When should I introduce water?

[HenaV]

Hi!

My DD is 7months old and is on wk 7 of the BW weaning guidance. I wasn't sure when I should introduce water with her meals.

The past couple of days (since the introduction of peaches) she seems to be struggling to poo. I  would have thought peaches would have had the opposite effect, and when she does go her poo is more 'lump like' - is this normal? Is it the peaches causing this, does she need water??

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance 

[Shiv52]

I started water in a sippy when we started weaning. It took her a few months to be able to drink any proper volume from it.  I had a tommee tippee free flowing cup and it worked well. 

It is normal to see a change in poo after starting solids especially if you are BFing.  If she is struggling I would back off the food you think is causing the issue for a bit and see does that help.  What foods is she currently eating?

[HenaV]

I am following BW guidance- so intro a new food each week. This week it is peaches. It does seem that since she's been having peaches she's struggling.

Today she had peaches for breakfast, organix 4 grain rice cereal&butternut squash for lunch and for dinner I will give her porridge and pears.

H

[Shiv52]

It could be the rice cereal actually.  lots of people find that is constipating.  does she normally have 2 cereals a day?

[HenaV]

She has been since last week - as per the guidance. It suggests as of last week to mix foods and porridge and pears and porridge and sweet potato/squash being the suggestions - tho that combo sounded a little odd to me so I subsistuted the porridge for rice cereal.

Perhaps I should give her just pears tonight instead of porridge and pears?

[HenaV]

Oh I should have said, she had rice cereal last week too and everything seemed fine

[cuckoochick]

We too gave water from the outset of weaning in a free flow cup.

Tbh I never gave DD cereals as she was not bothered for baby rice so for the first few weeks we gave straight veggies or fruit before moving onto BLW. The Annabel Karmel book was quite useful for introducing solids. I was also a lot less cautious regarding introducing foods but we have no known allergies in our family. I do remember the impact on poos though so I'd try to get a few sips of water in at meal times if you can. We took it pretty slowly introducing number of meals and I think that helped.

If you think your DD may be constipated you could try the baby massage techniques. They helped here, especially the I love you movements!

[HenaV]

Thanks. I'll perhaps lay of the cereals and try massage x

[Lemonthyme]

I gave water as soon as I started weaning.  Lack of water is definitely a cause of constipation, especially if formula fed.

[amayzie]

We too gave water from the outset of weaning in a free flow cup

Same- and same as many of the PPs - It's a nice opportunity to start practicing drinking from an open cup and a free flowing sippy, or straw cup. We introduced an open cup and straw cup with weaning. Thought that it was going to be a effort to teach the sippy, only to have him need to unlearn it later! But if you want to go with a sippy then run with it!!

[HenaV]

Thanks for that... I think I'll get a couple of different cups and see how DD gets on!

 

[Shiv52]

Thought that it was going to be a effort to teach the sippy, only to have him need to unlearn it later! But if you want to go with a sippy then run with it!!

I didn't find she had to unlearn it?  A sippy I found handy because it made them independent and was good for being out and about.  My DD1 moved to different cups no bother and my DD2 could use straws from 8-9 months, same with an open cup. 

[amayzie]

No.. i guess unlearn is not the right word.. he;d have to learn the straw later... so i went with that.... so we use the straw and the open cup. tHe straw is our independent option (it's a straw cup thingy...)