water because proper hydration it can help prevent urinary tract infections, constipation both during pregnancy and after and it's essential for breastfeeding mothers to drink plenty of water because the breast milk is ninety percent fluid.
Now what about newborns do they need water?
You know patients are always asking that question people don't know no the short answer is no, healthy newborns do not need extra water for the first six months of life. Exactly, because the water is in the breast milk and we add water to formula so babies get all the hydration they need from that, so while it's safe to mix water with formula it can actually be dangerous to give them extra water because it can disturb the baby's electrolyte balance which could lead to seizures so you don't give extra water for the first six months of life.
So when is it safe to incorporate water?
So at about six months most babies are eating solids at this point so at this point you can introduce a few sips of water and if it's really warm outside you can give them a few extra sips, you always want to check with your pediatrician to find out exactly how much because remember the American Academy of Pediatrics says breast milk or formula should be the sole source of nutrition for the baby for the first six months and then the major source of nutrition for the first 12 months so you don't want to fill them up with water.
So let's go to 12 months a toddler, and then how much water they get?
Yes at 12 months the baby becomes a toddler. A bundle of energy as we all know that you're chasing them around the house yep they're gone you're blocking everything on the wall is right right right so the baby at this point needs more fluid so for toddlers it's recommended they get about five and a half cups of water per day.
Exactly, but that includes water from all food and beverage sources including milk so you know one way to check and make sure your little ones getting enough it's a glance it's a urine you we want to make sure it's almost colorless or pale and you know they're getting enough.
Now there's tap, there's distilled, there's purified you know what is the one you think that mom should be using?
Right well I've always used and I've always recommended a purified steamed destilled water and I'm really pleased I've been able to partner with nursery water which was created especially for babies and toddlers. What makes it so good and safe you know Nursery has a really interesting history, it was created in 1948 by a pediatrician in Chicago who was concerned about the purity of the drinking water for his patients so nursery has been giving parents peace of mind for almost 70 years and it comes with or without fluoride you can mix it with formula right from the get-go safe to do and later on you can mix it with cereal and you can also use it to dilute juice.
How much do should I give my child or my toddler to hydrate them?
Well let's start with baby because people will ask about baby's first and the short answer is, it can be a little tricky with juice. Babies 6 months and under should should not be given any juice okay that's what the American Academy of Pediatrics says but at six months if you want to give your baby juice you want to make sure it's one hundred percent pure fruit juice you can dilute it half and half with water you want to give it in a cup not put it in a bottle and put them to bed with that because the sugar from the tooth. It can actually cause tooth decay and you also want to make sure that you limit it to no more than 4 ounces a day for the baby because too much can cause excessive weight gain and also diabetes.
Exactly, the weight will lead to the diabetes down the road and also when the bait when your child gets a little older between the ages of 1 and 6 the American carry Pediatrics says to limit the juice consumption to no more than four to six ounces a day that's not much if you think that's not even a cup. So we really need to think about what we're giving our kids to hydrate.
Tips for creating healthy habits:
- Start early to make water the beverage of choice
- Fill sippy cup with Nursery Water
- Add ice cubes to make it fun
- Use water instead of juice/milk
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