How to Get 7 Month Old to Drink Water - Won't Take Bottle, Sippy Cup, Straw...

Try putting 1 teaspoon of dark karo syrup in 8oz. water and try giving it to the 7 month with a medicine droper or spoon. And 4oz. of apple juice and 4oz. pear nectar mixed together Is also good for constipation also and you can give it to her the same way. Marilyn C.

Add 2 TBl dark karo syrup and this should do it. Eventually, cut it back til she's drinking just the water.
I have 4 grown children and one granddaughter and this worked on all of them.
S. S

My 7 month old daughter first drank water from a water bottle... i was just trying to see what she would do and she actually took to it. Now she can drink water from a regular cup as long as i hold it. I hope that helps.

Have you tried to add a little flavor to the water, maybe watered down koolaid, so at least it has a sweet taste until she gets used to drinking it, I think the reason she wont drink water , it has no taste, boring, if all fails take a medicine syringe fill it with water and squirt it in her mouth , its only two teaspoons, will she takes sips from mommmys cup if you offer it to her. I am not sure what you mean by saying you are a co-sleeping attachment parenting family ??

I solved this by giving my son fruit, either pears or prunes, as "dessert" at every meal. He never had a problem when he ate fruit with his meal, but always got constipated when he didn't get his fruit. Also, my son doesn't eat cereals at all because they constipate him so badly. I threw out all the rice cereal and oatmeal after the last bout of trouble.

I would talk to your pediatrician about drinking water. I believe that at that age if you give too much water it can throw off a baby's eloctolyte balance. She should be getting plenty of water if you're breastfeeding or formula feeding. I would buy prunes (baby food, of course). Give her a little every day, and she should start to feel better. :)

I made my baby food as well. First I didn't really start with a oatmeal or the grains. I went straight into fruits and veggies and maybe mixed a little bit of oatmeal in. She only at once a day from 8-9m or so, was on no solids until almost 8mo. I never had a problem with constipation this way. It was so little, maybe 2tbsp of food once a day that it didn't effect her. If they are breastfed I don't think they need much food from between 6-12m of age. My DD didn't even take a cup or anything until well after one and was only on breast milk for liquid.

Hi T.,

I would consult a doctor but it may be that your baby's digestion is not ready for solid foods. If you're nursing a lot, your baby is getting plenty of liquid and should not need water as well. Try backing off on the solids for a while to give your baby's digestive system more time to develop.

V.

I had the same concerns with my son, but my Doctor told me that as long as he was eating a balanced diet with tons of fruits and vegetables, no worries. Babies don't need extra water. I have a baby food website, www.weelicious.com
Try the apricot puree on top of yogurt. My babies poops like a champ and I attribute it to the delicious puree.
Best,
C.

My son is now just finnally sucking from a sippy cup after one month of chewing on it. I got a NUBY brand cup it is BHP free (good plastic) and it has a semi soft nipple sipper. I just kept giving it to him over and over again. We played a game out of it too- I would pretend to drink from it then put it in his mouth. He thought that was fun. Persistance is key here. The website to purchase the cup is called thesoftlanding or softlanding.com. Good luck!

Hi!
If your baby is nursing a lot, she actualy doesn't need water as you'd probably think. None of my 3 babies wanted water either, so I would just turn it into a game - water in a sippy and pretend I wanted it and litle-by-little they eventually took it! You might wait a few months because she is still so young. My pediatrician suggested "not" to give anything but breast milk until they were older. If you replace a feeding with water then she'll lack the nutrients she needs. If you are worried about constipation, stick to feeding her vegetables. Gerber garden vegetables kept my little-ones very regular. Good luck!

Hi T., have you tried to take a straw, put it in the water and hold the upper end sealed with your finger, then pull it out and put it playfully into you little ones mouth? When you take your finger off the end, the water will flow into her mouth.

How about trying to give her more fluids through a food? Perhaps mashed watermelon or plums, or some other food with a high water content that will also help with the constipation?

You might try a kid's plastic cup with a tiny bit of water in it. The novelty might be enough for some of the water to get into her mouth, even though most of it would get on her... hey, it's summer time, it will dry fast! :)

Breastfeeding should really be helping with this. Is she taking formula at all? That could cause constipation. Perhaps it's related to your diet as well - maybe you could adjust your diet and see if it affects things at all.

Consider what she is eating; maybe too much dairy, like cheeses or cows milk. Or, too many crackers...of any kind. If your baby likes bananas and apples...try more of that. Also, maybe you can try giving ice cubes or ice chips. But babies that young shouldn't need to have water if they're getting their regular fluids, like formulata/breastmilk and juices.

My daughter will not take a bottle, only prefers nursing. When she started solids, same problem, she got really constipated. This is what worked for us: Diluting prune juice and freezing it into ice cube trays. You take the ice cube and crush it up a bit. Serve it with a spoon. She loved it. Watermelon is also really good for them. Just mash it up a bit or put it in the blender and feed with a spoon as well. There is plenty of water in the melon and it is a natural laxative. As soon as she got on yogurt at 8 months, her digestion became so much better!

try a clear glass. my son was solely nursed and didn't really want to take a sippy either. he liked drinking out of a clear glass. he got better at it with practice. he is now 12 months and finally got the sippy thing down. he had the sippy thing by 9 months with water but he is pro now.
if he refuses to drink wather and gets constipated, vons, the supermarket, has an organic name brand baby food. they have a 2nd stage fruit that is just prunes. that should do the trick.

My first statement is that at this age, especially while still breastfeeding and if taking cereal, your baby really does not need "water", juice for fluid would work or just what she gets from you and her food.
My first question would be what "solid" foods is your daughter eating. At this age she really should only be eating baby cereal and nursing with some pureed baby food thrown in. Constipation can also occur from immaturely developed digestive tracts that are trying to digest food it is not capable of handling yet. I commend you on trying solids but maybe your daughter is not ready (biologically speaking). That aside, most of the baby cereals are high sources of fiber, which will help movements to occur. If your daughter still nurses several times a day, chances are she is getting the fluids her body needs. One way to tell is her diapers. If she is going through close to the same amount of diapers a day chances are she is getting enough fluids. My first suggestion would be age appropriate baby cereal only (as a suppliment) along with nursing. It has been found that by switching babys to solids before their bodies are ready can cause harm later in life (eating problems, obisety, gastrointestinal difficulties, not to say these will happen).
Tips on water, try sugar free flavored water. They have them for kids so they are not full of sugar and junk. Most are flavored with juice. Also try juices (I like the gerber kind found in the baby food area, they are low in sugar and no perservatives). As for containers there are bottles that are nippled shaped. First get her used to the bottle/sippy cup with her (your) milk. These times she is more hungry and more apt to take it. Then when she is used to it switch to water or juice. If you have to, just give it to her when she is hungry so she will be more likely to drink. Another thing you can do is offer her the baby food (pureed) with higher fiber content. Examples would be fruits, vegs, or whole grains.
Lastly remember it takes a baby 15 to 20 times of trying a new thing (food, cup, any habit) before they will accept it. So don't give up. Plus when you start solids it is natural for some constipation to occur while the body gets accustom to the new texture. Give her time and if you are still concern document (don't get grossed out) frequency, size, and concistancy (hard/soft) and bring it to the doctor (the record, not the sample) and ask him for advice. But usually they just say, "babys can go upwards of a week without a bowel movement and that is perfectly normal." Although I don't agree with this, but that is their concenses.

There's a thinkg you can buy if you are not nusring but want to feel the closeness. It has straps that go over your shoulders and a small tube that you insert into the corner of your baby's mouth while nursing. Usually this is used for formula, but you can put water in it. Women who adopt and fathers who want to take part, use this. I do not know the name, but I hope this helps you find it online.

I used an old school sippy cup. They did not have a anti-leak-stopper so the water just pours. Use during feedings.

She really doesn't need water- you should change what she eats instead. Try giving her more fruit (other than bananas) and switching cereal, especially if you use rice cereal. Switch to oatmeal instead. Also, when you make your babyfood, try mixing a little more water into it. Babies, especially those who are breastfed, don't need to drink any water until they are around one. So don't worry about the amount she is getting (and do the other things to try to un-constipate her). That said, keep trying with the sippy cup- all kids play and chew on it initially. If you use the ones with the valves (the little white things under the lid that keep them from leaking) take the valves off. That way the water will come out on it's own any time she tips the cup- it's much easier for them to learn that way (the valve makes them have to suck, and how is that any different than using a bottle?). And to teach her how to use a straw, trap some water in the straw by putting your finger on the end and then put the bottom in her mouth and let go- it will get her used to water coming out. That's how my daughter learned, but we had to do it a lot before she figured it out.

Whenever we took my baby to a restaurant, I would put my finger over the end of the straw in my water glass, put the "wet" end in her mouth and take my finger off, allowing the water to pour into her mouth. I don't know how much effort and time you want to spend doing this, but my daughter thought it was great fun!! (and it kept her quiet in the restaurant, too!)

hi-
i have a 5 1/2 mo old who got really constipated after we just introduced rice cereal. he wouldn't drink water or the diluted apple prune juice (my dr. suggested)from a bottle either. so i got a medicine dropper and just squirted a few droppers of it in his mouth. not so sure it helped with his constipation, but at least it got it in him.
also, if you are ready to try new foods, maybe do a fruit next? good luck!! :)

The La Leche league lady told me that the first part of your milk is thin (like water) and the second part is thick (like a cream).
What I did to stop that is went down to only one solid (or two-just bring down one or two meals) a day to give his little body time to adjust.
Also the idea below about serving prunes for dessert is awesome!
HTH,
A.

I'm no expert but my 2 1.5 yr old has always loved copying my husband & me. We are always drinking bottled water w/ the nipple-typed openings that come on the bottle when you buy them. There are small-sized bottles of water available. Maybe if your daughter sees you & her big sister drinking water this way, she'll be encouraged to do the same. I, also, dilute my daughter's juice w/ 2/3 water to be certain that she's always drinking plenty. Although she's still so young, Walmart has some very cute, inexpensive canteens for kids. They make drinking water fun. Best of luck to you.

Honestly, if she's nursing still she really doesn't need extra water, she is getting hydration from the breast milk. Constipation can just be that her system is quite sensitive to solids. Ask her pediatrician for advice on solving it, you may need to give her some diluted apple juice or a bit of mineral oil. Try to ease up on any bananas or things that contain dairy as they are notorious constipation contributors.

Use the liquid medicine dropper.

food that is dry will be the most constipating so stick to raw blended purees and lightly simmered veggies, the greens are easiest to digest such as peas and zuchini.
they are hydrating and have lots of enzymes to digest themselves. I hadthe same situation with my daughter when she started solids. It will take a while for her body to adjust to everything. My daughter would only take 1 ounce of water or less in the begining. The raw blended pear, apple, peas & zucchini were the easiest for her to digest.

My husband and I always have a cup of cold water nearby when we are at home. Our babies saw us drinking water all day and it didn't take too long before they were interested in taking a sip from our cup. My oldest was much more interested than my youngest. He was drinking water from a cup (with our help and a little spilling) somewhere around 7 months of age. Neither of them were interested in water from a bottle or sippy cup, it's something about the regular cup. They did eventually begin to drink water from a sippy cup, and it has to be cold (that's how we like it too), but they still prefer to drink it from a regular cup (they are now 3 and 2) even though we still use sippy cups for the youngest. A note on the sippy cups and straws, it took my babies a while to get the hang of those, too. I introduced the sippy cup around 6 mos and it took a few months for them to get the hang of it, especially to independently use it. And to get them drinking from a straw, a trick my sister told me was to put the straw in the cup then cover the top of the straw with your finger (trapping some liquid inside the straw) then put the straw in your baby's mouth and intermittently take your finger off the top allowing air in and the liquid to move into her mouth. She will eventually begin to suck on the straw, expecting to get some liquid. My sister's daughter took to it pretty quickly and she had her using straws by about 7/8 months, my boys took a little while to figure it out, and I didn't do this consistently with them, but they got it eventually. My boys love drinking water (they also drink milk and have juice as a treat) and I think it is because it's something they see Mommy and Daddy doing all the time and they want to do whatever we are doing. They also want to drink from our water bottles when we are out (that's a great way to get a lot of water down them, they will drink and drink until it is gone!), and my husband has a "Camelback" that he takes with him to work everyday (he's a Marine) and they always want to drink from that, too. In fact, we got the oldest a "Camelback" of his own for his 3rd birthday and he loves to have it with him whenever we go out. Hope this helps you!

You've gotten great advice and I have to agree. She doesn't need water. Change the foods she's eating instead.
High iron generally is the culprit for constipation so take a look at her iron intake (rice cereal for example is really high in iron). Applejuice is also a natural laxative (not applesauce, applesauce as well as bananas are binding-hence the BRAT diet after a bout of diarrhea) so you can mix a little apple juice in her cereal to help unconstipate her.
Also, instead of giving her more water, you should drink more water yourself.
Also, I noticed the link one mom provided doesn't include the whole story on the dangers of too much water, so this one does.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/540773/
Is it really constipation though? Some good information to make sure and a way to handle it if it is>
http://www.drhull.com/EncyMaster/C/constipation_infant.html

Hi ,If you daughter is constipated try half apple juice and half water!!!But I am sure your peditrician has some ideas! Also it is not a good idea to give to much water, some studies are saying not until one years old! Good luck!

Try using a real spoon and letting her sip it-my son loves to do that!
S.

Have you tried using an orthodontic nipple on the bottle? My DD would only drink using the Gerber Nuk Ortho narrow mouth nipple. I guess it mimics the shape of the breast nipple when the baby suckles. There are several companies that make an ortho nipple, but the Gerber was the only one she would take to.

If nothing else works you can make homemade popsicles and just make it with diluted juice and have your DD sucks on it to get more fluids in her. I just bought some ice pop makers from Target for like $3.50 for a set of 4. It's made by Back to Basics. I bought 4 sets. I use organic juice and it tastes yummy!

We also will just put some water into a straw for my DD and let it drip into her mouth to get water in her.

Good luck!

We use a few things: a dropper, spoon, shot glass, sippy cup. My nearly 8 month old loves water and gets fussy if he doesn't get enough! I would personally avoid grains/cereals of any kind until 1 year because babies don't make the needed enzymes to digest them, which is why some parents say they stay full for longer, ironically. We didn't know this until my now 3 year old was 8 months and stopped the cereal then, but he still has a gluten intolerance now and it is a pain to deal with (literally and figuratively!) The best foods at this age are egg yolks, vegetables, liver, and bananas (since they do contain a good amount of amylase for digestion) from what I have been reading. We also feed our infant this bone meal powder mixed with water or breastmilk, which he DEVOURS and ti is good for bones and teeth. Email me privately if you (or anyone else)want the info on that, it is called Cyrofood and Calcifood by Standard Process, amazing stuff. One website that gave me a lot of good info is http://www.hpakids.org/holistic-health/

Good Luck T.!
J.

Hi T.

If your daughter needs more water in her diet, and won't drink it, then perhaps for now you should consider adding more water to her food? So if you are making vegetables yourself and mashing them down, add enough water to make a difference. If she is constipated, keep her on vegetables and fruit only for a day or two, and it should help.

I found with my second child, that if I offered her a 'real' adult cup, despite the spills, she enjoyed drinking like mummy drank...

Good luck
C. x

Hi Teresa, my son was the same at that age, and his doctor suggested using a real cup, just smaller (like a medicine cup or paper cup for the water cooler). You tip it to her mouth and she might just love the idea of having that little bit of control. My son was exclusively breastfed, but by 9 months I was able to give about 4 oz of breastmilk or water to him in a real cup. Give it a try!

I use a shot glass. It doesn't hold very much and my 7 month old daughter can stick her tongue in it.
She loves it.
I am not scared that she will break the glass, because it is so think.

Good luck.

If you are nursing I would say at least you don't have to be terribly worried. Give her fruits and foods with a lot of water in it like watermelon and the like. Keep offering her the sippy cup though. she'll get the hang of it.

J.
www.thenewfastgirls.blogspot.com

Hi T.,

My 7 month old son had the same problem. He also chews on the training/sippy cup. You should try feeding your baby water with a spoon after each meal. Give her several spoonful of water and if the weather is hot give her more water throughout the day. If you are feeding your daughter rice cereal, switch to oakmeal cereal instead. Basically, limit foods that will cause constipation such as applesauce and banana just to name a few. Try apple juice mix with oakmeal cereal and a bit of water or prune mix with oakmeal cereal. I hope that helps.

D.

Hi, T..

My friend gives her 10-month-old daughter water with a spoon because she won't drink it any other way.

My own daughter who's also 10-months-old has had constipation issues since she started solids at 5 months, but I have been fortunate she's taken to straws and sippy cups.

I understand how frustrating this can be, but if she won't drink water any other way, I say go with the spoon. It's most important to try and get her to drink some water than how its administered.

It will take maybe a half a day for you to see any improvement in her stools once she starts getting water down.

Good luck!

E.

chewing on a sippy cup is how they learn to use it. maybe try a bottle instead till she gets used to the water. but until then maybe try some little tummies laxitive drops mixed in with her food or a pediactric suppository (to use that you have to cut it into 1/4s and only use one 1/4 of a whole one)

I would check with your dr. about the constipation. If your baby still nurses a lot, she shouldn't need water--in fact I've been told by my dr. that babies shouldn't fill their tummies with water that early. And, baby food is so watery that between that and nursing, your baby shouldn't need water. It may be something else going on. . .

I had the same issue with my baby! You should try giving her diluted apple or prune juice! It works wonders!!!!

Actually the research says babies under 1 year should never drink straight water, it can cause seizures: http://www.hopkinschildrens.org/newsDetail.aspx?id=4844. If a baby is nursing, she does not need water. Avoid constipation by looking at which types of foods you fed her and which foods you feed with other foods, but not water.

Give her water with a spoon.

We had the same problem..daughter now 9 still doesn't enjoy the taste of plain water so I obviously didn't find the key! Since she's still breastfeeding regularly - we did until 2 yrs - our pediatrician suggested adding fruits that would help with the constipation. We found ours enjoyed mangos. You might want to consult with your pediatrician to find out what they would suggest but I thought I'd throw in that one :)

glad that you've figured out a probable solution. i hope you do consult your pediatrician before you give the baby anything other than breastmilk, formula, or infant foods. since you're other child had constipation issues, i can understand you being extra cautious this time around. but be sure that she really is constipated and find a doctor that helps you get the answers both you and your husband are comfortable with.

you can mix your breastmilk with the cereal too. it has natural laxatives in it. way more effective than water does. and by the way, the american academy of pediatrics recommends to give only breastmilk or formula ONLY for the 1st 12 months with introduction of infant foods at 6 months. breastmilk is about 80% water, so more breastmilk should help with hydration.