Breastfeeding is a special time, when your body produces food for the baby. For this process to run smoothly, don’t forget about proper hydration. Water forms the main component of breast milk, and is the carrier of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates. The food adapts to the baby’s needs, becoming more watery on hot days to not only feed but also hydrate the tiny body.
Breastfeeding is a special time, when your body produces food for the baby. For this process to run smoothly, don’t forget about proper hydration. Water forms the main component of breast milk, and is the carrier of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates. The food adapts to the baby’s needs, becoming more watery on hot days to not only feed but also hydrate the tiny body.
- If you only breastfeed, remember to drink about 2,700 ml of fluids a day. Until the baby is six months old, there is no need to additionally give it water.
- Infants aged 0 to 5 months which are on formula milk should receive 100 to 190 ml fluids per kilogram of body weight a day.
- A child aged 5 to 12 months needs about 100 ml of water per kilogram of body weight a day on a daily basis.
- Children aged 1 to 3 years need about 1,250 ml of water a day.
The key to success is to slowly and consistently teach the child to drink pure water – with a mug, a plastic bottle, a water bottle or a teaspoon. It is a good eating habit.
