What can I give my daughter to drink besides formula?

Question

This is kind of a weird question. My doctor told me to only give my daughter 4 bottles a day and no juice (because she doesn't need juice). I am suppose to give her water in her sippy cup but the problem is that she won't drink just water. So is there any ideas of anything else i can give her.


I am not suppose to give her juice because the doctor says that juice is empty calories.

Thank you

My daughter is 9 months old.

My daughter is 9 months old and she only drinks 5 bottles a day the doctor says it should be cut to 4.

LET ME CLEAR THINGS UP SHE IS EATING BABY FOOD TOO. I AM JUST ASKING WHAT SHE CAN DRINK BESIDES FORMULA

Answer 1

You should give her as much formula as she wants. At 9 months, shes still growing alot and formula should be her main source of nutrition.

I agree with not giving her juice, just give her a sippy of water throughout the day, she will eventually drink it. It took my son several months to drink any measurable amount of water, but now at 16 months, he drinks quite a bit.

Water is so important and if you start with juice now, it will be harder to get her to drink water later... Just keep trying, in the meantime, shes getting plenty of water from her formula.

ETA:
Juice is empty calories because its lacking the fiber and enzymes that are found in fruit.
It is always better to give water and fresh fruit, than juice that has been processed, pasturized and sitting in a plastic bottle for several weeks/months... good habits start now!!!


Once you have introduced solids, the risk of water intoxication is basically zero, a child won't drink more water than they can handle. The danger is when the baby is a newborn and only drinking BM/formula and has no control over how much water they are given.

Answer 2

She can drink water, if she doesn't take just the water, put a little, just a little, sugar in it. My 6 month old won't take plain water either, i just add a pinch of sugar.

Hmm.. i was pretty sure at 9 months a baby can have juice, as long as it is in a sippy cup and no or very little sugar. Maybe he meant that she can't just have only juice all day. Try one sippy cup a day, diluted with water and with her feedings.

Why is the doctor telling you no more but 4 bottles a day? Especially for a 9 month old. I wouldn't listen to that, i wouldn't have a choice, when my daughter is hungry, she's hungry, and i'm not going to deprive her of her bottle. Feed your daughter when she is hungry.

Answer 3

There is no reason that your doc should be telling you to limit your daughter's bottles during the day. I'm jus tnot getting what that accomplishes; if she is hungry, let her eat. My 5 month old is still breast-fed on demand; and we are just starting some solids. He gets a sippy cup with water in it when he gets food, and he does well with it. I would honestly say that at 9 months, flavoring her water with a splash of juice shouldn't be a problem. You will want to stay away from the highly acidic juices(orange and someone mentioned lemonade) though. Also try white grape or pear instead of apple juice, it's easier on tiny tummies. My ped told me at my son's 4 month appointment that I could start giving him an ounce or 2 of juice daily. I just don't feel the need for that to be introduced yet though. I have given both of my children water as their first liquid(other than BM for the baby and formula for my older one); and to this day water is my 2 year olds favorite drink. Good luck with whatever you choose though!

Answer 4

How old is your daughter? If she is less than 6 months, there is no need for anything other than formula. If she is 6 months or over and your doc wants her to have plain water - she most likely won't ever drink plain water at this point. It is perfectly fine to mix a little juice with it. Like a 3/4 water to 1/4 juice mix. Not even half and half. Just something to give the water a little flavor.

BTW - water is not empty calories. Water has no calories at all. What it does do, though is fill up babies tummy so there is not room for other foods/liquids that do have nutritional value.

Answer 5

Thank you for adding your daughter's age.

Babies should not be given orange juice till a year of age, contrary to advice given many years ago. It's an allergenic for too many babies, so they no longer recommend it sooner than one year.

Keep trying the plain water; eventually she will drink it.

Meanwhile, read labels and find a couple of good sugar free, no sugar added or low sugar juices. Mix juice and water. Try 10 to 25% juice and see how that goes. If it doesn't, you can try a little more, but try to keep it no higher than a 50/50 mix.

In addition, you can make your own juice. You can cook a fruit in water with little or no sugar and then strain the juice for the baby. You can also feed her the fruit left over from this to feed her as baby food. At 9 months she should be able to eat fruit mashed and not need to puree it.

I think your doctor is actually concerned about the high amounts of sugar in baby juices. Juice is NOT empty calories. It's the juice from fruit, and the fruit is not empty calories. The problem is most commercial juices and baby juices have way too much sugar added and he wants to avoid all that sugar in her diet, which IS empty calories.

Stay away from the drinks with artificial sweeteners for now. If she likes a drink that's only 10% juice, you can probably get her to drink water as well with a little effort and getting her used to drinking water is good for her diet.

It might help to get her those little 4oz bottled waters as HER SPECIAL water. Kids love it if something is specially made JUST FOR THEM!

Answer 6

Time to get a new doctor.

Your pediatrician is correct that juice is empty calories. In addition, it trains a child to drink sweetened beverages, a habit that is bad in this day of childhood diabetes and obesity. Juice is also bad for baby's teeth, causing tooth decay (many parents don't realize that tooth decay can start long before a tooth cuts through the gums -- check http://www.ada.org/public/topics/decay_childhood_faq.asp#2 for more details on infant tooth decay).

However, he cannot just say juice is empty calories and then tell you to give your baby water! Water has NO calories. Not only that, filling a baby up on water takes the place of a nutrition-filled bottle, which is very necessary for a baby's growth. Especially with a 9 month old who is going through a growth spurt (the 9-month spurt is the biggest growth spurt after the 3-month spurt).

Also, water is bad for babies because it creates an electrolyte imbalance that can lead to system shock. So NO WATER, not until your baby is about 12 months of age (you can check the American Academy of Pediatrics for more details -- http://www.aap.org )! Formula has all the fluids your baby needs, even in hot weather.

So what can you give your baby in addition to formula that is not juice and not water? Nothing until 12 months of age, when you can switch (slowly!!!!) to cow's milk. Prior to 12 months, your baby should not drink cow's milk because it is highly allergenic, can cause iron-deficient anemia, and overtaxes a baby's kidneys and liver due to the high content of minerals (yogurt and cheese have already been processed to death and are okay in small amounts).

Babies at 9 months usually need about 32 ounces of formula a day, in addition to any solids you may be feeding your baby. Yes, that's four bottles, but if your baby wants more -- again, especially at 9 months when growing takes center stage again -- feed your baby more. She will let you know what she needs, and who better to judge your baby's nutritional needs than the mother that is with her 24/7?

Please do NOT give your baby strawberries -- they are highly allergenic -- or mixed beverages likt e Crystal Light, that teens and adults drink, or evaporated milk (used in place of formula in 3rd World countries in the 70s and caused an onslaught of malnutrition). At her age, all your baby needs is formula. Good luck!

Answer 7

Actually at 9 months a baby really doesn't need anything but formula/breastmilk to drink. Booth have water in them and your Doctor is right NO JUICE! Juice is for kids to stay hydrated that don't like drinking milk as frequently and really shouldn't be introduced until after first birthday. In these summer months try giving her water in a cup while you hold it or mini dixie cups, it was the only way I could get my daughter to drink water. Good Luck.

Answer 8

You dont say how old your baby is but if she's drinking from a sippy cup then I assume she is at least 6+ months old. I dont give my baby juice either - Empty calories as doc says and more nutrients in the actual fruit. I would offer her as many bottles as she'll take but she should be slowing down on formula intake providing that you are offering her a variety of whole foods (fruits, veggies, cereal). I try to give my daughter water too but she doesnt like it. remember this: you cant force them eat, poop or sleep!

Answer 9

You can give her juice, don't worry about it. If you want you can put a little juice in with her water to make the water taste a little better. My kids love to drink water, I have to keep their water bottles full and in the fridge. Juice is fine for a 9 month old, but I wouldn't give her too much at a time and I wouldn't just give her juice. I always cut my kids juice with water, I still do actually and they are 7 yrs old and 3 yrs old. Good Luck!!

Answer 10

How old id she? If she is under 6 months old, you should not give her anything other than formula or a little bit of water. Juice is filled with sugar that a baby does not need, if you do give your baby juice, cut in half with water. My opinion is that you do not need to get your baby hooked on sugar so young.