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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To give ds watered down 'sugar free' Ribena?

39 replies

kayzisbroody · 17/02/2008 18:08

We give ds who is 11 months old watered down sugar free Ribena. There is hardly enough ribena to cover the bottom of his cup and we fill it with water. It doesn't even really taste of Ribena. Now MIL is complaining there is far to much sugar in it and to just buy the proper baby juice.

Surely if its sugar free there is no problem or is the MIL right?

OP posts:
princessosyth · 17/02/2008 18:11

YABU. By the age of 11 months he should at least be on Beaujolais. .

MaeWest · 17/02/2008 18:11

I would rather give water or watered down fruit juice myself. But if I did give Ribena, I'd prob go for the normal sugar one rather than one with chemical sweetners.

RubySlippers · 17/02/2008 18:11

they don't need juice and if he can't taste in then i would stick to water

what is baby juice?

MaeWest · 17/02/2008 18:11

Or obviously a drop of gin goes down a treat too

juuule · 17/02/2008 18:12

I'd rather give watered down sugared original than sugar-free which contains sweeteners including aspartame.

mrspnut · 17/02/2008 18:13

I don't use sugar free anything for my kids, nor do I buy baby juice.

My kids have always had well diluted high juice (apple, cherry and raspberry is their current favourite), milk or water to drink.

As long as they aren't drinking the juice out of a bottle then it isn't likely to harm their teeth too much.

WanderingTrolley · 17/02/2008 18:13

Read the Ribena bottle - doesn't it say it's not suitable for under 3's? I think the sugary Ribena does. Have you read the ingredients list?

No, there isn't enough sugar in it to ruin your ds's teeth, you might as well give him water, if it's that dilute, tbh.

How much whiskey is he on?

PeachesMcLean · 17/02/2008 18:13

There's no sugar in it, it's sugar free. But some people say the sweeteners make their kids hyper. I guess you'd have noticed if it effects your DS that way... I think if it's very watered down, it's not a problem. Though it's a long time since DS was 11 months so I'm sure someone will come along and disagree!

What is baby juice?

Miggsie · 17/02/2008 18:14

If it doesn't have sugar it won't rot the teeth, but it will have artificial sweetners, which I think are worse, because sugar can be brushed off the teeth and artifical sweeteners go all the way htrough the body.
I just use Waitrose pomegranate juice from a carton and water it down or just give water.
Baby juices are a waste of money and a marketing ploy.

Original poster
kayzisbroody · 17/02/2008 18:15

Heinz do bottles of juice specially for babies. Ds wont drink water and my hv said to try him with sugar free Ribena so we did.

OP posts:
PeachesMcLean · 17/02/2008 18:16

How about watered down apple juice? Still got sugars - but then apples do have. And no funny stuff either.

Original poster
kayzisbroody · 17/02/2008 18:18

Yeah I think thats what I might start giving him

OP posts:
southeastastra · 17/02/2008 18:18

i'd give water for as long as poss, once they get a taste for juice it drags on a bit and is hard to cut out.

Lulumama · 17/02/2008 18:20

if you are going to give juice give the one with sugar as the aspartame or whatever is in the sugar free is worse than sugar

water or diluted apple juice is best

baby juice is a marketing ploy!

WigWamBam · 17/02/2008 18:21

This is from the FAQ section of Ribena's website:

"Ribena and Ribena Really Light should be enjoyed as part of a healthy, balanced diet and active lifestyle. They are not suitable for babies and toddlers under 36 months".

It says the same thing on the bottles and the cartons.

"Sugar free" is just a euphemism for "full of artificial sweeteners" - I'd rather give full sugar and make sure that teeth are brushed well than give artificial sweeteners.

EffiePerine · 17/02/2008 18:22

Baby juice a massive waste of money - watered down pure apple juice much better. I'd steer clear of sugar-free drinks if you can manage it.

Original poster
kayzisbroody · 17/02/2008 18:22

Whenever he has water he just dribbles it all out and throws the bottle on the floor, which is why my HV said to give him the sugar free Ribena

OP posts:
MaeWest · 17/02/2008 18:24

Yep, DS has mostly had water but recently (18 months) has started having watered down apple juice at breakfast, because I tend to have some. He sucks it down and then starts up a chorus of "joos, joos, mo joos".

kayzisbroody - there is also quite a lot of water in food, so I wouldn't get too bothered about not drinking that much water (unless of course your DS is constipated in which case fluids would really help). Stuff like grapes, satuma, cucumber maybe?

IIRC DS was much more keen on milk for quite a long time, and it's only now that he will really glug down a cip of water (gets thirsty running around I s'pose)

Twiglett · 17/02/2008 18:24

if you need to sweeten water just buy a carton of apple juice and water it down the same amount .. it would be far cheaper

agree with previous posters with regards to not giving 'sugar free' anything to children because of the artificial chemicals they use to sweeten .. lots of scandal over aspartame to begin with, which is the most common one

EffiePerine · 17/02/2008 18:24

I think we can conclude that you HV was misguided

WigWamBam · 17/02/2008 18:25

If the company that makes the stuff say it's not suitable for children under 3, isn't that enough reason not to give it? Maybe you should point that out to your Health Visitor.

A little drop of fresh fruit juice is better than artificial crap - damned sight cheaper as well.

MaeWest · 17/02/2008 18:26

Would he take water from a cup - maybe he's expecting to get milk from a bottle? Just a thought...

Original poster
kayzisbroody · 17/02/2008 18:30

He will drink from a cup, we got those training cup things with handles so he can do it himself.
I will start giving him Apple juice. We have it anyway so its not a problem

OP posts:
WorzselMummage · 17/02/2008 19:05

what exactly are proven to be wrong with artificial sweetners ?

lottiejenkins · 17/02/2008 19:13

My ds drinks hijuice which has no artificial anything in it.............. i avoid aspartame like the plague!

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