Giving your baby water before 6 months of age is generally not recommended. The reason for this is that breast milk and formula will provide your little one with all the nutrients and the hydration they need, so it’s not necessary to supplement with water even on warm days. Instead, you can offer more breastmilk or formula feedings. If water is introduced to your little one before 6 months of age, they may begin to drink less breast milk and formula and miss out on the nutrients their bodies need to grow and develop.
Once your baby reaches 6 months of age, you can begin to introduce small amounts of water. Be sure to boil and cool tap water before offering it to your child. Importantly, your baby’s main drink should continue to be breast milk or formula even after you introduce water. Once your child reaches the one year mark, their main drink can be water, cow’s milk, or breast milk. At 12 months, you no longer need to boil water before offering it to your child. You can begin to teach them how to use a sippy cup for liquids.