Drinking bath water

Is it going to be really bad for Kynan if he has the occasional gulp of bath water? Sometimes he turns his head in the bath and swallows a bit, and he likes to hold the face washer and he'll stuff it into his mouth before I can stop him. I don't want him to get sick from it and everything's supposed to be sterilised at this age isn't it?

I don't think it will do him any harm. Kimberley has always liked drinking bath water. Kimberley also likes to suck on the face cloth even when she was a baby. Don't forget they are putting there hands, toys and clothes into there mouths now.

Im pretty sure it should be fine. Ryley always accidentally gets a gulp or did get a gulp here and there :)

Matilda was sucking on her washer at that age as well...

"everything's supposed to be sterilised at this age isn't it?"

Heh, that made me smile and double-check that this is your first baby, because that is the only time that Mums are so careful about sterilising everything, you get a little more relaxed as the years go by. Yes, everything is 'supposed' to be sterilised at that age, according to the books, but babies DO have an immmune system, and by this age it will be working.

As Michelle said, they are already putting things in their mouths by now, you shouldn't notice any ill effects from a mouthful here or there. It's not as if you are feeding him riverwater, it is drinking quality water, so I wouldn't worry about it at all. Of course, I'm not suggesting that you should stop sterilising his bottles or anything, but you don't need to panic if the odd mouthful of dirt finds its way in at this age.

Kerrie

I agree with everyone else... I don't theres anything to worry about, I think most babies will do it. :)

Matthew is a great face cloth sucker and bath water drinker. Won't do them any harm.

Hasn't done my boys any harm ;) Even with green bubble bath in it :sick: Lachlan is a face washer sucker.

Love

I took Elijah to a paediatric gastroenterologist about his reflux when he was four months old and he said that at four months of age, it's okay to start introducing them to tap water. They have to start building their immunity and resistance to things - apparently in poorer countries, their bodies handle illness much better as they have better resistance from the exposure they already have... whereas in more sterile environments, if you keep people / babies in sterile environments, it makes it worse when they do get sick, as their digestive system tends to cop it worse, with intestinal infections etc. So I stopped sterilising from then, everything goes in the dishwasher which is very hot anyway. It's another reason I hate antibiotics, and only go for it if myself / kids are really not coping with pain relief.

Angel - Matthew often takes gulps of water, he has done for sometime now.

Kelly - That`s very interesting what your paediatric gastroenterologist said about water, as my MCHN shot me down in flames when I asked if Matthew could start having water as he has a few sips out of my glass, she told me that he doesn`t need water until he`s over 12 months and then it`s not necessary and it needs to be boiled cool water.

Take Care

Deeanne

Thanks everyone! :D

Dee - obviously you have to do what you are happy with, there is far too much conflicting advice is't there? Although what he told me was based on studies and I was comfortable taking his advice being reputable and living and breathing stomachs and everything digestive LOL. Of course he didn't mean tap water all the time, but starting to introduce it to them in small amounts.

We actually have a Brita filter and I used that most of the time but I did give him the odd bit of tap water. He gets sick less than Ris!

Wow Dee, that's interesting. I've never heard that before - that babies don't need water until they are over 12 months and that it has to be cooled boiled water.

Jacob started having water very early on......and it was cooled boiled water then, but by the time he was 8 - 9m old we stopped sterilising his bottles and the water and just gave him tap water (one of our taps has a filter on it anyway).....since our CHN told us that since he's crawling around and putting stuff in his mouth it's a bit pointless sterilising IYKWIM?

It's so tricky when you get such a wide variety of information on these kinds of subjects isn't it!!!

I agree Melinda it`s hard to know what to do when everyone seems to have a different opinion, I trust my instincts most of the time. I really didn`t see there was a worry in giving Matthew some sips of water it`s not as if I`m replacing BM with water just trying to get him used to the taste, we`re on tank water and have an undersink water filter so the water is pretty clean.