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Start Healthy, Stay Healthy Nutrition Guide

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Breastfeeding Guidance

Question

Will my baby need water or formula in addition to my breastmilk?

Answer

It's not necessary to supplement breastmilk with water or formula unless your doctor tells you there's a medical reason to do so. If your baby is in the nursery at the hospital, insist that she not receive any water, formula, or sugar (glucose) water but be brought to you instead to breastfeed. This ensures that your little one's primary source of nutrition is breastmilk.

You may want to consider holding off on using pacifiers until after your milk supply is well established. (This may take two to four weeks.) Your milk supply increases to match the level of your baby's sucking, so make sure all the sucking is done at your breast.

In your baby's first months, water, juice, and other foods aren’t necessary. Your baby will get all the nutrition she needs from your breastmilk. And even as you introduce solid foods, breastmilk or iron-fortified infant formula should still be the primary sources of nutrition for your baby’s first year.

MEET OUR EXPERTS

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Meet Our Experts

The START HEALTHY, STAY HEALTHY™ Resource Center panel of experts offers practical advice, answering many questions typically asked by parents and expecting parents.

Lillian M. Beard, M.D. Pediatric Health

Lillian M. Beard, M.D., is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and an associate clinical professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She is a frequent guest expert and spokesperson on national TV programs, discussing issues related to children's health. Dr. Beard practices pediatrics in the Washington, D.C., area.

José M. Saavedra, M.D., FAAP Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition

José M. Saavedra, M.D., a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, is a pediatric gastroenterologist with long-term experience and expertise in nutrition. Medical and Scientific Director of Nestlé Nutrition North America, Dr. Saavedra is board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, the Sub-board of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, and the American Board of Nutrition. He is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins-Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Roy M. Pitkin, M.D. Prenatal Health

Roy M. Pitkin, M.D. is professor of obstetrics and gynecology and is former chairperson of the ob/gyn department at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), School of Medicine. He is a frequent advisor to national health agencies concerned with women's health issues and has received numerous international honors for this work.

Robert N. Hamburger, M.D. Food Intolerances

Robert N. Hamburger, M.D. is professor of pediatrics emeritus and former head of the pediatric immunology and allergy division at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) in La Jolla, California. Professor Hamburger is a consultant and continues as an educator and clinician in the UCSD Free Clinics in San Diego and Tijuana, Baja California.

Breastfeeding and your baby’s demands for more milk Your baby’s palate