Table of Contents
Can babies drink distilled water? More importantly, can you drink distilled water while pregnant? You see the moment you discover you’re pregnant, doing everything you can to keep your baby as safe and healthy as possible quickly becomes your primary concern.
You suddenly become hyper-aware of all the different dangers and potential hazards that could have some sort of a negative impact on your child that you never even considered before. One of these potential dangers will certainly be your water. There are a bunch of different types of water out there, such as distilled water, and believe it or not, some of them might not be the best thing for a young baby to drink.
Distilled water is one type of purified water simply because it is the most pure form of H2O that you can find. This water has gone through a process of vaporization and then condensation where it was once again turned into a liquid form.
On the one hand, this removes all the potentially harmful chemicals and pollutants that may have been in the water previously, but it also removes all the minerals such as calcium and magnesium that natural water contains. This means that it’s incredibly safe to drink and will certainly hydrate you, but that’s about all you’ll get from this particular type of water.
Can Babies Drink Distilled Water?
The standard thought is that water is the basis of all life and so it’s naturally good for you. However, this isn’t actually the case with young babies under the age of six months. This is mainly due to the size of the stomach of your infant.
Young babies have a particularly small stomach and giving them water that has absolutely no nutritional value rather than breast milk or formula can quickly fill them up while robbing them of the minerals and elements that they need for proper growth.
This is especially true of distilled water which contains nothing other than pure water itself. Even the electrolytes have been removed which can be a serious problem for young babies. A lack of electrolytes has been proven to lead to a number of different issues including irritability, seizures, and brain swelling among others.
It’s important to remember that at this age, the best thing for your child will be breast milk or formula that’s been specifically designed to match your child’s needs.
If you are using formula, have your tap water tested to see whether or not it’s safe for your child. If it contains more than the recommended levels of substances such as fluoride, then mixing your formula with distilled water will be a safe option, but giving it on its own is not recommended at all for children under six months.
However, after 6 months of age, beginning to introduce your child to pure water around the same time that they’re introduced to solid foods is completely acceptable and even recommended, and distilled water is a great option because you know that all the harmful pollutants have been completely removed.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that you don’t want to overdo it with their water consumption. Babies can quickly be put at risk for issues such as water intoxication or water poisoning which is when too much water is taken in resulting in a loss of sodium and a lowering of electrolyte levels.
Can You Drink Distilled Water While Pregnant?
Distilled water has been considered a safe option for pregnant women for years simply because it ensures that all pollutants and harmful materials have been completely removed from the water itself. This means that you’re giving yourself and your baby the purest form of refreshment, which can be great, especially if you live in an area where the tap water is considered unsafe to drink.
However, there are a wide range of other factors that you may need to keep in mind when considering using this as your primary water source. First of all, as previously stated, this type of water contains absolutely nothing in terms of minerals or other elements, and these materials are extremely important for both you and your growing baby during pregnancy.
If these elements aren’t being absorbed by you through your water or other forms of nutritional intake, then your body will pull them from other areas and its primary source will be your teeth. Around the world, women who are pregnant can find themselves suffering from tooth decay simply because they aren’t receiving the nutrients they need to help the pregnancy along.
However, this doesn’t mean that this water is unsafe for pregnant women to drink, because it is. In fact, it can be one of the safest waters out there. However, you will need to keep in mind that maintaining a stable and healthy diet where you’re able to compensate for the lack of minerals in your water will be essential. This means that you’ll need to make sure you’re getting all the fruits and vegetables you can at this time.
If purchasing fresh fruits and veggies isn’t an option for you, then make sure you supplement with the necessary vitamins as well. Distilled water won’t hurt you or your baby, but it won’t do much else for your health in terms of the positive either.
What Are Some Other Options?
With so many different water options out there, you may be wondering what alternatives you can choose while you’re pregnant. Drinking tap water has always been considered one of the safest and best water options out there simply because it is readily available and affordable for all families.
However, once you become pregnant it will be incredibly important that you have your water tested to make sure that it doesn’t contain any harmful pollutants which could put you and your baby at risk. If you’re concerned about any element levels, you could always add a filtration system to your home to remove those pollutants quickly.
Another safe option that many pregnant women turn to is mineral water. This water is considered safe for women who are expecting because it’s a drink option that doesn’t contain sugar, preservatives, or colorants. However, that doesn’t mean it should completely replace your standard water intake. Mineral water has a much higher amount of sodium which could make you feel much more bloated than normal.
There’s no doubt that pregnant women have to worry about each and every thing that they put in their bodies. However, water probably wasn’t one of the main concerns you thought you’d have to worry about. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for many women.
Trying to figure out which water is best for you and your child will really depend on what options you have available to you and what your circumstances are. Distilled water is certainly a safe option for women and parents to turn to.
However, the lack of essential elements and minerals will mean that you have to supplement for these in other ways. Water is necessary for life, just make sure that you’re drinking the right amounts and really any type of clean water is perfectly acceptable for both you and your baby.