When Do I Introduce Liquids?

[hijadelrey3]

I have an 8 1/2 month old dd who is almost EBF. She has just started eating a few solids in the past week or so. About a teaspoon a day, I guess. Though yesterday evening perhaps more. We aren't really measuring. She doesn't do bottles or anything. I'm a SAHM. When do I introduce other liquids like water? Is any kind of other liquid (like watered down juice) even a good idea? Do I do it by introducing a cup? What kind of cup? Any advice or links would be appreciated. Thanks.

[karika]

dd1 began drinking water when she started eating food. About 8 mo sips of water here and there, then offered at will when she started eating in earnest at 10 mo. We used a real glass. dd2 was different. She started grabbing for my water early. She also sweated very early. I would be holding her and her hair would be wet where it made contact with my arm. I followed her cues on water. She started having sips at 4 mo. She started drinking a glassful at 6 mo. She has always nursed a lot. Like hour or more long sessions, many times... of course sometimes she has quick sessions, but she nurses a lot. She started eating at 8 mo or so and drinks a lot of water. She was not like dd1, she spilled her water, so we got a BPA free sippy cup. I removed the regulator though. She used it until she showed she would drink without purposely spilling. I only put small amounts of water in it, never any other liquid. She now drinks from a glass and has been since 14 mo or so.

[ann_of_loxley]

I am not quite sure on when myself - but I would stick with just water.

[Llyra]

I started to offer water as soon as they started to eat any appreciable amount of solids. I don't offer juice to babies-- I think it fills them up and takes the place of more nutritious stuff. But water is fine. You may need to play around with different cups before you find one that baby likes.

I always had my kids practice drinking in the bathtub (not the bathwater, obviously, but offer the cup while baby is in the tub.) That way you don't have any worry at all about spills. Outdoors is good, too.

My kids all had trouble as babies managing the spillproof-valve cups. If you're going to use one, you might want to try offering it without the valve, so that the water flows freely. Or just offer a small open cup, or one with a straw.

[Kmama2]

Like everyone else said.. when you start offering food start offering a cup with maybe a tablespoon or so of water in it. My 8 month old also eats maybe 1 tsp of food a day and he likes his Nuby cup. He probably only drinks maybe 1/2 Tablespoon or less of water but its good practice to learn how to tip the cup, and drink.

[NSmomtobe]

Like the others, I plan to offer water in a (sippy?) cup when I introduce solids, but if he doesn't drink much, I won't worry because he will still be getting enough fluids from breast milk. I don't plan to introduce juice any time soon.

[hijadelrey3]

I want to thank you ladies so much. I offered some water today though we have some work ahead of us for using a cup I wasn't really wanting to introduce juice so thanks for the confirmation on that.

[Artichokie]

i offered water in a shot glass at a year old. before that my dd got only breast milk, either from the tap or in a shot glass (the perfect size for little hands and doesn't break when dropped).