When and how to give water

[bunnyrabbit]

Have just started weaning DS and am confused as to when and how to give him water to drink. I tried using a weaning cup (single hole, fixed spout) this afternoon, but he just bit it with his gums and smiled at me lots!!

Should I use a bottle? What about giving juice instead of water??

Oh, I forgot, DS is 17 weeks.

BR

Hi Bunnyrabbit, both my dd and ds started off having water from a bottle with a teat and then I gradually introducing a beaker. In my experience you might have to buy a few different beakers to see which one your ds likes or gets on with. DD always drank plain water, but ds seems to like a drop of pear juice with his. I would try offering water little and often but not too close to feed times. I did have to push my ds to drink water as I didn't feel he was having enough and got a bit constipated at one point shortly after starting weaning.
Good luck.

message withdrawn

Hi BR

I used to give DD water from one of the smaller Avent bottles with a slower teat. At your DS's age she would drink a lot - perhaps up to 8 oz a day, but her cousin of the same age wouldn't drink any and she is fine, so I wouldn't worry if he doesn't take to it straight away.

Personally I stayed away from juice, only giving a little bit diluted if DD was constipated. This is because I have the biggest sweet tooth ever and I wanted to delay this for as long as poss with DD.

HTH

Thanks guys,
I'll try him on a bottle...

What age did you try out the beakers??

BR

I give E a little bit of water if she is having a whinge and i know she doesn't need milk. I just use our normal (avent) bottles. She mostly just gets mad because she wants milk and water just doesn't compare.

How old is your DD JennH?

Ditto with the pear juice. We had no luck with anything other than milk in bottles. After weaning we discovered ds loves stewed pears, so whenever I stewed pears I froze the cooking water. For a drink we tok out a pear cube and covered it with boiled water in his one hole beaker. Now at 1 year he even drinks tap water out of the beaker - it was just a matter of "breaking him in"

Well he took some water out of the bottle the other day, but as he's still taking four full feeds, and doesn't seem to be constipated at all, I've not tried him again. At least I know he'll take some.

Silly question. Is he too young to know what to do with a beaker? He only played with it last time and I don't want to force him to use one incase this builds a bad association.

BR

Hi BR ... DD same is same age , but I have not started to give water ... SHOULD I ???? I am not sure at what point I should introduce this and whether or not this is necessary as she has only JUST started with a little baby rice after 11am bottle.

Just to let you know, a friend suggested adding some Rosehip juice ...(never tried it but apparently sweetens naturally )

Don't know anything about water, but just to reassure you (or not) BR that my ds is nearly 11 months and still has no idea what to do with a sippy cup. I'm not even sure he drinks anything if I hold it.

Hi,

I have a 9 month old LB who will just not drink water, juice, fruit juice, milk or anything from a beaker! I have tried all sorts of beakers, he will take it from a bottle when he's not feeling well, but I am now getting concerned about it! He still has about 20oz per day of milk from a bottle, but has just started nursery and they are concerned he is going to dehydrate!He just seems to want to bite the cup, rather than drink from it and handles just provide an excuse to pick it up and drop it on the floor! Has anyone got any suggestions to help me?

try those little nipply bottles of water that you take to the gym, or a straw

Smithers, On another thread, someone (sorry can't remember who) said they put some puree on the spout so that the baby would suck it off and get milk/juice at the same time... Sounds like good advice to me.

BR