How much water should a 11 month old baby drink?
As a new parent, you are bound to be curious about whether your baby is drinking enough water or not. The truth is that there isn’t a definitive answer to the question of how much water an 11-month-old baby should drink.
Before we dive in too deep, let’s take a look at some basic guidelines for babies under the age of one:
- Breastfeeding or formula milk should be the primary source of nutrition until six months.
- Once solid foods are introduced around six months, breastmilk or formula milk remains important and can continue up to two years old.
Now when it comes to water consumption for infants, here’s what you need to know.
Babies younger than six months
Babies between four and five weeks old require about twice as much fluid per pound as adults. They may get all the fluids they need from breast milk or formula, so additional plain water or juice isn’t necessary.
Introducing solids
When introducing solids between four-six month-olds begin with small amounts like mashed banana mixed into their porridge oats. As well cooked vegetables such as carrot puree accompanied by iron-fortified cereal/chicken broth will provide sufficient hydration alongside fatty foods such as avocado which contain enough moisture.
By nine-months-olds-dramatic growth spurts being experienced in this stage means increased fluid intake is required during meals & snacks especially if starting on BLW-weaning (Baby-led weaning). In which case encourage drinks every hour compared rather than after each feed if desired & appropriate choices include freshly squeezed fruit juices…
Teach babies healthy thirst cues
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that parents teach healthy thirst cues like waiting for a child to open their mouth before offering liquids/if your little one seems thirsty-but try making mealtimes part of family time instead encouraging sips from cups often-they’ll naturally drink more!
No need to force water
If your baby has diarrhea or is dehydrated, you should feed them more liquids. On the other hand, forcing a baby who isn’t thirsty to drink can lead to overhydration and water intoxication- which I bet you wouldn’t want on top of everything else they throw at you!
How Much Should You Feed a 11 Month Old Baby?
The amount of fluid intake varies from individual-to-individual depending on their weight & physical activity levels so use methods guided by registered doctors/nurses where possible-before spooning any food into those chubby cheeks.
Hydration Tips for Parents
Ensure that all drinking containers including beakers are clean & sterilized before each use! Babies still have organs and systems developing so infections could potentially be lethal hence always having proper cleaning mechanisms will prevent bacterial build up-especially in hot climates.
When parents think that their babies may become dehydrated, using absorption through cotton wool balls/placing teaspoonfuls under armpits/panties will help with diagnosis in comparison to urine collection as its inconvenience overwhelms its usefulness.
Finally…
An easy way for supporting little ones would entail frozen mini ice pops (without artificial flavours/colourings) made mainly from coconut-water mixed with chopped berries/fruits after all every child deserves hydration without compromising taste during growth spurts-right?!