When Can I Give My Baby Water or Juice?

W.-
everyone and every baby is different. I started to give my daughter water when she was about 2 months old and was fine with it. However she started to have constipation problems so my doctor recommended giving her SMALL amounts of juice. So she is almost 6 months and has been drinking juice for a month or so now. She loves it. I dilute it though. I give her about 1-2 oz of juice and then add about 4-6 oz of water. Just so she has a little taste. But it helps with her constipation and my doctor said juice is fine for infants (just dont go overboard with it). I recommend the GERBER juices found in the baby isle. They are made for babies. Pear and the white grape juice are really good. The main concern my doctor had was that she didn't want juice to suppliment her formula. So I would say start with water and if you feel like it add an ounce or so of juice to the water if you want. Its your baby, you will know what to do. I have tryed to give my baby juice in a sippy cup but she doesn't like that yet. But every baby is different. Try it out! Hope this helps!

I think my son was around 9 month when I would give him a little juice. Water is good at anytime. Keeps the hydrated, especially when they have colds and during the hot times.
As for the sippy cup, don't put water in them until after she so totally off the bottle. You could start with a little toddler juice with some water so it becomes a treat for her. Along with milk at meal times is another good way to start. For sippy cups I recommend getting some that have the handles on them, they make it easier to learn to grab with.

I would stick with water. Juice has very little nutritional value for a child. It is just sugar-yes even the 100% ones are loaded with sugar. As long as they are getting enough fruits/veggies in their diet. There is no need for juice. It just fills them up. My son is 3 and still gets watered down juice if any at all. I would also try the Nuby cups. They are soft like a bottle or breast so it is an easy transition. Juice in a bottle also leads to a higher rate of cavities so I would do it in a sippy cup. :)

I didn't read all the responses. I did not give my oldest juice at all. She loved water. I stated at about 5 months with a sippy cup. She did great with a regular cup when we where sitting down to eat our meals. I would start with water at meals and keep a cup with you when you are out. Don't use the bottle for this. she is old enough to start with the sippy cup. My doctor said to use juice as a dessert not just to drink. My 4 year old didn't like juice til 3 and then only orange juice.

I would not give juice at all, it is not necessary just added sugars and such and a baby can not burn that extra off at this point. Water and breat milk or formula is plenty for a baby of that age. Hold off on the juice until a yr or more. A sippy cup, I think, can hold off until about a yr. I found that my daughter took very well to a sippy cup at a yr, when I started to give her juice/water mix and water alone and I used the bottle for stictly milk/formula. That way she was never confused and then she took to only sippy cup quiet well. I think some kids can get frustrated when they try to use a sippy cup and cant yet and the parent is trying to give them milk through it, or some kids wont take a bottle if something like water or juice is coming out because they are use to only milk. Good luck!

As far as going to a sippy cup, I didn't transition until around 1 year of age. And then it took a few weeks I think to totally be away from the bottle. My son had a lot of constipation issues and still does ocasionally. He is almost 3. I can't remember when I started him on juice/water. But I would think as long as you are getting the recommended amount of milk, water/juice in between should be okay. Check with your pediatrician. And I never give him entire juice due to calories, etc. I mix about 1/4 juice to 3/4 water. If he is constipated I do half and half. Hope that gives you a little information.

Just so you know, it isn't necessary to give your baby juice at any point. They don't get much nutrition from it (if any) so it is like giving them sugar. fills them up with little or no benefit. We never gave our kids juice and they never complained about it. In fact, when they were around 2, they would refuse it and ask for water instead. So just make sure that you know WHY you want to introduce it to them before you do it.
From my memory, I don't think they need anything else to drink (besides breastmilk or formula) until around their first birthday, although when they can hold the sippy on their own you can offer them water in it a few times a day. Of course, you can offer the milk/formula in the sippy then also. Unless of course they get a stomach bug and need to lay off the dairy for a day or two... then you can give them the pedia drink products made to prevent dehydration.

I started my daughter on a sippy cup around age 6 months. By 7-8 months she had is down! And juice, I probably gave her juice around 4-5 months as well. She handled it just fine and loved it actually. I don't think there are any specific guidelines to follow.

I agree with the others that say don't give juice at all. Babies really don't have any "need" for juice - it is just extra calories and they become accustomed to the sweet taste. Water is best. My son never had juice and never knew the difference, then he started day care when he was 15 months old, and they give the kids juice at snack time. I didn't have a problem with that, but then my son started asking for juice at home all the time, so I had to start buying it. I say stick to water - it's good for them.

Dont give juice at all if you can prevent it. I made this mistake with my oldest son and it made a mess of his teeth. Even though I brushed everyday. She is old enough to introduce a sippy cup. It took me about 5 cups to find one he liked at first. If she absolutely will not drink plain water I would try to find something sugarless to introduce a little flavor into the water. I used to make what we called sweet water, it was to break him from the juice, it was water with a bit of sweet and low in it and sometimes a splash of lemon juice.

Take care and good luck with your LO

T.

W.,

1/2 and 1/2 juice & water is fine to give your daughter. I do not recommend water at her age - I would wait until she is almost 2 as water has no nutritional value which is what they need at this young age.

I think 6 months is fine for a sippy cup and a great start to weening her off the bottle too. I switched my son to sippy's as soon as he was off the formula and PRAISE GOD we never had to look back. I must say that I do not miss having to wash all those bottles, match up the nipples, etc.

Hi
Rule of thumb is don't give sippy cups until they sit up on their own and have more coordination. use your judgment, but I would say at least 8-9 months maybe at the table while you're there.
Also, water can be given in a bottle day one from birth.
Juice, make sure it's baby juice specifically for babies, so it doesn't have too much acid in it. Read the label.

I started giving my son baby food when he was 5 months, just because when he started eyeing my food I knew it was time. You can start giving her water anytime you want. I started giving my son water when he was younger. He was always drinking milk constantly so i gave him some water for a change. So anytime. My son is 8 months old and I started introducing the sippy cup a month ago. I give it to him about twice a day. He does pretty well with it he just has to get use to it other than a bottle. The only thing I put in there though is juice. He recongizes something different in the sippy cup and it makes him want to drink out of it more. Once I switch him over to regular milk I will put it in the sippy cup instead of the bottle. It's easier for transition and that way he won't want to the bottle. I would try with baby food and if your baby can sit up on her own try the sippy cup once a day. I would recommend using the sippy cups that have the soft tops because it's easier for them to get used to sucking on it. Once she is used to that way of sucking then change the type of sippy cup. Just a suggestion. Good Luck

I didn't read what the other responses were, so I may be repeating them, but here's my advice. If you want to give her juice it's OK, just water it down alot. And I found it eaiser to get them off the bottle if I didn't give juice in it. I used bottles for formula and breastmilk. Once it came time to intro juice and milk, I used a cup.

I started giving my son water around 4 months (doctor said to, and it wasn't like he drank a whole lot of it). I gave it to him in a bottle. When he hit 6 months I started the sippy cup thing and by 9 months he didn't use a bottle at all (I did the formula, the little he drank, in sippy cups). As for juice we started at 6 months, but only the basic fruit (apple, pear, grape, prune) and do half water half juice. My son didn't really take to juice at first, so I only got the little bottles and did 1 1/2 oz juice and equal amount in water once a day. It's all about what you feel as far as weaning off the bottle, but I suggest it! I mean the more they use the cups, and you start getting them use to it, and then work towards putting formula or breastmilk in it, the less they'll want the bottles. Nuby makes a cup with a silicone nipple like spout that my son took right too. He didn't care for the Gerber cups at all. Good luck.

I didn't know, so I looked. Check out this website, it answers all you questions.
http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/giving-baby-jui...