Drinking

[Ironmaiden]

Anyone got any advice on how to make a 5mth old drink water? Also anybody know a good reason for not giving juice in a bottle? Its says not to on the packaging but not why and my dd refuses a sippy cup. Any advice on cups?

Keep offering water and she'll drink it. Try Boots first cup - it's free-flowing, but not too fast.

Don't offer juice - not necessary and rots teeth. Better for them to eat fruit and drink water.

Juice in a bottle is generally agreed to be storing up trouble for new teeth, ironmaiden - whether or not they are actually through at the time. If the baby gets used to juice in a bottle it won't take water (understandable IMO) and long-term you could experience decay.
Cups ARE a problem. Avent used to do a really soft spout and then kindly discontinued it in favour of their current crappy, leaky, hard to clean version. I had best results for dd with the Heinz beakers available from Boots.

it's bad once they've got teeth - the juice swirls around their little toothypegs much more than if they are drinking out of a cup, which can lead to decay.

I just use those basic tommee tippee ones with a hard spout for ds (not from as early as 5mo though), but there are soooo many other bottle-to-cup trainer-type ones if she won't accept anything too different from a bottle teat.

I have been trying for about 5 weeks to get her to drink water, the only few times I've had any luck was once when I put some glucose in with it and once when I gave her diluted juice in a bottle but don't want to do that if it's gonna cause her problems. Have tried so many different cups it's just not funny anymore (my child benefit is practically being swallowed up on baby beakers!!!) have tried every one going, soft spouts, hard spouts, anywayupcup, avent, heinz, boots own, tommee tippie, you name it it's lying idle in my kitchen cupboard. Ahwell, I'll keep trying, it'll happen one day, there aren't many adults that dont drink water after all!