[melixxa]

We just started giving our baby water. He looooooves to drink it (either out of a plastic shot glass - at the table while eating table foods - or out of a bottle - he walks around the living room chugging it and squirting it on the rug).<br><br>
We were giving him water from the chilled front of the fridge (it's filtered, though not as much as water from a Brita water filter would be), but then our town left us a flyer saying the town water had failed certain quality tests, specifically for turbidity. This was sort of the final straw. Not that our water seemed or was rumored to be bad before - just that we worried it wasn't good enough for our baby, who otherwise gets only BM and everything organic/all-natural/homemade.<br><br>
So. My question is: If you give your baby water, what kind do you give him/her? Filtered tap water? Bottled? Distilled? What?<br><br>
I'm also curious how much water babies of a similar age - eating 'solids' 1x or 2x a day - are drinking? When did you start giving your baby water? (We only started when he started eating table foods, at about 7.5-8 months.) Do you try to see that s/he drinks a certain amount in the hot months? Or do you not worry about it because you know that BM is covering all his thirst needs? Just curious....

 

[stafl]

I don't really worry about it too much. Our entire family (except the littlest one) drinks filtered tap water. My oldest DD started drinking water in a sippy cup at around nine months when she started eating solids. Mostly, I just let her have a cup of water all day long, so she could have some whenever she wanted it, but she didn't drink but maybe a few ounces each day all total until she got much older.

 

[AnditheBee]

We have a reverse osmosis filter on our tap, so that's what we all drink. And yeah, right now Casey only drinks 2-4 ounces in a whole day, though when the weather's hotter she might double that. If she's sweating I definitely try to give her more water. BM is great in many ways, but sometimes she just needs fluids without the calories and other stuff, you know?<br><br>
edited to add: We also give her water during her solid-food meals, so what I meant is that she drinks 2-4 oz. of *supplemental* water throughout the day, not counting meals!

 

[hazeldust]

we buy reverse osmosis water from our local coop. it filters out like 99 percent of the crap in the water including flouride.

 

[lilysmom]

we all drink distilled water, because it is water in its purest form. I have given this to my dd since she started drinking water at about 10 months.She is now 2.5 and drinks about 10-12oz. a day. My little guy still only gets BM, but I will offer this to him when he starts solids.

 

[ma_Donna]

Turbidity isn't anything unhealthy - just aesthetic. It has to do with the clarity of the water from suspended particles. The kind of thing a filter would take right out.<br><br>
We're on a city water supply and drink right from the tap.<br><br>
An activated carbon filter (like the brita pitchers) are very popular these days and although not necessary almost everywhere, do provide some peace of mind.<br><br>
HTH <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/wave.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="wave">