The short answer
Offer a few sips of plain water with solid-food meals. CDC and AAP describe about 4–8 fl oz (120–240 mL) daily for ages 6–12 months as guidance, not a target to force. Breast milk or infant formula remains the main drink through the first year.
In this guide · 11 sections
Keep in mind
- Offer a few sips of plain water with solid-food meals.
- No.
- Offer a little plain water when your baby is upright and securely supported for a solid-food meal.
- A baby who is still learning may bring the cup to their mouth and put it down again.
How much water can you offer each day?
There are no separate fixed water quotas for babies aged seven, eight and nine months. CDC guidance for 6–12 months is 4–8 fluid ounces (about 120–240 mL) of plain water a day; AAP parent information uses a similar range. This refers to additional water, not breast milk or formula, and it is not a requirement to reach a precise number.
If your baby takes only a few sips today, it is not a failed day. Interest in solids, milk feeds, weather and general wellbeing can all vary. The aim is to offer practice drinking and consider the whole feeding picture.
Does water replace breast milk or formula?
No. Water can help with thirst, but it does not provide the calories or nutrients in breast milk and infant formula. Breast milk or formula should remain your baby’s main drink throughout the first 12 months.
Offering large amounts of water instead of milk may reduce the nutrients your baby takes in. Never dilute formula with more water than the label instructs. Consider water together with the rest of your baby’s feeding, not on its own.
Do seven-, eight- and nine-month-olds have different routines?
At seven months your baby may only be beginning to explore small sips alongside an expanding range of solids. At eight months they may try handling a cup more often. At nine months water with meals may feel more familiar as meals become established. These are possibilities, not age-based quotas or milestones to pass.
One baby may drink a few sips while another spills most of the cup. Learning to use the cup is a skill in its own right.
When and how should you offer water?
Offer a little plain water when your baby is upright and securely supported for a solid-food meal. An open cup or a free-flow cup can help them learn to sip; a straw cup may also be an option as their skills develop.
Expect some water to end up on the bib. If your baby turns away, closes their lips or pushes the cup aside, there is no need to insist. Learning to drink from a cup and drinking a certain quantity are different goals.
What about hot weather, constipation or illness?
On hot days your baby may want milk feeds more frequently. You can still offer appropriate sips of water, but do not replace milk with large amounts of water. Heavy sweating, markedly reduced feeding or noticeably drier diapers warrant attention to your baby’s overall condition.
More water alone may not resolve constipation; stool consistency, the variety of solids and milk feeds also matter. Vomiting or diarrhea can cause loss of fluid and salts; ask a healthcare professional for advice rather than assuming plain water is enough.
Can you offer juice, tea or sweet drinks instead?
Fruit juice is not recommended before 12 months. You do not need sweetened water, herbal tea, fizzy drinks or flavored drinks to encourage your baby to drink. Plain water is the appropriate additional drink at this age.
Cow’s milk is also not suitable as the main drink before 12 months. Appropriate foods such as yogurt are different from offering a cup of cow’s milk as a main drink.
What if your baby does not want water?
A baby who is still learning may bring the cup to their mouth and put it down again. Offering an opportunity at mealtimes is a reasonable start. If feeding, wet diapers and alertness are normal, water left in the cup alone does not prove dehydration.
Seek medical advice for a marked decrease in wet diapers, a dry mouth, fewer tears or unusual lethargy. If your baby is difficult to wake or appears seriously unwell, get emergency help.
What can you do today?
Prepare a small clean cup for a meal. While your baby sits upright, offer a few sips of plain water and let them explore the cup. You do not need to refill it or insist they finish.
At the end of the day, consider milk feeds, solids, wet diapers and overall wellbeing rather than milliliters of water alone. Discuss specific feeding or growth concerns with your pediatrician.
When to seek support
Some signs need emergency help; other concerns can be discussed with your child’s healthcare team.
- Contact a healthcare professional promptly if wet diapers drop noticeably, the mouth becomes dry or your baby has fewer tears.
- Get urgent assessment if your baby is unusually lethargic, hard to wake or unable to take fluids.
- With vomiting or diarrhea and dehydration signs, do not simply increase water: seek medical help.
Sources used for this guide
- CDC — Foods and Drinks to Encourage
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — CDC – Fingers, Spoons, Forks, and Cups
- American Academy of Pediatrics / HealthyChildren.org — HealthyChildren – Recommended Drinks for Children Age 5 & Younger
- American Academy of Pediatrics / HealthyChildren.org — Choose Water for Healthy Hydration
English editorial review:
The English text and regional guidance have been checked editorially. This is not an individual clinical assessment.
Luluna provides general parenting information. It does not diagnose conditions or replace your child’s healthcare professional.
Explore more guides