Baby is hot and you're wondering what to give him in humid weather?
Here are some 100% hydrating solutions to help your little one regulate their body temperature under a hot sun.
Before 6 months:
Breast milk (or infant formula) on demand
Before introducing solid foods, it's not recommended to offer water to your baby. Simply offer the breast more often if breastfed: breast milk adjusts to the outside temperature and will be richer in water on hot days. If, on the other hand, your baby is formula-fed, offer it more frequently. It's perfectly normal, for example, for a baby who feeds every three hours to start feeding every hour when it's very hot.
After 6 months:
Water in small doses…
At mealtimes, you can offer small amounts of water to your baby in a bottle or a cup (with a sippy cup or a 360° cup). However, until the age of one, breast milk should be prioritized to promote hydration and meet your baby's needs.
Vegetables, fruits and purees…
Consider offering vegetable or fruit purees that already contain water. If your baby tolerates textured foods well, you can serve watermelon (remove the seeds) or large wedges of fresh tomato. These refreshing foods are full of water! Once your baby has several teeth and is able to chew properly, you can also offer cucumber, a vegetable rich in water.
Iced sips for the older ones
From the earliest stages of infancy, you can, of course, have fun making original popsicles. In a container used for making homemade popsicles, add pieces of fruit, fresh mint leaves, a little juice or milk, vanilla extract, etc. Top it off with water, freeze, and enjoy! There are also popsicle molds perfect for little baby hands, like those from the Munchkin brand. You can, for example, freeze breast milk flavored with a few drops of vanilla or ground cinnamon in them.
Finally, during heat waves, the following advice should be added to all these recommendations: keep baby in the shade, do not bundle them up too much in blankets, cool them down with regular lukewarm baths, and be on the lookout for signs of dehydration:
- Dark, scanty urine
- Dry skin
- Hollow eyes
- Difficulty breathing
- Vomiting or diarrhea