Do FF babies need to drink water?

Thanks Mel & Kat...
Bella hasnt been sick so ill just stick to the normal formula and water from now on..and some boiled water when she wants it..

i love Bellas name..that was one of the names we chose if we were having a girl....

yeah no harm done with what you have done....i know it says on the tin..what to do.. and alot of people do say...oh add the extra bit of water its OK...if it were fine to do all the time it would say to add the extra bit..if you get what i'm trying to say :)

As the self-confessed FF newbie...I will still throw my $0.02 in:

I think that the tin has those instructions on it to cater for the "lowest common denominator" IYKWIM. The people with no common sense who would think "yeah that'll do" and mix it up willy nilly if they weren't very strictly told not to. I can imagine how upset little tummies would get if they were given a different blend of formula and water every single time and if it was not mixed with care. Let's face it, there are people out there who would do this and I believe this is part of the reason why the instructions are so strict.

I would have no problem with following MCHN/paediatrician instructions to mix the formula a bit differently if that was what they thought would be better for my bub for whatever reason. There has to be a valid reason why it is such a common suggestion. Constipation?

The formula tin would never suggest alternative ratios than the standard to prevent people self-diagnosing and monkeying about with the mix without professional advice. If anyone is having doubts I think they should go back to the source of the advice and question them further rather than stop doing what they have been advised to do.

Hope that makes sense.

Curly - I see your point. However, I think I would follow recommendations from the manufacturers of the formula, rather than people who may, or may not, have ever actually LOOKED at the side of the formula tin.

Meh.. I just do what I'm told :lol:

hmmm yep i would follow the tins instructions...i am fairly sure they would have done LOTS of research into ratios etc....
Mel i do what im told too :p

K is fully FF and he drinks alot of water each day. Usually at least 100-150ml depending on the heat of the day on top of his formula feeds. He is a bigger than average baby though and is very active nowdays (in his jumperoo, swimming) so builds up the need to drink I guess

Kate - don't worry - I add a little extra water also - say around 10mls - my DD gets bad constipation and her Paed has instructed us to do so - don't feel bad I'm sure you're doing a brilliant job

i would think about changing formula's rather than adding more water if bub's is constipated.

I mean... when we eat our food we dont want ours watered down (so to speak).

I also do what im told when it comes to the tin. They put the instructions on there for a reason. It doesnt say.. on a hot day or when your bubs constipated just add a little more water IYKWIM.

have to agree with you hollye :p BUT it is true..intrsuctions are on the tin for a reason...

there is no rule saying u cant. they get thristy aswell.

dont feel like a bad mum, u were only taking advice. ull be a pro in no time.

This thread has certainly gone off on a tangent! It does say on my tin of formula not to change the proportions except under medical advice. So to my mind that says that there can be valid reasons for changing the mix and that MCHNs and paeds who do advise this aren't necessarily talking rubbish as most people on this thread seem to think.

I have no plans for adding more water to DD's formula and never did - I was wondering about separate drinks of water.

It just worries me that there are people on this thread who HAVE been advised to mix the formula differently by a MCHN or paed and that they may not continue to do that based on the suggestions of people in this thread. This is why I said that I felt that if anyone had doubts about the advice they had received after reading comments on this thread, they should go back to the source of the advice and question them further before discontinuing.

I say this with love, truly, I always post suggestions genuinely wanting to help the OP - but I would not disregard instructions from a paed or MCHN based on advice I received in a forum. Not without checking first. I'm a cautious girl at heart.

I couldn't get my bub to drink plain water until she was around five months old. She was formula fed and she would throw a massive tantrum if I offered her water instead of formula... it really had me panicked because the weather here gets really, really hot and humid in summer and we didn't have air-con so I was concerned that she could get dehydrated. My GP also suggested watering down her feeds but she could tell the difference and refused them, too, so I just kept giving her formula and offering her water and then one day, as if by magic, she just decided she wanted water and now she is happy to drink it all the time.
Just offer water in a sippy cup, although sometimes older bubs will want to have it in a 'grown-up' cup and will only take it if you let them share your glass of water. It's messy, but it's only water so if that's what they're into, let them backwash everywhere :D