When To Give Your Baby Water and What Kind
Babies have sensitive bodies. They need gentle and precise care to safeguard their health. Although water is important for toddlers, teenagers, and adults, it’s not ideal for babies during the early stages of their lives. If you’re a new parent or expecting a child soon, learn about when you should give your baby water and what kind is the best.
Why Can’t Babies Drink Water Right Away?
Nutrients are essential for growing babies. If babies drink water frequently, they won’t receive all the nutrients they need to grow up healthy and strong.
Drinking primarily cow milk or breast milk is ideal for babies under a year old. Milk gives babies nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and protein. Water cannot provide that sustenance; therefore, parents must give their babies milk until the baby’s body is ready.
When Is the Right Time To Give Your Baby Water?
It’s crucial to remember that you should never give your baby milk before six months of age. However, it’s around this time that your child will start to eat solid foods. After six months old, babies can begin to have intermittent sips of water.
Remember not to completely switch out milk for water at six months old. Milk should still be the primary source of fluid until around two years of age. Water should act as a supplementary fluid to keep toddlers hydrated and help them grow accustomed to more types of drinks.
What Kind of Water Is Best for Babies?
Now that you know when you can give your baby water, it’s also important to understand what kind of water to provide. Some parents recommend boiling water before allowing toddlers to drink it. This only applies to babies under six months old with poor immune systems or who drink formula paired with water.
Overall, tap water is the best source of water for babies over six months old. Their immune system should be developing well at this age, and their stomach will be strengthening its ability to digest more than milk.
When the time comes to give your baby water, you want to ensure it’s clean and free of any contaminants. Consider installing faucets for water filtration systems to make attaining fresh and clean tap water a breeze! The faucets from Premier H2O are certain to protect your little one from any minerals or bacteria hiding in the tap water supply.