Water with meals for baby?

[DaisyChristmasBauble]

My daughter is 9 months. I’ve consistently provided a feeding cup of water with each meal since she turned 6 months, but she’s not very interested at all! She can use the cup and will take at the most a couple of sips with her meals, but that’s it. After a couple of sips she just throws the cup onto the floor. How much water are they supposed to drink at this stage? She would have about 16-20oz of formula per day, which as far as I know is roughly what she should be taking along with her 3 solid meals. Loads of wet nappies so I’m not worried about dehydration but I’m worried that I’ll have problems getting her to drink when she’s a year old and bottles are no longer her main source of food and water.

Try a little taste of fruit juice or sugar-free cordial in the water, see if she prefers that. Also, some foods are high in water - cucumber, melon, apple, plain yoghurt, peaches. Soups, if you make your own and don't put salt in.

They only need a few sips if they're still having plenty of milk. I probably wouldn't add fruit juice/cordial

I absolutely wouldn’t be offering cordial at this age. Try different cups and just have them around at all times.

I wouldn't do this. She'll never drink plain water if you do.

I'm sure what she's having is fine. She won't dehydrate herself

Don’t do this. A few sips of water at nine months is fine, especially in winter and when she is having plenty of wet nappies. If you give her water with juice etc now, that is likely what she will always want. Getting her to develop a taste for plain water is so useful, which is what it sounds like you are doing. I would revisit if by next summer she isn’t drinking more. But for now, I really wouldn’t worry.

Thanks everyone for the reassurance. I’ll just keep offering it as I’m doing then!

Sounds fine and normal OP. You might find once you introduce cows milk later she will drink that with meals, which is fine. She’s getting plenty of fluids.

Mine was still breastfeeding a lot at that age and rarely drank any water (or ate much food for that matter) but in time she was guzzling cows milk and water with meals, once she got used to it - 9m is still young and there’s plenty of time.

Don’t add juice or squash, you want them drinking only milk or water for as long as possible - mine still only has milk or water now and she’s 3.5.

Please don't feel the need to introduce any juices yet. It's not required and frankly, if she's thirsty she'll drink water.

DS rarely drank much water at that stage but once he started nursery at a year he got more into it. They get plenty of fluid from food/milk.

DD was exactly the same at the age. I just saw it as an opportunity for her to get a feel for drinking water in addition to milk, and also learn to use an open cup.

Just because she only has a few sips now doesn't mean it will be the same when she's one, in three month she'll be a different baby with many new skills and drinking water will be one of them because you've been consistent at meal times.

Agree with PP no need to give juice!

Christ everyone knows not to give juice or cordial. Keep them on milk and water.

Surely that first replying post is a joke?

They just don’t drink like adults do. We drink in advance to stop ourselves getting thirsty. Babies and toddlers seem to only drink for their immediate needs.
Look at the water content of food, they take in a lot that way. They know what they need.
And definitely no juice or cordial! Don’t introduce one problem to solve a non-existent one.

You'd be amazed. So many people say their child will only drink squash. This is why.

Little bit of Coke Zero or a McFlurry.

She's completely normal with her milk intake at that. Don't need to worry she's not going to get used to drinking water. She has many many changes coming much more dramatic than moving from milk to water for liquids, babies are complete change machines for these developments.

Fruits Shoots! MN classic.

Just keep offering it she will get to drink more....free flow cups are better or open cups....wouldn't give juice...that's like giving chocolate because they don't eat

I would go against the advise to add juice. We stuck with water and the intake went up dramatically when we stopped formula. I see so many mums struggling to get their kids to drink water when they introduced juice. If there is no dehydration don't worry

I wouldn't worry if she's still having plenty of milk - she's probably just not thirst. With mine I would keep offering the cup to sip from every few mouthfuls, which he did and now he drinks by himself as he eats (17 mo). Just make sure that it's constantly available and encourage her to drink, but don't force it

(and also do not add juice to it)