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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think the 'baby WILL drink water' brigade are <ahem> incorrect *edited by MNHQ*

102 replies

StinkusMinkus · 22/05/2014 19:22

I keep reading a lot of threads where people post about babies being given squash/juice (as they won't drink water), and insist that baby WILL drink water if not given anything else...

Well, can I personally call bullshit on that one...?!

DS (10 months) has never been given anything to drink other than milk or water. However - he is a water refuser. His poo this morning was little hard pellets, constipated through not drinking enough in this hot weather. And it's not even summer proper yet. So what do I do when it gets actually, really, hot? Keep offering him nothing other than water, and watch him dehydrate as he keeps refusing it - or try him with something else?

For the record, I don't advocate given kids excess sugar/salt etc - DS isn't even given fromage frais and has plain natural yoghurt instead, but I think this one is bloody nutty. Dehydrate your kid rather than give them squash??!

AIBU?

OP posts:
BlackeyedSusan · 22/05/2014 19:26

dd would never drink water either. she has extremely diluted squash, ie not enough to cover the bottle/cup with concentrate and then topped up with water. it is just enough to take the edge off the water taste.

I always went with protecting kidney health as a priority.

HauntedNoddyCar · 22/05/2014 19:26

Yanbu but we're in the minority I fear. Aspie dd wasn't having any of that water lark even at 9 months old.

whereisthewitch · 22/05/2014 19:26

I don't think YABU purely because my DD was and is a water refuser and this has caused mega issues wiyh constipation. I give her very watered down squash or pure juice (she's 2.9) and I always make her use a straw.

Ilikethemoon · 22/05/2014 19:29

Also bollocks is the ' babies won't starve themselves' mantra. Actually some babies do. Following Hv advice to get ds on feeding schedule just led to him getting so dehydrated his anus tore, he was that constipated.

MrsTerryPratchett · 22/05/2014 19:29

If you don't have the issue, you can't see why anyone else does. DD won't drink juice, hates it. Will only drink water and milk. If we lived in reverse world, you would all be the smug mummies, saying how great it was that your DD wasn't a juice drinker. I would be getting shit all the time.

It's just another example of why we should be kind and assume the best of other people, their children and their parenting.

MrsTerryPratchett · 22/05/2014 19:30

Dammit, *was not wasn't. Stupid reverse world...

Nanny0gg · 22/05/2014 19:31

It's along the same lines as 'They won't starve themselves.'

Oh yes they will...

thebodylovesspring · 22/05/2014 19:31

Yep babies don't read the Manuels.

Nanny0gg · 22/05/2014 19:32

Ilikethemoon

Cross post!

imip · 22/05/2014 19:34

If I need them to drink water, I dilute juice. Actually I dilute juice as standard, even for my 7 & 5 yo. For the 4 and 2 yo it is more squash like as opposed to half and half.

Even I dilute my juice if I have it, I find it far too sweet.

stealthsquiggle · 22/05/2014 19:34

Another one with a squash refuser here who has been known to come home on the edge of dehydration because there was only squash on offer Angry - so yes, I can believe that there are DC who will end up dehydrated rather than drink water, but I also think they are a tiny minority and there are a lot more who "only drink squash" because that is what they have been offered.

Lilybensmum1 · 22/05/2014 19:34

OP you are correct my DS would never and still will not drink water, preserving kidneys is far more important! There are far worse things to drink than diluted squash

We are all trying to do the best for our children none of us are perfect, well done for speaking out Shock.

BeingAMummyIsFabulous · 22/05/2014 19:35

As we know water is best for babies, but dehydration is definitely not!! I'm lucky as my 6month old DD has a thirst like me and loves water, but I know my sister in law gives very weak vimto to her almost 12 month old (poss as his 4.5 year old sibling has it too). If I was having trouble with my DD, I would prob give her a very diluted pure apple juice (a one 'not from concentrate') to reduce the crap sugars. I can see how the comment "a baby will always drink water" may work...but how long do you let your baby go in high temperatures with no extra fluids?!! I feel that as long as you are sensible (which I'm sure you are - I don't intend to insult your intelligence) I wouldn't see that a little amount of juice in plenty of water could do any significant harm. Some fluid is better than nothing in hot weather.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 22/05/2014 19:36

YANBU. DD (2.9) won't drink water or milk. She stopped drinking milk as soon as she was eating solid food - to the extent that she would take a mouthful & then spit it out. We also had a severe problem with constipation.

We have to give her very diluted squash too (and try to ignore the looks of disapproval), I am quite paranoid about teeth cleaning though!

Deverethemuzzler · 22/05/2014 19:37

A bit of squash or diluted juice is not going to harm a baby.
Being dehydrated will.

People talk a lot of toss about parenting.

I blame the internet

Wink
thornrose · 22/05/2014 19:38

It's potentially another stick to beat yourself or be beaten with isn't it? Only if you let it though.

My dd was and still is a water refuser, she's now 14 yo. I know my child and I'm confident in my parenting so it's water off a duck's back.

Just smile and nod Grin

BertieBotts · 22/05/2014 19:40

It's up there with "if they don't know what a chicken nugget is then they can't refuse all other foods can they?!"

Well, fine, except the same people tend to agree that chicken nuggets are fine as part of a healthy balanced diet. So what happens when your previously adventurous eater discovers said chicken nuggets and decides they have found the mana of all that is holy?

Dogsmom · 22/05/2014 19:41

My DD wont drink water either or full fat cows milk so is still on 3 bottles of formula a day plus regular meals. I've tried everything, she has sugar free squash and I have put less and less in but as soon as it's virtually water she wont touch it.

I brush her teeth twice a day to do my best to stop tooth decay.

I also put the juice in a pink cup so people wont judge me as they don't know if it's water or not, I didn't know about the anti squash people until I joined this site.

BrunoBrookesDinedAlone · 22/05/2014 19:43

I see your point OP and accept it fully.

However, in the thread that I think this sounds like a TAAT about the OP was providing salty cheese crackers and cake for snacks and mashing up spaghetti hoops as she couldn't cook. For an 11 month old. In those circumstances, I think encouraging quite FIRMLY to keep trying hard to give the baby water was probably a good idea.

BarbaraPalmer · 22/05/2014 19:43

mine refused water, and are very prone to kidney infections, so leaving them at risk of even mild dehydration not an option. of course I would prefer that they drink water, but they wouldn't. I'm not going to have sleepless nights over a bit of heavily diluted squash in an otherwise balanced diet.

allcatsaregrey · 22/05/2014 19:47

my 5 year old has only ever drank milk his entire life. anyone who thinks they can get him to drink water is welcome to come and try. so far he has outwitted us, his consultant, the psychologist and the teachers at his special school.

ikeaismylocal · 22/05/2014 19:47

I would imagine the amount of babies who would refuse water when dangerously dehydrated if other options were not available would be very small, it's a massive evolutionary mistake if it is a common thing.

My dp started to give our ds watered down juice when he had been ill as he was worried about him not drinking enough, I have only ever given him water or breastmilk. I noticed after only a couple of days how ds would hold off drinking until he was offered juice. We stopped giving him juice as an option and he started taking water again. I can see how it could have become a big problem if we hadn't stopped the diluted juice when we did.

Original poster
StinkusMinkus · 22/05/2014 19:49

Glad there are other children out there who don't lap up tap water as though it were nectar of the gods!Grin

Think I'll have to borrow the coloured cup tip to pass off as water. I already have to decant Ella's pouches into little plastic pots for babygroups, as mums are sniffy about me not making my own food....I did try. Bought the Annabel Karmel book, lovingly batch prepared inventive little meals, and DS just spat them out. Whereas show him a ruinously expensive Ella pouch and he can't wait long enough for you to tear the packaging. Why did my baby not read the baby books?? Confused

OP posts:
Arky · 22/05/2014 19:49

YABU. I know there are rare circumstances where babies won't drink milk or water but, generally, there is no reason for a baby or toddler to be ever offered juice. If you offer a child a sweet version then it's pretty obvious that it will prefer that over a non sweet version. Confused

And before anyone says anything I am not 'smug' saying this. Some of my DC were really fussy eaters. So I am also the type of mother that gets slated on Mumsnet.

Nocomet · 22/05/2014 19:50

DD2 would go whole days at primary school if she forgot her drink bottle without a drink.

She hates water, she will make herself feel I'll rather than drink it. She is no better at 13 years than she was at 13 months.

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