The most important questions here are what color is the urine and what
kinds of solids does the baby eat? If he's eating purees, they have lots
of water in them. If he's eating finger foods, he might need a little
more fluid in his life. I usually advise moms to introduce sips of water
from a cup around the same time they offer solids (and I like
self-feeding like Gill Rapley recommends, it prevents overfeeding and
replacing too much human milk with lower quality foods).

So, if the urine is dark or has a strong odor, she can offer a little
water. Babies are usually most eager to try water if mom regularly
drinks it, and will usually try it from her glass more happily than from
their own at first. If the urine is pale and still smells like it did
when the baby was exclusively bf, the baby is probably getting
sufficient fluids.

Catherine Watson Genna, BS, IBCLC   NYC

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