6 month old hates water!!

[LittleMissSnowShine]

Hi everyone

I started DS on very simple, watery solids like the Aptamil baby porridge when he was 4 months and now that he's 6 months he's eating 3 small meals a day and is very confident with a range of textures and flavours.

The only problem is I can't get him to take water at all!!!

I've been offering him cooled boiled water after puree every day for the last 2 months and I've tried a range of things - bottles, sippy cups, a Doidy cup etc but he's just not interested. He's happy enough to take milk from a bottle so I'm pretty sure he's not bothered about what it comes out of but he just spits water out or turns his head away.

I'm about to stop bf/ing because I'm going to be going back to work in a month so I'll be moving him on to follow on milk in a bottle a couple of times a day in the next few weeks but I'm kind of worried he's going to get dehydrated/constipated if he keeps refusing water like this.

Anyone else got this problem? Any suggestions? Is it time to just give up and try giving him baby juice drinks? I'm worried about the damage to his teeth but I'm also worried about him not taking enough fluid during the day - it's a dilemma!!

Tx everyone

I'm not sure that I actually gave DD water at that age, she was still having a LOT of milk and there will be water in the porridge and in lots of the foods he is having, I'm not sure I'd be worrying so long as he's getting lots of fluids and certainly wouldn't entertain juice.

Thanks Ursula - I've been sort of loosely following the Simone Cave week by week baby guide and she suggests starting water in and around 18 weeks I think and said something along the lines of the baby will refuse it the first 20 or so times you offer but will eventually start taking it.

But I must have offered DS water more like 60 times and the most he's ever drunk (grudgingly!) was an ounce lol

So I'm starting to think he's just not going to take to it and I'm really on the verge of just admitting defeat and buying some of those juice drinks and see if he likes those better but I know I'll probably be creating a monster!!

No need to boil the water now that he is 6 months. I used the lidded tommee tippee first cup with a small amount of water and left it on the highchair tray for the kids to play with, pick up and evn drink from (eventually!). It took ages before they took more than a few sips at a time. I tried the baby juice as well but they didnt like that either so I just persevered with the water.

Good tip Seona, I haven't got him in a highchair yet cos he's only just about to turn 6 months and he's more comfy in the bumbo but i think when he can sit up in the highchair probably leaving the cup for him to try by himself will be a good tactic. Now to start looking for a high chair!

And glad to hear you resorted to juice too and your kids still ended up taking water in the end :)

DS barely drank any water until he was 1. I kept being told to give him juice but I didn't want to get into that habit too soon. Kept offering water, made sure he had plenty of milk and also food which contains lots of water (e.g. fruit - particularly fruit purees). 14 mo now and still not a massive drinker but very happy to drink water when he wants it and way more than I expected him to by now.

LittleMissSnowShine, we have what I think is a great highchair. It's a 'Chicco Polly Magic' and is suitable from birth. Really comfy with a padded insert for when thay are little and it can recline too. Good luck with the water! We are still a stage before that with our little girl. Just started baby rice and tried introducing a sippy cup with formula a couple of times but bless her, she doesn't really know what to do with it yet!

I cracked and got some of the Hipp Organic Apple juice and the little sod flipping loved it!!

I'm still going to keep trying him with water, and alternate between juice and water but he's been washing down his lunch and dinner with juice and (this is prob just a complete coincidence btw) since he's been having juice he's slept the whole night through for the last 4 nights and he's never managed to do that before, always needed fed at least once. So maybe he's better hydrated? I don't know anyway but I'm def glad I gave the juice a go even though I'm sure I'll prob be regretting it when he refuses water forever after lol

The thing is, your baby needs to get used to the taste of water, and to learn what it's for. Up until being weaned, your breastmilk has been satisfying his hunger and his thirst, but he now needs to learn the difference between the two. It takes time, but as long as you persevere you'll find that he eventually gets the hang of it and requests it.

If I were you, though, I wouldn't offer juice any more, in case he does get a taste for it, and continue offering water in a beaker.

He will get there in the end - my two were guzzling water by about nine months, by which point they were only having milk in the morning and at bedtime.

Good luck!