Ask:
DS just turned one a couple of weeks ago. I am not only BF in the morning and at night. I am trying to get him off his bottle so I haven't been giving it to him at home, just when we go out and he needs something to drink.
He decided that he didn't want to drink from a sippy cup for nap time so he now doesn't have anything to drink before nap time. I offer a cup with meals, but he just doesn't drink that much throughout the day.
Besides BF he maybe drinks 5-7 onces a day, at most. He seems to be doing alright with wet diapers. He doesn't has complettly soaking wet ones, but he does wet 3-4 a day besides his big morning diaper.
How much does he need to be drinking each day? I know he needs more then he is getting, but I guess I'm looking for an amount so I can strive to get that much for him. I mentioned it to doctor at his last appointment, but she talked about just having him drink from a regular cup instead of from a sippy cut. I didn't really get the information that I was looking for. (by the way, he doesn't do any better with just a cup)
Also, he doesn't like his whole milk and won't really drink it. Any ideas for that besides buying a can of formula to mix it with? We don't really have a lot of extra money, so if I can get him to drink it without having to buy formula to mix with it that would be great. I know he needs the vitamins though so if that is the only way, it looks like I will just be getting some of it for him.
Thanks guys. Any ideas for either problem would be great.
Answer:
Do you have a breast pump? You could try mixing some of the breast milk with regular milk in a bottle.....if he hasn't ever had a bottle yet. I would think it would be easier for him to transfer from a bottle to a sippie than from breast to a sippie.
OR, you could put all breast milk into the sippie just so he can get used to that. Then slowly mix it with whole milk untill you end up only giving him whole milk.
I am not sure how much they are supposed to drink at that stage.
My problem with my DS is that he would not drink juice. When he got the flu last fall he had to go to the hospitol for dehydration because he would not drink juice or water. Milk would just make him throw up more, so he was not getting enough fluids.
(We have finally gotten him to drink from juice boxes but he still will not drink plain water.)
Answer:
He is used to bottles, but we are trying to get him off of them being he is over a year how. He has had his sippy cup over around six months. He likes to use it while he eats, but I have never really pushed it that hard being I was still nursing him four times a day. I always figured that he was getting enough liquid that way. He likes juice and water, but will only drink just a little bit at a time.
I guess I am just worried that he isn't getting the vitamins that he needs being he is only nursing twice a day and won't take whole him. Dh and I don't eat like we should, but it is really important to he that Noah gets all the vitamins and minerals that he needs to grow big and strong. I'm trying really hard to give him a good balanced diet, but sometimes it feels like he just eats carbs all day.
Answer:
My Ds did this when I transitioned him from the bottle to the sippy cup! I decided that as long as he was having enough wet diapers, then we would just go cold turkey and he adjusted in a few days. Also, give him foods that are high in water like fruits and veggies. I had already started feeding him yogurt and cheese, so he got some calcium & protein & iron from them. I did go against ped's reccomendation of giving him a bottle if he didn't take x amount from the cup, but he is no worse for the wear and now he drinks all of his milk and will drink juice &/or water all day if I let him. (I do let him & dd walk around with sippy cups and they are great drinkers, although I learned a few weeks ago that they won't drink any flavor of pedialyte!) HTH
Answer:
I believe a child that age needs 20-24 oz of fluids a day. Don't forget your little one gets fluids from food too. Trust me if your child is thirsty your child will drink...no kid is that stubborn.
Jen
Answer:
Thank you all! It is so nice to have some encouragement. I hadn't thought about him getting fluids from the foods that he is eating, or about the nutrients from other dairy products. He loves yogurt and cheese slices. It makes me feel a little better.
Answer:
my ped has told me many times not to worry as long as you are offering it and the baby has wet diapers everything is fine.