My Daughter Doesn't Want to Drink Water

Wait a month and then cut her milk with water. They are allowed Milk at one year. My daughter had half milk half water for the longest time. Good Luck

Here's an excellent trick:

Get a water cooler that dispenses hot(with safety valve)and cold water. If she's walking, let her get her own water at various times of the day. With supervision of course. She'll think its a game and will want to "play" all day. Even if she only takes a sip here and there, she'll be drinking.

Works with my 4 year old.

Good luck to you and the family.

She doesn't NEED water as your ped says. My breastfed daughter didn't drink water until she was 15 months. Think about all the places in the world where it would be dangerous for a baby to drink the water supply. They stay hydrated with breast milk. She'll drink when she's ready, tell your hubby it's not to worry, it's NO BIG DEAL.

Both of my daughters were the same with water so I decided to heat up the water just like I heated up their milk and I dedicated a specific bottle or sippy cup just for water because it seems that once I used a bottle or cup for milk (no matter how much I washed it) it always smelled like rotten milk when I put water in it. My girls also refuse to drink any juice but the doctor said there is too much sugar in juice anyway so I stopped trying and just make sure they get enough water and milk. Hope this helps.

Hi, I have a 8 month old daughter, and she does not like the sippy cup either. I put the water in a bottle. I know you are breast feeding, but the bottle might be an option because she is already used to a nipple. Try the sippy cup when she gets a little older.
I have also found that just out of the clear blue sky , my daughter willsuddenly like something ( food, toy etc..) she didn't a month ago. Just keep trying! If you force it she will dislike it even more.
Good Luck!

If all else fails it is OK to add a little juice to flavor the water. My 2yo son won't drink water, but will drink 'juice'. He throws a FIT if I give him water most days! In a 10oz sippy cup I put about 1oz of juice and 9oz water. That is enough flavor for him and not too much juice for me at all!

I used to have to do 50/50 water/juice and slowly kept cutting back the juice. Some (hot, summer) days he will drink water with no problem, but days when we are stuck indoors and he can actually focus on what he's drinking he's very picky.

But do try other suggestions first - it would be best is she would drink plain water. I like the idea of a water cooler. If you go to www.sanrio.com they used to sell a Hello Kitty one that held only 10 cups of water and only had "cold" and "room temp" so you wouldn't have to worry about hot water and it would probably be cheaper. (I know this because my hubby bought it for me for Christmas one year and I had it on my desk at work, which was awesome when I was pregnant!)

If your dr. agrees, add a few drops of fresh lemon juice to the water. I didn't like water when I was younger and only drank it with fresh lemon added. Outside of coffee, tea or wine, water is all I drink any more.
Good luck~

honestly, whats up with "6 oz", i mean is that his magic number or something. there is absolutely no reason a breastfed baby needs to drink water. if she is thirsty, breastmilk is a much better choice than water because of all the good stuff in it. was she showing signs of dehydration? if so, just breastfeed more. its mostly water anyway.

if its just to get her used to it, keep offering, and try the nuby cups as most kids prefer them. if she doesnt like that one, keep trying different ones. but again, dont worry at all, there is no need she needs water right now. the one thing i would say is do not give juice. once you start that, she will not ever want water, and juice is the number one reason children have dental issues.

dont worry at all about this. talk to your husband, he is not understanding the benefits of breastfeeding. and remember, this is not a medical issue. your doctor is giving an opinion, and i would wonder if he gives the same opinion to formula fed babies. think of it like this, formula is ONLY given for the first 12 months, while breastfeeding can continue after 12 months. they are two different things, but it sounds like he is giving you the same advice he would to them.

one thing you will learn, maybe not until you have a second child, is doctors give you suggestions or opinions. you can go to another doctor and get completely different advice. you dont have to follow everything they say. make sure you separate true medical advice versus an opinion. good luck

I just want to add that doctors don't even agree among themselves on many topics, and this is probably one of them. Sadly, many pediatricians are not that well versed in nutrition. You just have to go with your instincts sometimes. In this case, just keep letting her play with the sippy cup, maybe try some different types/colors of cups, but like other moms said your daughter is still a baby and needs to fill up on more nutritious drinks and food, not water.

Will she drink other beverages from a sippy cup? You may want to try giving her some water in a bottle. If she doesn't take it, don't worry. Try again in a week or two.

Z., Like one suggestion below -- warming the water might help. My kids didn't like the coldness of water. Also, my grandmother told me to put a pinch of sugar in the water - that makes it more sweet like breast milk. I know everyone will tell you to stay away from adding more sugar to a child's diet, but it may help and reduce the stress between you and your husband...
Good luck!!

My daughter is 14 months old and still drinks very little water. I am lucky if she drinks 2oz a day. She flat out refuses juice. I am slowly weaning her from nursing and she does drink whole milk, which I am thankful for. I just make sure she gets water in her food, with fruits like pears and other vegetables. If I feel she is not getting enough, I puree some veg or fruit with water. My pediatrician said that as long as she is wetting at least 5 diapers a day and cries tears she is not dehydrated so I stopped worrying about it.

I don't remember my doctor pushing water. I know that formula obviously has a lot of water in it (powder mixed with water). I assume breast milk also is mostly water (or liquid). As long as she's getting liquid, why is your doctor pushing water? Did he/she say why? Maybe it's to get her used to a sippy cup. If that's the case, it doesn't always happen over night. My daughter (who was exclusively bottle fed) didn't want a sippy cup for a long time. I introduced it to her at 12 months (changing from formula to whole milk) but she wouldn't use it until she was about 18 months old.... You may need to try different types of cups. One day, it will just click. good luck.

If your (breastfed) daughter is well hydrated, she doesn't need to drink water. Also remember, depending on what she's eating, your daughter will be getting liquids from other sources and that your breastmilk is 90% water--plenty if you are BFing on demand.

The 6 oz of water recommendation stems from mainly formula fed babies who are prone to constipation. Breastfed babies don't need anything except breastmilk although offering water or extra breastmilk--especially on hot or active days is a good idea.

Keep an eye on your daughter's eliminations and activity, watch for signs of dehydration (reduced peeing, constipation, lethargy etc) and continue to offer her breastmilk, liquids and watery foods (fruit, broth etc). Otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much.

Z.,
Congratulations on nursing! Breastfeed as much as she likes, and she will be happy. Stay hydrated and full of good nutritious food, and she will lack for nothing.

What is not forced now does not become an issue later. Your daughter WILL learn to drink from a cup. She'll do it in her own time, there is no race to do it, no award for getting it done early. If she blows bubbles, that's fine! She probably has a problem with the texture of the cup. That's fine too.

Sometimes it is hard to help other people see that breastfeeding really is good for the child - and I know first hand that some husbands can be overly challenged by friends and family about 'issues' with when to quit, when to have kids drinking from a cup, etc. People you never thought would either care about what your child is doing or where they are developmentally can have a pretty strong opinion - AND try to force it on your baby! By staying on the same page with your husband and your beliefs, it will only help.

Be firm, be strong, and keep yourself educated, which you are well on your way to doing. Your baby is depending on you to be Mom and do what is best for them, not everyone else.

I think I cheer everyone here that has made it past the 6 month mark and still chooses to nurse their baby, for whatever reason. Everything I have learned, from here, from the net, from friends, and La Leche, all confirms what my baby seems to be telling me: Breastmilk is really what is best for him.

Good luck!
M.

Breast fed babies DO NOT NEED to drink water..... she is getting ALL of her water from YOU, so it is not necessary for her to drink more water. Not to be rude, but your husband needs to lighten up. (sorry)
D. N.

The best thing I can suggest is try the leakproof straw cups. I use the Munchkin ones and they are great. Put the water in it and let her have fun. If she wants to blow bubbles in it don't worry, it won't leak. One thing that worked for my 16 month old was putting an ice cube in the water. She would keep trying to figure out what the noise was, by shaking the cup and hearing the ice, she would drink a little more and shake again. by the time she was done the ice was melted and the water was gone. Take advantage of the curiosity toddlers have. Good Luck.

Hi, my son wouldn't drink from a sippy cup or even a bottle by himself no matter what was in it. He tried, but didn't figure out how to tilt his head up to get the liquid in his mouth (and refused my help)! Anyway, one day, about 12 months old, after he saw us drinking from a straw, he wanted to try and easily drank a whole cup of water on his own. So i suggest trying to teach your daughter how you use a straw and she may think it's fun, and a lot easier. And a splash of juice will give some flavor to water to make it more palatable if need be.