Get 7 Month Old to Drink Water

Why do you need him to drink water? Too much is actually really bad for a baby under 1 year. If you offer a little at mealtime just put it in front of him and let him decide if he wants it, he does not need to drink it if he's BF.

Seriously: You are not suppose to give water to any child under the age of 12 months due to the risk of "water intoxication". Under 12 months, a baby's kidneys are not developed enough to process water. It causes an imbalance of electrolytes and can then cause swelling of the brain and death. You should google "water intoxication, infant" for more information. Here is one link: http://mobile.associatedcontent.com/article/931669/infant...

No no no water... Only breast milk or non-diluted formula.

I know this is a repeat of someone else, but if he's breastfed, theres no need for water.

I wouldn't intro juice, as it's so full of sugar. My son only drank out of a straw until he was 2....never took to a sippy cup. Now he drinks out of a sports top bottle.

Our Pediatrician said that babies get enough water in their formula. If you really feel strongly about this then ask your Pediatrician or make an appointment with a Nutritionist that specializes in infants. Formula/breast milk is total nutrition and if you feed them food or other drinks it takes away from them getting the needed nutrition. I think if you mix 2 oz. of water with 2 oz. 100% juice that it makes the juice become half a serving but adds the water you are wanting to add. I would not do this mix or add another juice bottle though.

Baby food is very little nutrition and is for teaching the child to chew and swallow. So, when we feed it to our babies we need to make sure we aren't cutting back on too much formula or breast milk.

I firmly believe 100% juice is totally okay. Too many mom's are not giving juice to their children and I think this is a mistake. The United States Government thinks so too. Check out the food pyramid for child care of WIC and juice is on there. A serving of juice is a serving of fruit. The real problem is understanding what a serving size is and for what size person.

My son is now 11 months old, and we started him drinking water at about 6 months. We did it by introducing water consistently as he ate his food, and then he gets formula as "snacks" and before bedtime. He got used to the taste and now we can hand him a bottle or Nuby cup (most effective when teething) from time to time if he's just had a very full diaper or is hot and seems fussy. We also use water to soothe him if he wakes up in the middle of the night, originally to avoid night feedings. I agree with Rachel D. to stay away from juice right now if possible. There is a lot of added sugar in most juices and, if you want to get baby used to drinking water, they need to get used to the taste. If you must, must use juice, there is a brand called Ceres at Whole Foods and other places that is all natural and no added sugar and I would use no more than 1/3 juice to 2/3 water ratio. I think that's a last resort.

my 2 yr old wouldn't drink water either. so I bought some stuff at the health food store that is a vanilla creme drop for flavoring. this stuff has no sugar in it. you put in 2 drops and now he drinks water. there is more water than anything in it. it is expensive but well worth it. I tried bottle water tap cold refrigirated and nothing worked. now he drinks alot of water. good luck.

My son is 2 1/2 and loves his water. It took him a while to get the hang of the cup. I ended up with a straw cup at about 8 months that he took to great, and he has used them ever since. I was nursing, and figured I would add a bottle to the things I'd have to wean him from later. I never gave him juice, not until he was at least 18 mos or so. I just figured I didn't want him to be a juice baby that would only drink that. So it is for special treats like eating lunch out, I get him a juice box. He still prefers water to anything else, but I'm sure if juice was an option he'd want it all the time. So I wouldn't go down that road, save yourself the hassle.

At 7 mos, he should be fairly well hydrated from formula or breastmilk, so I wouldn't stress about it if it takes him a while to drink water. (And yes, too much water can be dangerous. I was just trying to get mine to develop a liking for it and for using a cup.) I just kept offering a little bit at every meal until he drank it, now he can't get enough. Which I am sure will be a pain for nighttime potty training, but at least I don't have to worry about dehydration. So I would say, just keep offering plain water at mealtimes, always in a cup so you don't have to teach him a new thing later, and don't worry too much until he gets off formula/breastmilk unless he seems dehydrated for some reason. It should definitely not replace any formula/breastmilk, and it can make them drink less milk if you force it.

I started my son on a soft tip sippy cup (nuby) every meal time he gets only water in it. He loves it.

My son is 6 months old, and I am sooo against putting juice in a bottle, just a personal preference. I bought those NUBY cups with the super soft spout (almost like a bottle nipple, but shaped like a sippy cup top) and do about 1/4 juice, and 3/4 water. My son will drink just plain water from a bottle.

My daughter was still only getting breastmilk at that age, but I did start "cup practice" with her around 6 months. A little plastic toddler cup or a with some room temp water. Once she started solids (around 9-10 months) I served water with food. As a result, she had fully mastered a cup and a straw cap by a year old.

I agree that your baby probably doesn't "need" water and it CAN be dangerous in too large amounts. But introducing it is absolutely fine. You live in a hot, dry climate and it is important to know that your child WILL drink water when it is necessary. I live in Texas and my pediatrician recommended a few ounces of water a day when I introduced solids.

After she turned a year old, I added around 3 oz. of juice a day with an equal amount of water. But I never called it water...I called it juice. If your goal is for your daughter to drink water...then you need to continue to introduce plain water.

It can take 10 or more introductions before a baby or child can really know if they "like" something or not.

Juice can be a good addition to a diet...in moderation like everything else. It is ridiculous that it is classified as a serving of fruit--the removal of the skin takes away so much of what makes most fruit good for you. It can be a good way to get adequate vitamin C...especially if there is a history of anemia (as there is in my family). But, juice doesn't have to be part of a healthy diet.

I don't go 100% organic myself, but I tend to choose organic in what I consider riskier fruit choices. For instance...did you know that China is one of the largest producers of apples in the world? They have a horrible record of oversight and have many more chemicals at their disposal that are not even tested for by the USDA. I haven't read that somewhere, I've actually participated in a project trying to find test labs in the US and CA that can test non-foood crops for a wider array of pesticides. There are very few labs here that can test on the level of EU countries.

Ok...sorry for that last tangent. But, I was really, truly horrified by what happens in Chinese food production and try to avoid buying food products from there.

P.S. Juices are labelled with country of origin of the fruit.

Not sure if your baby is giving you a tough time drinking water.... but i have found that with many kids, if you just put water in a sippy cup and sit it in their play area... they will just drink it when they find it.
Rather than you handing it to them... then they are more likely to refuse. My girls drink tons of water, as do I! Good luck!

Hi D.! I would say not to bother with water at this point and I would say a huge no to juice. Clever marketing makes us think that juice is a great way to get our fruits or veggies, but it's just a sugar overload......even if it is only fruit sugars.

definitely not juice as its completely unnecessary adn nutritionally defunct. my baby wanted to drink water when he saw me drink it. i just happened to be drinking water out of a cup and he got all excited when i lifted the cup to his mouth. since then i've put it into sippy cups and he loves it still. he still likes to drink out of mine too ;)

My doctor said no water until they are around 1. It is too thin and they could choke easy on it. They don't need water, they should be ok with just formula or breast milk.
Hope this helps!

Is your 7 month old breastfed? If so, you really don't need to supplement with water. But if you want to offer a bit my best suggestion would be to offer in a sippy with just a slash of juice. I would also offer it at a cool temp rather than very cold.

I agree with Rachel that juice really doesn't have any place in a bottle.

I have 4 boys and can assure you that a 7 month old does not need nor should they have water at this age. All they need is breastmilk or formula. Juice is not something they need either -it's too much sugar for their little systems. If you dilute it, then they are filling up with diluted sugar water - even if it's 100% juice. Again...just stick to breast or formula and they will be completely fine.

dont worry about it so much. its ok if they dont but if you insist be patient. my 7 month old nehpew doesnt like water or apple juice and the ped said its fine.

I can't believe I am reading this. Babies under 12 months old don't need and should not drink any water or juice. The only liquid they should be drinkong is breastmilk, or formula, if mom is not nursing