Drinking

[shelley1990]

Hello everyone,
I’m weaning my 6 month old daughter, she has 8oz bottle of milk for breakfast, dinner she’ll have puréed food then a yogurt, i then try and get to drink some diluted squash or plain water but she doesn’t drink it she just plays with it and spits it out. How do you get your LO’s to drink after a meal? She then has another 8oz bottle for tea then another one before bed so she has 3 bottles throughout the day. Just can’t get her to drink water.
Any advice appreciated.
Thank you

At that age, assuming you continue to offer milk feeds on demand, she'll get all the hydration she needs from milk. I would maybe just give her a beaker of water to play with in the bath so she can practice. Mine never drank any water at all until 9 months and even then it was only very small amounts until maybe closer to about 15 months. I wouldn't be offering squash at all. There's no need for it and they'll happily drink water when they're ready. Just sounds like she isn't, so I'd give it a rest for a few months and try again when she's a little older.

Though for what it's worth, mine was still on 8 bottles a day at that age. 3 doesn't seem like very much. Will she take more? I would definitely focus on milk and not water now as she still really needs all the nutrients from it until she's 1.

Yes, don't worry, mine did this. Just keep offering her a beaker of water (in a free flow cup) every time you offer her food. She'll work it out. Mine now purposefully drinks from her cup at 10 months (not lots but she no longer just plays with it).

Like PP said her nutritional needs are mainly met by milk in the early weaning stages.

And don't use squash. There is no need.

So she has 3 bottles and only purée and yoghurt once?

HV said it’s ok for her to have sips of water which I’ve been giving. I’ve been doing what HV advised. She’s fine with the 3 8oz bottles of milk and the food. I’ll just keep doing what I’ve been advised.