Sugar free drinks

[muddlingthroughmotherhood]

I've nc as this will out me in rl as I've spiked to friends about this.

I've been concerned about my dd having juice everyday as she has to have a medicine which is a powder mixed with water but it tastes like salt water so when first prescribed the dr advised mixing 20-30 ml of pure juice with it, it can take my dd all morning to sip the drink (70ml in total). When at the GP for a check I mentioned how I give it to her and the gp was horrified about the juice everyday and the damage it will cause her teeth. Today at the dentist I asked and the dentist said to stop pure juice (even if watered down) straight away and use a sugar free squash.

I've never used sugar free squash as I'm weary of the artificial sweeteners being bad, I've just googled 'aspartame' and really don't want to give it to my dd.

Does anyone know of any squashes with minimal sweetener, or better sweeteners which haven't been linked to all kinds of health problems?

TIA

[VA1983]

I could of written this post. It's so confusing isn't it. My daughter takes movicol. I used to mix it in diluted juice but the dentist advised me to change to sugar free squash. I use Sainsbury no added sugar squash sweetened with sucralose. Not ideal though in my opinion. It seems what is good for the body is not good for the teeth! It's so confusing what to do for the best! All my friends give their children no added sugar squash including one who is a dentist and my sister who drank lots of undiluted apple juice as a child has holes in her teeth (she thinks because of the apple juice) so that is what I have based my decision on. Whether it is the right decision is another thing!

[muddlingthroughmotherhood]

Thank you so much for your reply
We do our weekly shop at sainsburys so will look at their own brand cordial.

Movicol is what my dd is on too. She's had trouble since her first week of solids, we did BLW and I didn't think she was even eating anything! She's almost 2 now, the dentist did her check up and said her teeth were fine, keep doing what we're doing etc. It was just my questioning him during my check up where he was in shock that any GP would advise fruit juice.

We don't have squash in the house, we just drink water or hot drinks. In a way I feel like I've ruined something for her as she's reluctant to drink water and is always asking for juice. You're right, what's good for their health isn't good for their teeth. I just wish that I could find a way to stop the Movicol, diet change doesn't do anything, she loves prunes & pears, we eat home cooked food etc.

[SlinkyB]

What about weak high juice? Again, don't think the Sainsbury's one has aspartame in it?

[muddlingthroughmotherhood]

Milk didn't even occur to me! I feel a bit silly for not thinking of that. When it was initially prescribed my dd wouldn't take a bottle or sippy cup as she had been breastfed. She's still breastfed but does have cows milk from a cup when I'm at work.

I think I'll try milk tomorrow

[muddlingthroughmotherhood]

Thank you slinkyb, think I'll be taking a trip to sainsburys tomorrow incase the milk idea doesn't work out

[VA1983]

Just a warning with the high juice, it has alot of sugar in it. It might be worse than the fruit juice? We used it for a while but my dentist friend was horrified when I offered her ds some she said it's like giving a child water with about 8 teaspoons of sugar mixed in I felt quite bad as my dd had been drinking about 6 beakers of it a day at one point

[austenozzy]

Aspartame is safe, get better info!

[austenozzy]

www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/the-truth-about-aspartame.aspx

www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/aspartame-truth-vs-fiction/

[SlinkyB]

Ah, sorry, was hoping high juice may have been slightly better. Maybe not

How old is your dd OP?

I'm forever having the sugar = natural = better BUT is bad for teeth Vs sweetener = chemicals = bad BUT better for teeth debate in my head too! My kids are 2 and 5 now and I've settled on "everything in moderation", so they're allowed Robinsons squash sometimes, and they're allowed Crusha milkshakes sometimes, and they have sugar other times etc As long as milk and water are the two main drinks, I'm sure she'll be fine

[SlinkyB]

Sorry just realised you have already said your dd is almost 2!

[Kanga59]

Nothing wrong with aspartame according to my sons dietitian at great ormond street. Hydro's are great - sugar free and quite strong tasting. Also the supermarket own brand cheap options tend to be very low sugar.

What about buying a sugar free chocolate or strawberry sauce like Waldons (look on Amazon). I hide one of my sons meds in the strawberry one.

[FormerlyCatherineDeB]

I used to mix movicol with alpro dark chocolate milk or oatily chocolate milk.

Both fortified and as DD couldn't have dairy I was happy enough with it.

Tough though getting daily horrible medicines in children.

[ArtyFartyQueen]

I'm afraid milk is not a great option for movicol as dairy makes the constipation worse so I've been told to avoid that. I generally give DS (who also has movicol) watered down juice with a straw which is better for teeth and he drinks it quicker or high juice which normally doesn't have aspartame in it.

[shewolfmum]

Isn't aspatame banned in some countries? I would question it's safety.

[Kanga59]

No. You are scaremongering. And it's uninformed comments like that, that start the rumours and create problems. Care to back-up your futile comment?

[AndNowItsSeven]

Sugar isn't evil, just have your dd use a straw.

[RockinHippy]

As above, - use a straw - it gets the juice away from the teeth & straight down the throat - our Dentist suggested this & we've had to use Movicol this way too.

& I disagree that aspartame is safe, I don't care what the "reports" say. It is a chemical that isn't meant as food & a lot of people react badly to it, myself included - why do you think Diabetic sweets/squashes etc always come with a warning about eating/drinking in small amounts.

If my DD accidentally eats so much as a small piece of something containing it she will be very, very ill with severe D& & probably V for a couple of days at least, it has even put her in hospital when she was tiny

Sugar is fine in moderation, just use the straw

[insancerre]

Have you tried it just in water?
My friends little boy is on 8 sachets a day and he takes it in water, 2 sachets at a time

[muddlingthroughmotherhood]

Thanks for all of the replies

I've decided to try the straw thing this morning, depending on how it goes I may be trying/seriously looking into all of your suggestions

[muddlingthroughmotherhood]

Insancerre I've just noticed your question. I haven't tried it in water for a while, I have in the past but she refused to drink it so didn't try again. Maybe I've ruined things by using juice as now getting water down her can be difficult unless she's drinking from my Brita filter bottle.

[insancerre]

Get her her own water bottle and put it in that?

[shewolfmum]

Whoa kanga can you not see a question mark when there is one. Question mark means question durrr. Was asking...does anyone know.

[muddlingthroughmotherhood]

Shewolfmum I thought it was banned in some countries too, that's what made me google it, I was convinced that it was banned in America but from what I read it isn't but Pepsi removed it from their cola over there but not in any other country I believe.

I bought some Sainsburys no added sugar cordial (no aspartame) and my dd drank a whole (very weak) beaker of it and then developed a tummy ache and temperature! I'm sure that it's just coincidence but it still makes me wonder. I made her Movicol up in it this morning, under 5ml of cordial to 70ml water, she's loving it so fingers crossed it isn't making her ill. Think I'll go even weaker tomorrow and see how far I can push it before she won't drink it.

I think the key for my dd to stop taking Movicol is for her to drink more, other than breast milk it's been a real struggle to get fluids down her and I think that this is behind her constipation. When I said that she drinks out of my Brita filter I mean a few sucks, no decent amount unfortunately

Thanks for all of the suggestions on this thread