How much does your 18month old drink? Conflicting medical advice

[Fluid]

How much milk/water/in total does your 18month old drink? We’re getting conflicting medical advice so just wanted to go to the next appointment pre armed wirh what is an average intake. Google gives me guidelines but I’m wondering about real life actual toddle intake

Bump….

My son will be 18m next week. Are you looking for total mls? I don't track to be honest. He has milk with weetabix most mornings. I think he drinks quite a lot of water but it's probably only between 300-500 ml daily, which the internet says isn't very much at all. We offer a cup of milk in the morning and before bed but he doesn't love cows milk so won't always finish it.

Are you worried about your kid's fluid intake?

Thank you yes a rough idea of what an average intake looks like for someone that age. Paeds are telling me he doesn’t drink enough and I’m telling them he doesn’t drink that amount and we do everything we can but they also won’t help just tell us hell be admitted when he stops peeing which doesn’t see very proactive and no one will help.

Evening hopeful bump

Average is not going to be helpful.

Why don't you trust the paediatric team? They will be aware of his weight, any physical conditions etc. so will be able to give you a much better idea of recommended fluid intake than total strangers on the internet.

It would be best for you to talk to them. As they say fluid output gives a good indicator of hydration, so this is what they will measure/monitor to help make decisions.

Admitting a child is a significant step and often makes things worse - especially around eating and sleeping, so would only be done when it is clinically necessary to achieve a specific aim.

An average is useful to know. The team have told us what to hit but no help in getting that in a child wirh difficulties. I can fight it more knowing a lot of children drink X so mine is far under, we’re just told oh well and they look healthy. I do not want them admitted as that would make the current situation far worse. I am just trying to find out what others drink to have more of a knowledge. I know it’s a huge scale but knowledge is power so I’m hoping to get more answers before having to make a decision about a private appointment

I don’t trust them because we’re asking for help and not getting it. We’ve put our concerns in a letter so it’s in the notes. The only plan is reactive when there is kidney failure but no plan to srop that happening.
HV is lovely and says she doesn’t know why they’re not expediting things and nothing she can do except listen and keep visiting

Does your child show signs of dehydration?
What are they drinking and do you give watery foods to supplement actual drinks?
My dd was never a big drinker whereas my ds was. She didnt seem dehydrated though

Lack of wet nappies at the start of the day and dry mouth and smelling slightly of ketones in the mornings sometimes. Half their meals are water based fruits. That’s what I’m trying to work out an average for. Even if a huge range to see if they’re just at the lower end or we need to be pushing for more help.

Typical for toddlers generally I'd say: cup of milk at breakfast, cup of water with lunch, cup of milk mid afternoon, cup of water with dinner. Possibly milk before bed and the odd sip of water throughout the day.
Each cup being up to about 100ml-150ml so maybe 300ml-750ml a day depending on the child?

Thank you @mrsbowes

I’d say my almost 18 month old grandchild has 100ml milk on weetabix, a cup of water - maybe 300ml - throughout the day and 200ml milk at bedtime. So around half a litre.
Im assuming that your DC has some sort of condition whereby it’s necessary for them to have a specific fluid intake?

My LO is 13 months. She has a breastfeed from both sides for around 5 minutes in the morning. Several big sips of water at breakfast, lunch and dinner plus usually finishes a different 200ml cup of water we carry with us throughout the day. Then breastfed again at night - same as morning. Sometimes she has a breastfeed at nap time too.

Loads. I refill her water bottle at least twice a day, and then usually a cup or two of milk.

Some ideas for getting more fluid in:
Ice lollies
Watermelon
Watered down juice
Smoothies
Chocolate milk (you can make a homemade "healthy" version)

Thanks all. Friend who is a nanny says she wouldn’t expect children to drink more than 150mls in total in a day?

150ml is extremely low.

I'm a childminder and have one today who had maybe 150ml milk/water over the course of the day but I know he has a morning and bedtime bottle at home.
One who's had a 500ml water bottle and I'm sure more at home.
Another who's had maybe 100ml milk and 2x 100ml water plus some milk for breakfast and I'd assume juice or water with his dinner.

I do think that when she says that she’s excluding the fact that they have fluid at home before seeing her and at bedtime or overnight etc and that it’s just the core hours

About 400-500ml between milk and water but also had but also has hydrating foods offered

Mine have all varied hugely day to day at that age. Some days barely drinking anything and other days chugging it down.
Depends hugely on what they're eating and how hot it is.

If you're struggling to get then to drink then there are a few games- teapot and tea cups- keeps saying they can only pretend to drink it and they'll just keep drinking. Or have a "special cup"only for you, don't let hem have it but then give them a sip and they'll think it's amazing.

Thanks. They have a tongue tie and can’t drink without spilling but due to the age Paeds just say he’s not deinininf enough but won’t help with how.

Are you having the tongue tie corrected?
How much are they drinking?