give juice or not?

[gavinsmum]

Our DS is 6 months and the doctor said that he is ready for juice should we decide to give it.  I don't really see the value - seems like empty calories since all DS eats is fruits and veggies anyway.  If I need to give juice for constipation I think I'd rather mix his cereal with it.  DH and I drink mostly water, sometimes juice with breakfast (but I'm thinking of cutting that out for myself too - don't need the calories).  I think I'd rather have DS drink water when thirsty.  Can anyone tell me if there are reasons we should introduce juice???

[tylersmommy]

I never could come up with any reasons to introduce juice, so I didn't. I'd mix juice with Tyler's cereal if he was constipated when he was younger but he never drank it. He's 2 now, and we started letting him drink diluted OJ with breakfast on occasion to help with constipation a couple weeks ago. Other than that, he only drinks milk or water.

[notenoughshelfspace]

Do not really see the point either; my little one is a water/ milk drinker. I do occasionally give her special baby teas which help with teething etc... buy honestly she likes the water better.

[*Natasha*]

Don't give juice either and don't really find a reason to. DD has milk or water with meals and is happy with this.

[kim&savannah]

Same as everyone else--we don't do juice, except very rarely--usually if she's sick and not eating as well.  And I know water doesn't taste very good when you have a sore throat anyway.

The first time dd had a juice box, she was in heaven!  Never tasted anything like that since the only times I'd given her juice it was diluted at least half and half.

~Kim

[Harvey and Theos Mam]

Harvey only drinks water and milk too.

He does sometimes have juice when visiting ppl but we always insist on it be watered down. But he does ask for water or milk if they bring him other drinks. He has gotten so used to only drinking these that he asks for them anyway.

Better for their teeth too i think.

[Shdef]

Yeah, I wanted to be one of those moms who never give juice 

In my opinion, juice is too sweet and attacks the teeth and once the baby gets used to it, they won't like water anymore, or unsweetened baby tea.

But DS doesn't BREATHE when I give him tea or water. He CHOKES on it. And because he is on solids he something other than milk. So I give him very diluted pear juice so he doesn't get constipated. Now he doesn't drink anything else but juice and milk 

[LaurensMama]

My LO is 10.5 months. Occasionally, I've tried to give her juice b/c the doc recommended it for constipation. Thankfully, my dd doesn't like it at all!

I don't see any real value in juice except as a laxative. It is just sugar water. In fact, my doc said that instead of juice for constipation, I could give a bottle of water with a tbsp of dark Karo syrup (unrefined sugar) - said that it was essentially the same thing. My dd didn't like that either. She is a milk/water baby.

[NikiB]

The only value I know of is to help with the absorption of iron but if you give vit c rich fruit like kiwi with a meal then there really is no need for juice....it just rots teeth and puts kids off water.

[Duckie]

My doc said there was very little value in juice and if ds (at the point when he could) wanted juice it would be better to eat the actual fruit with water to drink.

That said the home day care Andrew went to was baffled because she would offer him milk water or juice to drink with morning snack and whatever he didn't chose he could have with lunch or afternoon snack and he would always pick water or milk over juice.  He was a year old and she'd never met a kid who would drink water over juice!

[Ennypen]

Don't give juice either and don't really find a reason to. DD has milk or water with meals and is happy with this.

Same here but DS not DD!

[Sarah O]

Same here - just water or formula.