How do you keep your LO hydrated? what do they drink? - Page 2

[Honey693]

At that age we were doing 1/4 juice, 3/4 water. Now DD1 is 2.5 and we do all juice. I used to worry, but she never refused food b/c she was full on juice and she doesn't eat tons of sugar so I go with it. She drinks tons of water in addition to a cup or two of juice, but almost no cow milk.

[sweetiebird]

DS1 (28 months) nurses 2x/day, drinks a lot of water and a very little cow's milk. He doesn't like juice. If I give it to him, he drink a bit and then give me that 'you're trying to poison me look'. He always has either a sippy or a straw cup of water on the go, easily accessible for him. I started that when he was around 10 months or so. I don't think that I have ever really 'made' him drink. I just leave a cup of water always available and let him regulate. So far, it's worked for us.

[earth-mama]

My DD is 28 months and we only give her water and she also drinks milk.  She did not start drinking milk until my supply dried up (I'm 30 weeks pregnant now).  I believe that she may drink some juice at her daycare(I would prefer no juice, but she is only there 2 mornings a week and it is easier to just let it slide), but we don't give her any at home.  She drinks plenty of water when she is thirsty.  I make sure she always has a sippy cup at her level (easily accesible) so she can drink when ever she wants.  She will also ask for water.

[not_telling]

DS is almost 3 yrs. now, but when he first started drinking things other than breastmilk we only offered water.  Then water with some juice (maybe 10-25% juice in the cup) and cow's milk.  Nowadays he still drinks all of the above, although the percentage of juice per cup ranges more from 10%-50%.  He's usually fine when we say "it's not a juice time."

For what it's worth, growing up my sister and I really only drank juice or milk or juice mixed with seltzer.  I hated the taste of plain water.  My parents never bought soda for the house unless there was a party.  Sure, I totally loved soda...and still do.  But the most I ever drank when I was no longer living with my parents was 1 soda per day (maybe 2 or 3 in college), and for several years now I'll go weeks/months without having a soda and it's no big deal.

[lemontree]

DS is 19mths.  He gets breastmilk and I have a cup with a straw full of H2o around.  Some days he drinks a lot of water, some none.  He also loves coconut water and asks for it.  Some days he drinks almond milk which he loves.  Some days he drinks kefer.  We do a lot of hydrating fruits as well, esp since we live in Southern CA which is so dry.

[octobermom]

14 month old here..

most comes from nursing  she still is nursing at least a good 6 times by day and twice by night.. Shes gets water with meals and has access to a cup with water all day. We occasinally give soem fruit juice or a milk typle drink but its jsut that an occaasion a change of things nothing day in and out. We do water overall if not breast.

deanna

[coldandsleepy]

I offer my son water periodically throughout the day, and he asks for it now sometimes too.  He never does drink a ton-- maybe two sips at a time.  But I too figure if he's thirsty, he will drink, and if he's not, there's no point in pushing it.  For a long time, he really didn't care about it at all and I would offer him ten times a day to be told NO ten times a day. 

Part of why juice can help with constipation actually IS the sugar content-- sugar can make stools absorb more water and become softer.  If you're worried about the amount of juice, could you  try scaling back the juice a bit and see if your LO is still going poo?  Then scale it back a little more if he still is, and so on.  As long as he's healthy and not subsisting solely on juice, I don't think it's harmful for him to have some sometimes, especially if it keeps him from being blocked up!

[McGucks]

Just momma milk and water here.  Our LO is almost 14 months, also (03/26.10) and still nurses many times a day (6-12?  we don't count).  I do keep water around for him in a sippy cup and he also tries open cups several times a week, but it is safe to say that there are many days where the majority of water he drinks is in his bath.  We have never given him juice, but he is offered fresh fruit several times a day.  He really doesn't eat much other than momma milk, though (some days only blueberries & maybe a few bites of other things, like unflavored yogurt, Oatios, or cheese).

[JudiAU]

Toddler still nurses, has a mix of bm-cow's milk when I work, and is offerred plain water. At almost 2, like DS, she's never tasted juice and I don't intend to start. The kids drink water to thirst. There is always a sippy out if they are thirsty and they get cups with their meals.

I think juice is just sugar-water and I didn't want them to be hooked.

[Snapdragon]

I tried some of the suggestions from this thread in the last two days! Tried scaling way back on the juice/water and offering more water yesterday he didn't drink much of the plain water but today was better- he would drink a few sips and stop but that was fine and he had very little juice in any water today- also I gave him some melon. I am not gonna go 100% off the juice water but scaling way back- offering plain water much more often

[SomethingAnonymous]

My son is 21 months and he just nurses on demand whenever he is thirsty mostly.  When I'm drinking water he often wants a drink as well.  I'd say he's getting a lot more breast milk than water though.  He occasionally has a sip of juice, MAYBE once a month. 

[superlove]

My 11 month old son is getting ready to cut his 6th tooth.   He's biting a lot during nursing so he's down to only nursing 2-3 times per day:-((. Also, he rarely takes a bottle or a sippy cup with water, mama's milk or diluted juice..  His stool is pretty hard, he seems constipated...  I'm just worried that he's not getting enough fluids... Also i'm wondering, will he EVER take a sippy or straw cup?

[Lillitu]

We always have a sippy of water available, and he avails himself of that. We offer juice 3-4 times a week. He gets cow milk sometimes.

I like the idea of herbal teas or melons. I am gonna try that this summer! Thanks, mamas!

[AKA_PI]

My son does only milk and water at daycare. At home I give him milk with dinner but he does get watered down juice during the evening. I learned that giving him water is all about packaging. He loves to drink out of the water bottles I have so I bought him his own little jug and fill it with water each day. He carries it around the house and sips on it throughout the day. I found this to be pretty helpful in getting water into him. I also give him kid-safe herbal tea from Teavana.com I don't add any sugar and it has tons of antioxidants that are good and safe for kids. 

in the middle of the night, I give him watered down juice or water. It depends if he will drink it or not.