Any tips on getting baby to drink?

[MrsGirks]

Hi all

I have a 7 and a half month old who is weaning fantastically well she will eat anything I give her, except I cannot get her to drink! I have tried beakers, bottles, cups, slanted open beakers and milk, water, splash if apple juice everything and she is just not interested! She has always been an exclusively breastfed baby (though has always fed with a nipple shield as would never latch) she is now down to three feeds a day (morning, tea and bedtime) as has recently dropped her lunch time one. I worry she's going to long without fluid especially as she's getting ready for tea time to be dropped soon! She feeds well but never been overly obsessed with boob. She has plenty of wet nappies but we can't continue with the weaning until I can get her to up her fluids in the day as I really worry she will get dehydrated!

Any advice, tips anything would be great!!

[Blossomdeary]

Make ice lollies from fruit juice.

[FirstTimeMummy25]

My 8 month DS is the same will not take any fluid other than his milk and he's dropping that rapidly. I have no advise sorry but watching to see if anyone else has any ideas...

[smEGGtoplasm]

Perseverance got my dd to drink in the end. Took a long time though.

I stuck with a bottle (even though you're not supposed to) and gave her water with a splash of fruit juce every day. Kept trying over and over, eventually she relented qand realised she quite liked the taste.

She also likes ice lollies as suggested upthread.

[EsmesBees]

Also recommend perseverance. Mine was a water refuser til at least a year. I Spent a fortune on a whole variety of cups and beakers. I was on the verge of caving and mixing water with juice and suddenly one day she just started drinking it. I wouldn't worry too much to be honest, if she's still getting bmilk she will be getting water that way. It turns out mine likes to drink from a glass with a straw, as she wants to be like me, so you could try that?

[MrsMillions]

DD1 would take 1/2 sips at a time, never more. So I would just give her the cup every 3 mouthfuls or so whilst spoon feeding her meals, and eventually she got the hang of it. Also did "cheers" a lot to get her interested in the cup. DD2 by contrast is a total boozer, has guzzled water pretty much from the start of weaning, not interested in "cheers", suspect it's too much of a distraction from eating/drinking.

(Both BF at the time, bottle refusers, although subsequently switched to bottles fairly easily with some cold turkey on my part. )

[NoArtificialColours]

I second trying a straw. Worked with our DD.

[NannyR]

I also recommend trying a straw. Be consistent, just keep offering water with meals (personally I wouldn't get into the habit of flavouring it with splash of juice) and she will drink when she's thirsty. I've had more success with the really simple tommee tippee flip top breakers rather than the fancy no spill ones as with some of them you have to suck quite hard to get any drink out.

Also don't worry about dehydration, she will get a lot of fluid from her food, you could try giving her juicy things like watermelon or a fruit smoothie or smooth soup in a breaker as part of her meal. As long as she has plenty of wet nappies she is fine.

[MrsGirks]

Thanks so much for the suggestions and advice very much appreciated and has made me feel a lot better! Will try out a straw to help encourage and just keep going and she will hopefully get the hang of it

[tinymeteor]

My DD was just the same. Refused all beakers and cups. I think she was just not thirsty as she got her fluids from milk.This Nuk sippy cup was the one she finally took to. She now drinks water like a champ and isn't interested in juice or squash.

http://www.kiddicare.com/p/NUKFirsttChoiceFindinggDoryLearnerrCup150ml.htm?productt_id=791682&utmsource=pla&affiliate=KC-google-shopping&gclid=CP6Zkoo_ltACFa0K0wodKlIJ5A&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Diamondsandpears]

Straw or straw bottle. A tiny light open cup. Disposable cups/medicine cups are a good start. Some can use an open cup earlier than you'd expect.