How to get LO to drink more

[momma.bear]

My 20 month old DS drinks almost nothing in a day. It's slowly gone downhill... he used to drink an 8 oz. sippy of milk and probably about the same amount of water. Lately he's been drinking maybe 2-3 oz. of milk and maybe 4 oz. of water. I just don't know how to get this boy to drink. I've given him a beaker, which he'll drink a LITTLE more with, but he wants to take it everywhere, and I've made a rule that it has to stay at the table, so that's not helping matters (he spills water constantly if he's not sitting). I've tried giving him a sippy cup in the stroller, a sippy in the car, a sippy cup while reading stories, watching t.v.... you name it, nothing works. Just worried that he's not getting the fluid he needs and would love some suggestions.
*I have offered diluted juice which makes him drink a tiny bit more, but I really don't want to get in the habit of only offering juice or that's all he'll want. I've also tried smoothies, which used to be a big hit, but aren't anymore.

[Mom-of-boys]

Sounds like you're doing everything I would do too.  Sometimes with my DS, if I have a drink or keep talking about how thirsty I am, he suddenly thinks he's thirsty too. . Also, have you tried maybe a different kind of cup?  When my DS first learned to drink out of a regular cup with a straw, he thought it was amazing and drank and drank drank!  He did need help at first to hold it without spilling, but that also helped get more liquids in than having to suck here on a sippy cup.

[Mama2Athena]

Have you tried a straw cup?  I have found that my DD will drink a lot more if her drink is served in a straw cup.  She does make a big mess with an open straw cup so we limit those to the table.  I recently found a "sealed" straw cup made by First Years that is *almost* spill proof.  It is basically a straw cup with a valve at the opening, so unless the straw is actively being squeezed or sucked on, the liquid doesn't leak out.

[lolsyb1982]

We too use a straw cup and DD drinks double the amount she would in a sippy.

Not sure where in the world you are but in the UK we have a brand called Nuby and they do fantastic sealed straw cups 

[creations]

have you tried maybe a different kind of cup?

This had a huge effect ere - in fact my DS guzzled so fast and so much from a new cup that he would vomit almost immediately afterwards  I soon learned that I has to keep cups very boring looking so he only took what he needed and not because it was an attractive cup.
I agree with pps about straws too, mine would drink lots of milk with a straw and not much at all from a sippy cup.

Does he have lots of fruit or stews or soups? Just thinking perhaps he is getting enough fluid in his food so he doesn't need so much to drink? (still having 6 wet nappies per day?). Although I would try to make sure he had at least one decent drink of milk per day if possible.

[momma.bear]

He has only ever had straw cups. Some have an easier flow then others, but it doesn't seem to matter. The cup that's most difficult to drink from he will drink no problem from if there's diluted juice. I think he just has no interest in water or milk. He's definitely a sweet tooth.
He doesn't eat stews/soups, but he does have fruit every day. Not a whole lot, and banana is one of his daily fruits which doesn't really have much fluid. He doesn't have 6 wet nappies a day. I only change him when he has a BM or if he wakes up in the morning and doesn't do a BM, I'll change him within an hour of waking up. Other than that, he usually has a BM around noon, at which point I change him, and then I'll change him again before bed. I'd say he has three wet diapers a day.

[jessmum46]

Hi momma.bear, DD is not a big drinker but has run into issues with constipation so we've had to be creative about getting fluids into her.  Some ideas I've had and tried are
- different cups
- straws (big hit here, as long as they're pink!)
- always having water available wherever and whenever LO is - either use a spill-proof cup or just mop up if there are spills as water doesn't cause much of an issue
- dilute sugar-free juice or squash (personal view but I see this as the lesser of two evils when compared with not drinking at all and all the issues that causes us)
- if you're less keen on 'artificial' juices, try squeezing an orange or similar into a cup of water
- fill empty bought juice bottles (things like fruit shoot) with a drink you're happy for LO to have - DD will down very dilute squash in seconds out of one of those!
- maximise 'wet' foods - so extra milk on cereal, extra sauces (what kind of foods does he eat most?  Perhaps we could suggest some ways of making them 'wetter')
- sugar free jelly
- ice pops (homemade with juice/water)
- turn a drink into a race - can you finish it before I count to ten?  DD loves playing this with DH and will now often request that he counts to ten!
- offer slightly salted/savoury snacks with a drink to stimulate thirst (obviously within a sensible balanced diet)

Hoping some or any of that helps!

[creations]

I'd say he has three wet diapers a day.

Sounds like they are very absorbent and perhaps not showing how many times he wees.

[momma.bear]

Jessmum- thanks for the ideas. I tried just a straw and cup today. He enjoyed it for a minute but then wanted to take the straw out and just chew on it The foods he eats most of are probably pancakes/waffles, oatmeal (he gets this several times a week because I can add lots of milk), bread, and pasta.
Today I changed him around 7am, and then his diaper wasn't totally full until 5:30pm because of a BM. They are definitely absorbent diapers, but it shows that he isn't drinking a whole lot.

[creations]

Have you roughly measured how much milk you add to the oatmeal?  It could be he is getting a decent amount of milk each day from that rather than from milk as a drink.

Does he not like any fruit other than bananas?  See my DS didn't drink much water (unless the fancy cup then he vommed it all back out) but had lots of 'wet' fruits.

[jessmum46]

That's quite a lot of carbs you've mentioned, what does he eat with them e.g. meat, veggies, sauces?  What might be a typical day's menu for him?  Was just thinking if you've a good idea of the tastes he likes there are lots of creative ways to improve liquid content if he's not keen on drinking. 

So just thinking off the top of my head - making his oatmeal with plenty of milk and maybe some puréed pear/apple stirred through, snack time bread/crackers with some kind of veg-based 'wet' dip (DD enjoys the novelty of this and will often try new things this way), tomato/veg based pasta sauce or a minestrone/noodle soup type dish - if he likes pasta then this could be a different way to serve it?  Pancakes/waffles with a fruity sauce or a milk-based sauce like custard?