Diluted fruit juices: essential? or the point of no return?

[macneil]

I've only ever given my 7mo water with her meals, but she doesn't drink much. The meals themselves are all pureed vegetables and full of water, sometimes with a bit of formula in them, so very moist. Her #2s are, as far as I know, perfectly normal (only drier/harder if she's had avocado for a meal). But some people seem to think I should give her fruit juice so she drinks more. Annabel Karmel says it's fine. But my friend says if I do, she'll never drink water again, and now is the time to be strong.

What are your experiences?

Water is best

Both my DDs have always had diluted fruit juice, DD1 from about 9 months and DD2 when she helped herself to DD1's juice at about 8 months. It doesn't bother me they have always had them out a Tommee Tippee straw beaker typs cup so better for their teeth and it's another one of their 5 a day.

DD1 is 3 now and now she has started asking for water in a grown up girl cup when DD2 isn't around as this is what she sees me drinking. They both will drink water when I occasionally run out of juice as well.

I wouldn't say either tbh...just depends on how you introduce them & when.

DS has nothing but water to drink until he was 2 yrs old & then started having sips of my oj at breakfast...as I drink water at all other times he was fine with just having it in the am & still does.

Also he is still happy drinking water even though most of his friends have squash....it's just normal for him.

my ds is 10 months old and still only gets offered water which he takes quite happily. He has stolen a couple of drinks of juice out his sister sports bottle but I havent offered him his own juice and dont intend to just yet.

I started with very dilute apple juice when weaning my dd. Gradually diluted it more and now dd very happy to drink water

I would try and stick with water if possible. It will be easier for you and better for DD when she starts school. I have 2 juice loving DS's, who will only drink water if i can convince them there is no juice.

My DD is 2 1/2 and has water to drink mostly although she has always been allowed really weak juice too. she generally gets one drink of juice a day and the rest water or milk.

never gave fruit juice - water was best.¨Plus when they're learning how to drink from a cup spills are no problesm.

if they are thisty, they will drink water and at 7m she's hardly going to be arguing with you about it is she? She also is having plenty of milk at this age so not drinking water isn't too much of a problem. Just keep offering ha beaker of water and leaving it on her tray to drink/play with and she will start taking more eventually (especaiully if it ever gets warm this summer!)

I would definitely go with water. I learned the hard way that if you give fruit juice they will reject water.

Thanks very much for these answers. All good advice. Will stick with the water for a bit longer.

i would and as long as you can