11Mo Old Won't Drink Anything but Formula

Sippy cups do not allow the tongue and muscles of the face grow correctly so please do not use sippy cup. Suckling from the breast is good but sucking relaxes muscles that for the jaws and face and could result in mouth breathing. Also, air getting into stomach causing digestion problems later. No apple juice I agree. Don't rush things. I am an oral facial myofunctional therapist who works with people who have the effects of muscles and expecially tongue thrusts and other face problems being used improperly.

AT that age, my daughter would only drink formula and breast milk from bottles, but no other fluids. Plus she wouldn't drink out of a sippy cup. However, she wanted to be like us, and drink from a regular cup. Try helping your son learn to drink from a real cup - clear glass is best so you can see how much water is going to his mouth. She drank water all the time. I think you should get him used to water before moving to the juices. I later used a little squatty shot glass that she could hold on her own supervised with meals. She loves it! Feels grown up. Shortly after, so did learn to drink from a straw and we mostly use straw cups. Not till months after that, did she use a sippy cup for milk instead of a bottle. Generally, she likes the straws better. Still, we use the big girl glass at dinner.

Hi L., At 11 months old is not to early for a sippy cup, my 10 month old in my daycare has been using one for a couple months now. just keep working with the cup. He's probably refussing to drink anything but formula because that is what he is in the habit of drinking, I'm going to assume that when he won't drink anything else you give in and give him formula. If he is on 3 meals a day plus snacks he does not need as much formula as he once did. He will not allow himself to go thirsty, so if you hold off from giving in, he will eventually drink what you give him, this has been my experience while raising my 3 all grown now, and with the toddlers that have gone through my daycare over the past 12 1/2 years, this was the advice my mom gave me that raised 5 kids and it's the advice that I've handed down over the years. J. L.

P.S. I think all momma's out there should seek advice from their moms, grandmas first, then on mamasourse you all turned out healthy and happy. Remember, with years comes wisdom..

yes it is on the early side. I'm almost positive that the academy of pediatrics recommends formula/breastmilk only for first year. Can you call your pediatrician to be sure? I would call. juice is just extra calories without much nutrition and water just fills their tummies.

He shouldn't be drinking juice yet anyway so I wouldn't worry about that. For water, when you're drinking it, offer him the straw, every kid I know has loved the straw! Or put the formula in a sippy cup so he can get used to those and then switch it to water.

He's normal ;-)
I'd try different types of sippy cups. My 1st had to use the silicone top sippy for a while, but my 2nd took to the hard plastic top right away. It took both several months before using a sippy without half the water waterfalling out of her mouth though, so be patient while they practice this new skill :-) Some sippies have handles and some not. Small ones are easier to hold. Some you have to tip WAY UP which can be difficult too. Just keep offering a sippy cup several times a week at lunch or dinner and let him try it out. You can also let him try a regular cup while you hold it (only fill it 1/2 to 1").

My inclination is to stick with water and if you use juice, you can dilute it 25-50% juice to the rest water, and real fruit juice, not artificial sugars.

Try asking your Pediatrician.

"Water" is also in his Formula. A baby does not have to drink a whole lot of extra water. He is getting hydrated already with his Formula... and Formula has vitamins/nutrients in it already.

About "juice." Juice is really not necessary. For us, we did not give juice to our kids until about 2 years old. They got kid/baby vitamins anyway, per our Pediatrician. And we only offered juice about 1-2 times a day, at most. And only about 6 ounces.
And even our Pediatrician said there is NO rush, for giving juice. Juice is like drinking a dessert.
Juice is just sugar. It is not real necessary. He is getting fortified with his Formula.
IF you do give juice though... it is always best to DILUTE it with water... 50-50 ratio. My kids are older now... but we still dilute their juice, always. But drinking "juice" is not a habit with my kids. Or, we only buy 100% natural fruit juice. Not with all that added "fructose" or corn-syrup in it. Or we squeeze our own.

If your son does not "like" juice, for now, that is fine. A child does not "have to" drink juice. And for water... I would not add sugar to it just to get a child to drink it... although some might do that.

For sippy-cups.. try different kinds with different spouts. Some spouts are hard or soft. OR... try just getting a straw-cup for him... some kids/babies will drink from that versus a sippy-cup. Or try a regular cup. He may drink from that.

Is he able to "hold" his own bottle, when he drinks his Formula? If so, then he can hold a cup. But perhaps, he is not yet ready for that.

But try asking your Pediatrician.

All the best,
Susan

Dear Linsay,

I second the post on not needing juice. This is a big marketing ploy put out by food production companies. Most store bought pastuerized juice has no enzymes and not much vitamin content for all the sugar (natural or otherwise) that's in it. It gets kids hooked on the sweet drinks sooner..leading into..yep...soda. This is well researched by the big companies themselves. It's a "gateway drug".
That said...formula has water in it, but if you want variety, I would try water or weak herbal type tea...maybe in non-plastic cups. Plastic does not taste all that good. (Maybe another reason people get into juice)
I do give fresh vegetable juice at my house...it's not so sweet.

He's fine. You actually don't need to give juice to your baby at all. Juice should be a special occasion thing, not a daily thing. Too many empty calories. Give him the formula (later milk) and offer water. He'll get used to it and increase his take of it, but don't worry...he's all good.

-M

My ped. said formula was all they needed until they turned one. I weaned my son off of formula at almost 13 months and same with my daughter. It's a slow transition so it's o.k. to just get them used to the sippy cup but ONE month may make all the difference in him trying a little later.
Good luck :)