Q: I am bottle feeding my son with breast milk. When my mother-in-law watches him, she gives him about 5 ounces of water in about five hours. He is 9 weeks old. Is that OK, or should I tell her to stop?
A: Assuming your mother-in-law has plenty of your pumped milk on hand, then that’s all your baby needs. Breast milk has lots of water in it – as well as all those important nutrients and disease-fighters. A 9-week-old infant is growing by leaps and bounds and has no reason to “count calories” or restrict his caloric intake in any way. By feeding him those 5 ounces of water, he is filling up on nothing, such that he may not take as much of your good milk. If he takes less of your milk, then it may affect how much milk you produce.
Mother Nature made sure that breast milk would have everything a developing infant needs!
By Melissa Clark Vickers
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Moms & Babies Huntingdon, Tenn.
