One year old won't drink at all

[Oldmummy]

Our dd (13 months) has all but stopped drinking. She's teething (front top teeth) and initially went off milk from a bottle, but would take some from a cup. She's gradually gone off all fluids over the last week, and will only take tiny sips of juice a couple of times a day from a beaker. Otherwise, she cries whenever she sees a bottle or a cup. We're giving her as much sloppy and calcium-rich food as we can (she still eats like a horse), and she doesn't show any signs of dehydration, but she is drinking virtually nothing now (having been good from bottle and cup before) and we are getting a bit desperate. We are due to go to the south of France on our hols next week, and are worried that she won't be getting enough fluids in the heat. Anyone else had this problem and solved it, please?

[Jenie]

If she's still giving you lots of wet nappies and seems alert and well then I don't think that's much to worry about.

Have you tried giving her frozen oven chips before her bottle to numb the sore gums? It works with my ds.

[Oldmummy]

Jenie - thanks, I hadn't thought of oven chips! She's very alert (tiring us out) but we are worried that she's gone from drinking well over a pint a day to almost nothing. How long did the drinking problems go on with your ds?

[twiglett]

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[boyandgirl]

Someone (Dr Spock?) suggested that the suction of sucking can be too painful on teething gums. Is her 'cup' an anywayup type? You have to suck really hard on those. Try an ordingary cup, or a spout without a non-drip valve. The Avent is the only non-drip that I know of which doesn't need anything more than a slight suck.

When my dd is teething, eating apples, which she loves, makes her cry, but a good ripe pear goes down a treat. They're full of juice and are a nice chunky exciting shape to hold.

[Jenie]

When ever ds starts to teeth it goes on for about 2 - 3 weeks. And we all know that his feeling grumpy and sore. Infact the neighbours know too and will often say as much! But all children have to go through it and frozen oven chips are his way of numbing the area, I also think that they're better for him than bonjela.

I did get told that Ashtons powders were a great cure all from stress to teething to colic in babies (wheres the adult version?) but after asking the pharmacist what was in them and being told nothing realy I've stuck to chips, at least I know what's in them.

Good luck with the teething.

[Oldmummy]

Thanks all for the tips - all cups are out, even ones with no spout at all (she shrieks as soon as she sees them), and even I can't drink out of the "anyway up" ones! The only thing she has sipped in the last few days was some of my champagne at a birthday party we went to on Monday. Obviously going to be a fun girl! (She wasn't fooled when I then put some lemonade in the glass instead...) Anyway, I'll certainly try some ice lollies, and pears are a great idea too, especially as we have a laden pear tree in the garden. I'm also very taken with the oven chips trick, and will get some specially!

[Bossanova]

If the only thing she will drink is champagne how about sparkling water and apple juice. It looks the same and would taste similar (to a 13 month old anyway ). Agree ice lollies are a good idea too.

[Oldmummy]

I have found something that seems partially to work - she will take drinks (even milk) out of the syringe that she has her Calpol from when she needs it. She has always liked Calpol, so I thought it would be worth a try.... it's a bit messy (dd has a knack of pulling the thing out of her mouth just as I am squeezing the plunger, so it squirts all over both of us) and after half a dozen syringe-fulls we are both getting a bit fed up, but at least she's taking something!

[sprout]

Does she like melon? Watermelon, if you can get it, is mainly water anyway - though the pips are a pain.