11 Month Old Refuses to Drink Any Liquids

What does the pediatrician say? I would talk to him. And I agree with the other responders. Solids are NOT empty calories.

That's a tough one. I think kids that age usually start decreasing their fluid intake. At 15 months, my daughters were both proabably drinking 16 ounces per day. 24-32 SEEMS like a lot for a one year old? I might try calling your PCP and asking the nurses there. At any rate, for hydration, I recommend trying to give lots of water based foods like melon, cucumber, etc. And for the fat/protein/vitD part, maybe keep giving formula for a bit longer instead of switching ot milk. I have read that formula to 18 months is somewhat in favor these days (just as many babies breastfeed past 1 year). Give lots of dairy and protein enriched pastas and breads.

And by the way, I wouldn't say solids are empty calories - be happy you have a well rounded eater. But infants under 1 year do need the fat and protein in breastmilk or formula. I think telling you to "refuse solids" is crazy. But maybe, offer the cup first, and be slow on delivering the meal. Let him fill up on milk a little bit before the meal. Best to you.

Did you get his ears checked? sometimes pressure
in ear canals can make drinking painful.

I have never had this experience with my child but I would try to leave a note for your childs doctor and speak with them if you don't feel comfortable with her suggestions. Do you have him on a regular schedule?? It may be that something else is going on if this is out of the ordinary and it has been going on for 1 1/2 wks. I have never heard of having to retrain your child to drink fluids or milk. I would just go over her head. Sorry I couldn't be more help.
Good luck!
Jen

What your nurse said is not true. Solid foods are not empty calories just because of being solid. Empty calories are sugar, refined wheat and junk food. 24-35 oz a day include all liquids your child gets a day, including liquids contained in fruits, veggies and other foods. Try to give him different liquids like no sugar juices, soups, puree vegetables with milk. Try different kinds of milk - whole organic milk tastes much better and actually is healthier that low or no fat ones. And if you still are breastfeeding - ignore your nurse. Your child might have enough liquids from your breast milk. Anyway, as long as your child is not dehydrated, take it easy.

Hi

As he get's older and eats the things that you are eating and is having 3 meals/day plus healthy snacks he isn't going to need as much milk , the nurse is wrong to tell you to stop solids , where is the logic in that? If he was refusing to eat and only drink milk I bet she would tell you to stop milk!! Solids are not empty calories....does she only drink milk?? I bet not! He is obviously not thirsty , just make sure he has a drink at meal times , plus if he eats plenty of fruit he is getting liquid from that. You said that he has plenty of wet/dirty diapers so no need to be concerned. I think sometimes health professionals are to opinionated and try to follow a text book too much , my youngest is 15 months and she has 3 meals/per day with a fruit snack in the morning , she drinks water at meal times and she has 8oz of milk per day , 4oz when she wakes in the AM and 4oz before she goes down on the evening.

Hope this helps and continue as you have been doing , you are doing a great job and you know what is best for your child.

K.

Our son went through something similar when he was getting his two top teeth in. Our pediatrician said to keep trying every trick we could think of. She also suggested really loading up his table food with formula/breast milk, even if we have to add extra baby cereal to keep the consistency the way he likes it. The formula that we use has 20 calories per ounce, so we always aimed toward getting two or three ounces mixed into every meal. You might also try mixing up smoothies in the blender. That might be fun and different enough for your son to drink them down. Have you tried offering your son a drink with a straw? That might peak his interest. Good luck and hugs to your boy.

If he is on solids, maybe it is time to change to a solid gummy vitamin and not the Tri-Vi-Sol. I tasted it when my baby cried during every bottle I gave her and it tastes bitter.

He knows what good food is supposed to taste like. My daughter was associating the liquid drops with all liquids and did not want anything to do with it. After a few drinks of the good stuff (no drops) she forgot all about it.

This shows how little nutrition most nurses and Dr.'s have in this country. One of my big pet peeves. Your child does NOT need to drink milk!!! Don't know if you have tried rice milk, almond milk or other non dairy options. You can also make up a smoothie that is very thick. You can use water and fruit in this, or yoghurt, or milk.
Good luck,
L. M

hee! solid foods are just empty calories? so i guess everyone should just quit eating and drink milk.
that's the wackiest nutrition theory i've heard in a LONG time.
i think it rocks that your son eats such a good healthy balanced diet, and his 'output' reaffirms that he's doing fine. i'm betting this is a short-lived phase.
khairete
S.

Try different delivery methods:
Freeze juice/water into popsicles.
Try the PediaSure milkshakes
Snowcones
Ice
Ice cream

It all adds up

My pediatrician said that I should not be giving my son more than 24 oz of milk a day and that 16 - 24 were reccomended otherwise it starts block nutrient absorbtion of other things. Plus if he is peeing and pooping just fine I wouldn't worry about it. As long as there are wet diapers he isn't dehydrated. My son drank barely anything when we first switched him to a sippy cup at a year and then a few weeks later really got the hang of it and drank a normal amount.

As long as you are feeding him healthy real food it is not empty calories. My son was eating three meals a day at 11 months old and those meals were not empty calories. They were mini versions of the healthy meals we were eating!

If he isn't peeing as much then you should take him to the doctor to get checked out for more serious problems.

I'm not sure what's going on with that nurse, but the solid foods are not empty calories. If that were so, we adults would all be starving to death!! Having said that, she is correct in that infants and small children need more nutrients in concentrated form, and cow's milk or breast milk are excellent sources. Plus, we all need liquids in sufficient form for our bodies to function and process solid foods correctly. Was there a specific change that occurred when he stopped drinking? Did you go from breast to cow's milk, buy a new brand of milk, buy new cups, anything different in the surroundings that he might associate with the refusal? Perhaps you can go back to what was working before until he gets over this phase. What fluids exactly is he drinking, if not milk or water? Is he still drinking formula, or a Pediasure type liquid? Perhaps you can find a way to incorporate liquids into the solids he's eating, such as soupy oatmeal, soups that he can "drink" from a cup, make a fruit smoothy in front of him, making a game of dropping the fruit into the blender, etc. Don't hesitate to be sneaky about getting the liquids into him. Good luck!