Hydration: Water, Milk, and Juice for Babies

What your baby should drink from birth through 12 months, and when to offer water, milk, or nothing extra at all.

For most babies, breast milk or infant formula provides all the fluid they need during the first 6 months. In that early stage, extra water is usually not needed and can, in some situations, be harmful if it replaces enough breast milk or formula. Once solids begin, small sips of water can help your baby learn to drink from a cup and can support mealtime routines.

What your baby drinks changes over the first year. The big goals are simple: keep milk feeds as the main source of nutrition in the first months, add water in small amounts when solids begin, avoid juice before 12 months, and wait to offer cow’s milk as a main drink until after the first birthday.

Birth to 6 months: breast milk or formula is enough

During the first 6 months, healthy babies usually do not need extra water. Breast milk and infant formula already contain the fluid your baby needs, even in warm weather. If you are breastfeeding, feeding on demand usually helps your baby stay well hydrated.

Offer breast milk or formula as your baby’s only regular drink unless your pediatrician tells you otherwise.

If your baby seems thirsty, feed them rather than giving water.

For babies under 6 months, water can be risky if it replaces milk feeds or is given in large amounts.

Tip

If you are worried that your baby is not getting enough to drink, look first at wet diapers, feeding behavior, and weight gain rather than assuming they need water. A pediatrician can help you decide whether feeding concerns are due to intake, illness, or something else.

When to offer water: usually after solids begin, around 6 months

Once your baby starts eating solid foods, you can begin offering small amounts of water with meals. The goal at this stage is not to replace milk feeds. Instead, water helps your baby practice sipping and keeps mealtimes comfortable, especially as solids become a bigger part of the day.

Offer a few sips of water in an open cup or straw cup with meals.

Use water mainly to complement solids, not to fill your baby up.

If your baby is still mostly breastfed or formula-fed, milk remains the main source of hydration and nutrition.

Important

Do not force your baby to finish water, and do not give large volumes of water in place of breast milk or formula. Too much water can lower your baby’s intake of needed calories and nutrients, and in young infants it can be dangerous.

How much water is enough in the 6–12 month period?

There is no exact water target for every baby in the second half of the first year. A small amount with meals is usually enough for practice and comfort. Your baby’s milk feeds should still make up most of their fluid intake until age 12 months.

Start with small sips at meals rather than frequent bottles or cups of water throughout the day.

Increase water a little during meals if your baby is eating more solids, especially if the food seems dry.

If your baby is ill, has fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, ask your pediatrician for feeding advice instead of guessing about fluids.

Tip

A good rule: offer water with meals, not as a separate “drink break” to replace milk feeds. For many babies, a few sips at each meal is enough.

Juice: best avoided before 12 months

Fruit juice is not recommended for babies under 12 months. Juice is not necessary for hydration, and it can crowd out breast milk, formula, or nutritious foods. Whole fruit is a better choice once your baby is developmentally ready for solids because it gives fiber and helps build healthy eating habits.

Do not offer juice to babies younger than 12 months, even diluted juice.

If older infants and toddlers drink juice later on, it should be limited and offered in a cup rather than a bottle.

Choose water instead of juice when your baby needs a drink with a meal.

Cow’s milk: not as a main drink before 12 months

Cow’s milk should not be used as a main drink before 12 months of age. Before that time, breast milk or infant formula is the right milk for your baby’s needs. Cow’s milk does not have the right balance of nutrients for young infants and can contribute to iron problems if it replaces infant milk too early.

Use breast milk or infant formula as the main milk for the whole first year.

Small amounts of cow’s milk may appear in foods or recipes, but it should not replace infant milk as a drink before 12 months.

After 12 months, many children can switch to cow’s milk if that fits their diet and your pediatrician agrees.

Important

If your baby is under 12 months, do not make cow’s milk the main drink. If you are considering switching early because of cost, constipation, or formula concerns, talk with your pediatrician first.

What to use in bottles, cups, and bedtime routines

Water should not become a substitute for a feeding routine in the early months. If your baby still takes bottles, keep using breast milk or formula in the bottle until your pediatrician says it is time to transition. As solids increase, practice water in a cup so your baby learns a different drinking skill from bottle feeding.

Offer water in a cup with meals to build cup skills.

Keep bottles for breast milk or formula, not for juice or water.

Avoid putting a baby to bed with a bottle of anything except breast milk or formula as directed by your pediatrician; this can create feeding and dental problems later.

Tip

If your baby is learning to use a cup, expect spills. Short practice sessions are more helpful than trying to get them to drink a large amount.

Situations where hydration needs a closer look

Some babies need individualized advice about fluids. This is especially true if your baby was born prematurely, has a medical condition, is vomiting, has diarrhea, or is not gaining weight well. Babies can also need different feeding guidance in hot weather, but extra water is still not a routine answer in the first 6 months.

Call your pediatrician if your baby is hard to wake, feeding poorly, or has fewer wet diapers than usual.

Ask for advice if your baby has ongoing constipation and you are considering changing fluids.

Check with your pediatrician before offering any herbal teas, electrolyte drinks, or homemade solutions.

When to call your pediatrician

Call your pediatrician if your baby is under 6 months and you are thinking about giving water, if your baby under 12 months is drinking cow’s milk as a main beverage, or if anyone recommends juice for a baby younger than 12 months. Also call if your baby has signs of dehydration, feeding refusal, vomiting, diarrhea, poor weight gain, or a medical condition that may change fluid needs.