Does your baby drink enough?

How much liquid your baby needs depends on your baby’s age and type of nutrition.

During the first months, your baby quenches both his/her thirst and hunger with milk. Additional liquids through water or tea may be necessary if your baby perspires or loses large amounts of liquid (e.g., heat, fever).

During the weaning stage, babies need additional drinks aside from milk or formula. This gets increasingly important as you introduce more weaning food. In the beginning, your baby will drink very little because they get most of their liquids from milk or formula. From the 3rd weaning meal, they will need something to drink with each meal. Babies in the 2nd half of the first year needs a total of approximately 500ml of fluids, including breast milk or infant formula.

Suitable drinks include tap water or mineral water for infants and young children. Other thirst-quenchers include special baby teas, organic juices and mineral water, organic teas & juice, diluted juices (1 part juice and 2 parts water). Ideally, you should offer drinks in between meals, with meals or after meals, but not right before a meal as this reduces appetite.

Important:

Any drink that is fed frequently or constantly from a bottle can cause tooth decay. Therefore:

  • Do not let the baby use the bottle for constant sucking, as a pacifier or sleeping aid.
  • Always hold the bottle to feed the baby and let them drink quickly.
  • Ensure regular dental care from the very first tooth.
  • Make babies familiar with drinking from a cup from the 8th month.