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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

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Original poster

Any tips on making 6 mo old drink water?!

15 replies

AngryGnome · 12/05/2011 14:27

Have just started weaning DS, using Annabel Karmel recipes. This is the second week, and he has just been having one puree a day, not eating a lot, more just getting used to new flavours and textures. Next week I plan to move to two purees a day, and introduce finger foods.

The only problem is he won't drink cooled boiled water from either a bottle or a cup, and I am worried that he will get dehydrated/constipated (nappies are already a bit more...ahem...solid).

He will take formula/ebm from a bottle (only rarely, as I primarily bf him), and HV has said to give him juice - but I have heard this is really quite bad for babies, both for their teeth and for encouraging a sweet tooth?

Am i being PFB? Any top tips for giving him water?

Thanks

OP posts:

Rosa · 12/05/2011 14:30

On a teaspoon - until he gets used to the taste or water down some of your BM as that is what he is used to and likes! I personally wouldn't give juice just yet it is a bit early IMO.....

RitaMorgan · 12/05/2011 14:35

I'd just keep offering water in a cup - mine didn't like valved cups, just the free-flow sort.

If you're still breastfeeding on demand he won't get dehydrated.

befuzzled · 12/05/2011 14:35

I don't think you need to worry too much at this stage. He should get plenty of liquid from the breastfeeds. With my 3 I always gave them water in a tommee tippee first cup (one with 2 handles, from 4 months) with every meal. I would offers sips now and again and they gradually become able to hold it and eventually pick it up. It takes awhile though, ds3 is only just reaching to grab it now after about 5/6 weeks of weaning. No rush I don't think, they find it confusing to sip rather than glug continuously like breast/bottle. I think it is normals for things to solidify up as well. (is this your first? Prepare yourself, it gets a lot worse lol)

Original poster

AngryGnome · 12/05/2011 14:40

yes, this is my first, how could you tell !

I've got one of those tommy tippee cups with handles, so i'll just keep persevering with that.

thanks for the advice and reassurance ladies

OP posts:

TimeWasting · 12/05/2011 14:45

I gave DS a tommee tippee beaker with water in with each meal from 6 months, helping him to lift it to his mouth to start with so he knew what it was for (never having had a bottle etc.)
After 7 weeks he could do it completely by himself.

Tap water is fine from 6 months by the way.

As long as you are still bf/ff on demand he will be getting the liquid he needs.

Don't bother with juice, it's a tooth-rotting waste of money.

Original poster

AngryGnome · 12/05/2011 14:48

Thanks Timewasting - I had my suspicions that juice wasn't the answer!

OP posts:

CharlotteBronteSaurus · 12/05/2011 14:51

dd2 has taken a good month to get the idea of sipping from a spouted cup. she also still needs me to guide it to her mouth.

HarrietJones · 12/05/2011 14:53

Water isn't needed as early with a bf baby. Don't worry about water while he gets plenty of your milk. Don't do juice at all for as long as possible!

Wallace · 12/05/2011 16:10

Try a doidy cup :)

befuzzled · 12/05/2011 21:16

Second no juice, water is fine. In fact don't let them even know that juice and, even worse, fizzy drinks exist until they go to school because they will be drinking it at every kids party thereafter but at least their teeth will have had a fighting chance to start with! I've tried loads of cups and agree that the basic non-valve tommee tippee cups are by far the best (currently green, blue, pink) and are all you need for a good while until they are ready to drink form a cup/glass without lid, the doody cups are good then.

befuzzled · 12/05/2011 21:17

Doidy! Bloody iphone

MissMarjoribanks · 12/05/2011 21:25

My DS wouldn't drink water at all until he stopped bfing. He knew precisely what to do, but wasn't interested. The day bfing stopped, he picked up the cup and drank from it like he'd been doing it for months. He was more than 12mo old.

I can only assume that he was getting all the hydration he needed from me. I would still offer and encourage water at every meal though.

HooverTheHamaBeads · 12/05/2011 22:07

The tommee tippee basic beakers which the water drips out of are great to learn from.

BR44 · 13/05/2011 13:30

Just give him time. I started offering my DS water with each meal when I started giving him solids at 6 months, in a variety of sippy cups and a doidy, without any real success. He is now nearly 8 months and has just got the hang of the NUK sippy cup. Half the time he still just plays with it, but some water is definitely going down now. He will also take some from the doidy, but it's the messier option....

MagicFoxhole · 13/05/2011 15:53

DD likes her water from the filter jug in the fridge- if it's gone warm at all she's not interested. She takes it better if we hold a little open cup for her- the two handle TT was ok but she mostly just bashed herself about the face with it trying to get a drink.

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