9.5 mo DS won't drink water

[Sarah O]

Hey guys,

Wondering what your advice is...my DS won't drink water from a sippy cup and I'm not sure how to handle it.  I worry a bit because his sister drinks water happily at each meal and sometimes even between, and DS doesn't even have a sip.  He's still taking the recommended amount of formula for their age (about 26 oz) so does that mean I shouldn't worry about it?  I've tried just about every different kind of cup on the planet but basically if it's not his bottle he won't go near it.  I've considered offering juice but a) I'd rather not and b) since he won't go near anything but a bottle he'd never even know it was juice and not water, LOL!   It's bad to offer water in a bottle right?  I guess that's my question...which is more important...them learning to use a sippy cup or them getting water into them by no matter what 'means'?

Thanks!

Sarah

[tylersmommy]

If he isn't constipated or showing other signs of dehydration, it's not terribly important to get water into them. You can also offer him sips from an open topped plastic cup that you hold. Keep offering the sippy at meals and he'll figure it out when he's ready. When Tyler was that age, he just threw it around and occasionally chewed on it. He figured it out pretty quick once we took him off bottles later on down the line.

[Sarah O]

Thanks Melissa.  You mention constipation - he IS in fact terribly constipated.  Part of my brain was wondering if the lack of water might be the reason so I'm glad you mentioned it!  Does that change your advice for me?  I thought I'd resort to prune juice but if it's water he needs I'm a bit concerned.  Also I forgot to mention he's been waking up at night and whether it's related or not I don't know, but I give him a bit of water out of a bottle and he usually goes back to sleep after that. 

[*Natasha*]

Prune or Pear juice are both great for constipation perhaps dilute this with water and that way he is drinking both. Using a sippy cup can take a while for babies to master so just keep offering it to him, he will get the hang of it soon enough. I know it took my DD a while to get the hang of.

[Hsmum]

I had the same problem with my little guy. He only started drinking water 4 weeks ago (he's now 14 months). He started with the sports-type mineral water bottles and in a short space of time moved to drinking through a straw. As Melissa said, as you drop the bottles they soon get the idea.

[tylersmommy]

Yup, if he's constipated, upping his fluids in any way should help. In that case, in a bottle, cup, whatever...doesn't matter. For the longest time, Tyler would only drink from the sippy if I held him in my lap and gave it to him like a bottle. Of course, that changed when we ditched the bottles, but that's something else to try if you haven't already.

[Sarah O]

Just wanted to say "YAY!!!" DS is now taking a bit of water out of the soft-spout Nuby trainer cup.  Mostly he just chews it but when he does some water comes out and he gets excited!  Thought I'd share this teeny weeny success.

Sarah

[Mom to M&M]

Great with the Nuby!!! BTW, we've battled chronic constipation and the ONLY thing that has finally helped is a combination of upping DD's fiber intake (more fruit and veggies purees) and giving 3-4 ounces a day of fiber juice - http://www.fiberjuice.com. It's just regular juice with fiber and our new Ped recommended it last visit. DD is now having great BMs and so much more comfortable. I mix some of the juice with her morning oatmeal and give the rest in sippy throughout the day. She also gets water in a sippy.

[sophiems]

for as long as we have tried my lo has never taken more than a sip or two from any type of sippy cup.  I finally just give water with 1/3 to 1/4 juice in it in a regular small plastic childs cup, just hold it and let him gently kind of lap it up and he does great, will drink 2-3 oz that way.  I guess he just wanted the big boy stuff!