what to offer as drinks?

[arolf]

DS is nearly 6 months, EBF, BLW. I try and give him a doidy cup with water with every meal, but a friend of mine has been told by her doctor to give her baby orange or grape juice (diluted) with every meal. I've offered DS very dilute apple juice (which he seemed to like more than water - may be because we live in a very hard water area, and it tastes disgusting here!), but that's it. Should I be offering him other fruit juices at this age?

He only needs water or BM at this stage. Starting fruit juice at this age is totally unnecessary.

No need for juice at all at this age - the best thing for them to drink is milk or water. Perhaps get a water filter jug if your water is hard ?

i've just asked the HV, her advice was tap water (rather than cooled boiled)
Some people do seem obsessed by juice though & i have no idea why, remember a friend who had been nagged to get her 6mo onto juice - can see the reasoning if the water is hard thouhg. Can you get anything to treat your ytap water?

good, that was what I thought - got a bit flustered yesterday when her wee boy downed 200 ml of grape juice and my DS was just playing with his cup of water must try and stick to my guns re: BLW and general attitude to child rearing!

I always boil the water, do you?

no need to boil water after 6 months. they'll get onto juice soon enough- no need to encourage a taste for it! water or bm should def be it until at least a year and for as long after that as you can manage! can the apple juice now is my advice- for the sake of the teeth of your ds.....