Any advice on how to get 8 month old to drink water?

[alexanderpanda]

Hi all

I am new on here but thought I would pick your brains for any help to get alexander (8 months) to drink water. His routine is follows:

6.45 wake up and bottle
8      breakfast solids
9      45 min nap
10.30 bottle
12     lunch solids
12.30 1 hour nap
2.30   bottle
5       dinner solids
6.30   bottle

he is drinking about 20 oz of milk in his four feeds but i am wondering whether i should be looking to cut a feed out and which one this should be or whether he will do it on his own in time. He also refuses water - even though I have been trying since he was 4 months! Also is it best to start with the water in a trainer teat or bottle? At present he has a trainer cup with his solids but shows no interest.

Thanks guys

Anna and Alexander

[Lªuren]

Hi Anna

DS is 8 months as well, like you I have been offering him water since he was 4 months and able to hold a sippy.

Initially he would spit it back out again, but since I have started mixing it with a little baby dilute juice he will take it. Recently he even took plain water from his sippy.

I have give him water or juice in his sippy only he holds the cup himself and takes what he wants during and after meals i.e lunch and dinner.

The key is perserverance. 

If you are looking to cut to 3 bottles, usually your LO will instigate this by fussing with the 10.30 bottle - when that happens your bottle feeding times could be; 0645/13.30 /18.30

HTH's

[wes' mom]

Hi!  You may already be doing this, but make sure the water isn't cold.  Everytime I give my son water and it's not room temperature or a little warm, he spits it out.

[* Paula *]

I too did what Callum's mum did - DS took to baby juice well, and also started mixing water with his juice, now DS loves both juice and water.

Good luck

[Jenny_Jen]

My Dr told me to add a little bit of sugar to it once a day, which works great, he loves it - 1 teaspoon sugar to 4 oz water.  I only do it though at this point when he is straining for poops which isn't very often.

[Mrs. Gravy]

At 8 months old, a baby's main source of nutrition should be breast milk (or formula).  Why would you want to cut out a feeding?  At this age, it's so much more important to be getting breast milk or formula than solids (or water).

Personally, I wouldn't offer juice.  It is full of sugar and is pretty much empty calories.  Why not give a piece of fruit instead, and get all the fibre and other nutrients instead? 

I offer my son sips of water in a sippy cup when he's eating solids.  He probably drinks less than an ounce a day and he's almost 10 months old.

[Lªuren]

Once they have started on solid foods, their need for water increases and you can offer 2 to 4 ounces at each meal
http://pregnancyandbaby.com


To be on the safe side, always ask your doctor's advice. If your baby is eating some solid foods, or your doctor specifically recommends extra water, offer your baby 1 or 2 oz. of water at each meal (2-3 times per day). Four ounces of water provides about 10% of your baby's total daily fluid needs, so 2 oz. twice a day may be all your baby needs.
http://www.beechnut.com

[Jyates]

I offer dd water in between mouthfuls of food and I found she drinks it better like this as it helps wash down the food.

[mena]

Maybe this is not the best option, but I put a tiny bit of sugar in my DS'water and he drinks it no prob. What I do is put less sugar every time... Alternatively I give him VERY well diluted baby juice. Apple is his favourite, tried carrot juice and he just spitted it out 

As the others said, don't give up.