Can I give my 8 month old water/juice?

Shannon - posted on 09/27/2009

I read some great advise to you in this by a couple of people. Should be fine. The only thing I will add from personal learning under fire is if you give juice, water it down. There is nothing worse than what I did to my first one. Lots of juice not watered down = diaper blow out and poor red raw painful hiney.

Sheleenya - posted on 09/27/2009

Yes you can give your 8 month old water and juice but not the citrus kind until he's 3 yrs old. Apple, pear, and white grape juices are the best for first timers (this info. came from a class I took). You can mix 1 part juice with 2 parts water first then make it sweeter as time and his stomache adjusts.

Marquita - posted on 09/27/2009

I have an 8 month old son too and like yours mine was breastfed exclusively for 6 months. I started him on rice cereal at 6 months and from there we have moved to veggies and fruits. My son nurses all throughout the day and sometimes it is a fight to get him to eat his veggies and fruit mainly because he wants to play. Water for him at this age is fine. I give my son a sippy cup with water and he too is not interested, so what i did was instead of giving him actual juice i cooked an apple because that was our fruit of the week and the water that it cooked in of course contained juices from the apple. I took that reserved liquid and poured into one of my empty jam jars and let it sit in the freezer. After trying again day after day with the water i decided to thaw the juices from the apple. I poured this in his sippy cup and he loves it. Maybe this might work for you. Leave the skin on the apple and just cut it up of course do not add anything to it no sugar or etc. As far as the nursing goes it is normal for him to nurse less because he is eating solid foods. Keep track of how many diapers he is wetting and talk to his doctor if you are concerned. As far as bowel movements go they change once they start eating solids. My son went from being very regular to every other day every 2 days post solid foods. Now he wets his pamper a lot and the bowel movements are picking up a little more but still not everyday. I would say keep a log for a 1 week-2 weeks with his diaper activity that way you have something to show your doctor. I hope that this helps. It is so nice to see another mom with a son the same age with similar issues. I hope we can continue to help one another in the future.

Sharonda - posted on 09/27/2009

Yes you can give your 8 month old water and juice. I was told at 6 months by my doctor that i could. Just make sure juice is diluted. I was doing for every 2oz of juice i added 3oz of water. Some fruit juices were sweet to my taste. Didnt want to b to sweet for her.

Claire - posted on 09/26/2009

Milk is a food, so when eating solids you may find that they wont nurse during the day. My 6 and a half month daughter is the same, I nurse her first and last thing, and throughout the day she has water

Zoe - posted on 09/25/2009

yes yes yes go for it both are good they have baby juice on the market and it tastes great.

Sally - posted on 09/25/2009

You could pump and put your milk in a sippy cup for him. That way he would still have your milk during the day.

Lisa - posted on 09/25/2009

It's definantly okay to give him water bor juice at this age. Juice should be given in a sippy cup, tho; and don't give it to him while he's laying down. ( as with a bottle, or any drink, it could back up into the ear canal and cause infections - why semi upright is the best feeding position. also, any drink with any amount of sugar - milk too -can cause tooth decay, even if baby doesn't have any yet.) If you want him to drink more milk, which he needs, give him the solids about 30 mins after feeding milk. Are you using breastmilk to prepare his cereal? That's also a goodvway to give him milk, and it keeps him wanting that flavor. good luck!

Ann - posted on 09/25/2009

I appreciate everyones replies!!! Big help thanks a bunch. I just re-read what I wrote and I know regardless of what i give him my milk will dry up, I didn't type it how I meant to. What I was TRYING to say was I know my milk will dry up because my body makes what he wants, I just don't want to give him formula, thats why I was questioning the juice. But everyone seems to say 2 oz of water 2 oz of juice, so thats what I'll do! Thanks a bunch!!

Robin - posted on 09/25/2009

You sure can just diluted with half water. and only two ounces a day is what my pediatrician told me, that is 2 ounces juice 2 ounces water, for a total of 4 ounces diluted juice a day



giving him formula isnt going to dry your milk up any more than giving him solids, your milk is drying up because you are not feeding as much, your body produces what he eats, but he is on solids now thus not BF as much thus your body not making as much,



I dont always explain very well but whether its formula or baby food, either way your not BF as much.

Jackie - posted on 09/25/2009

I would continue to try the breastmilk but if he wont take it, something is better than nothing. I would try for the infant juice as it offers more nutriants than water. the reason for watering down the juice is because it can cause diarrea because it's high in sugar. but they also have those yogurt juices too. My 7 month old loves those.

Ann - posted on 09/25/2009

Quoting Iysha:

You need to make sure he is hydrated and getting the nutrients he needs. Formula or breastmilk is recommended until at least six months and formula is better to give instead of juice or water because of the nutritional value even after the six months until the child is a year old. I don't think water or a bit of juice with mostly water will hurt but like I said, breastmilk or formula would be best. As for your milk drying up, anything you decide to give him other than breastmilk will make your milk dry up. It's not like if you give your baby formula you will dry up, but if you give your baby juice, you wont. Remember that you will have enough milk if your baby is taking the breast. If he isn't nursing during the day, then start him on a bottle/sippy cup and breast feed him at night.

Thats what I'm been doing thus far. Nursing him at night but he needs something during the day. Do you think formula is better then water or juice? I know either way, whatever I give him my milk will dry up, I just didn't want to even give him formula because I heard they can perfer one to the other. I'm trying to avoid any further problems. lol I don't want him to perfer formula over breastmilk and not take it at all. Thats the only reason i was leaning towards water or juice. Thanks though I'll give it a shot

Iysha - posted on 09/24/2009

You need to make sure he is hydrated and getting the nutrients he needs. Formula or breastmilk is recommended until at least six months and formula is better to give instead of juice or water because of the nutritional value even after the six months until the child is a year old. I don't think water or a bit of juice with mostly water will hurt but like I said, breastmilk or formula would be best. As for your milk drying up, anything you decide to give him other than breastmilk will make your milk dry up. It's not like if you give your baby formula you will dry up, but if you give your baby juice, you wont. Remember that you will have enough milk if your baby is taking the breast. If he isn't nursing during the day, then start him on a bottle/sippy cup and breast feed him at night.

Shannelle - posted on 09/24/2009

As long as he is eating solids it will be ok. When your child is only feding off of breastmilk or formula it can be dangerous to give them water or juice. The reason is bc it can throw off their electrolytes and give them seizures.

Katie - posted on 09/24/2009

i give my son a bottle of watered down juice 2 ounce of juice and 2 ounce of water he drinks it in a hurry and the doc said it was fine.. a baby this age can have up to 4 oz of water a day

Sheleenya - posted on 09/27/2009

Yes you can give your 8 month old water and juice but not the citrus kind until he's 3 yrs old. Apple, pear, and white grape juices are the best for first timers (this info. came from a class I took). You can mix 1 part juice with 2 parts water first then make it sweeter as time and his stomache adjusts.

Sharonda - posted on 09/27/2009

Yes you can give your 8 month old water and juice. I was told at 6 months by my doctor that i could. Just make sure juice is diluted. I was doing for every 2oz of juice i added 3oz of water. Some fruit juices were sweet to my taste. Didnt want to b to sweet for her.