Hellobee Boards

Water! Juice is not nutritionally necessary at any age and is a great way to promote cavities!

We started introducing it at around 6 months and definitely water! Now LO is almost 13 months and he loves water! We don't see a reason to introduce juice. He also drinks milk at this point.

We introduced water at 6 months!

We've used pear juice for constipation issues, but we just replaced part of the water in his formula with a couple ounces. I can't imagine it tasted very good!

I am going to try to avoid juice for as long as possible. DD is loving her water with meals. She is even more excited to drink water rather than eating solids.

We are going to start putting water in a sippy cup soon!

Our pediatrician's office is very anti-juice. They have posters everywhere showing the equivalent amounts of sugar in various juices, etc. Our doctor, however, did say that he could have water after 4 months. We've given him sips here and there.

I started water in a sippy around 5 months. He loves it. It took a while for him to actually drink any but he loves sucking out the water and letting it run down his chin.

I don't ever want to introduce juice!

Eek, I wouldn't give juice for anything other than constipation issues, maybe. We started giving water in a Sippy around five months.

I think as long as your LO's weight gain is not low, water shouldn't be an issue. I believe the reason they recommend waiting for water is because they don't want babies replacing some of their milk intake with water and not get enough calories in a day. I had a chubster though so I was t really concerned about that.

@Pepper: I started yesterday. R liked holding the sippy cup but she didn't really know what to do with it!

@Pepper: I'm going to try to add something helpful rather than just the slew of "I would never give juice!" You have already received : ) If I remember correctly your LO has had some weight gain issues? If so, that may be the reason they are recommending not giving water. In your situation it may not be he best thing for him to fill his belly with something that's not giving him any calories. Even in general outside of weight issues it is recommended not to give breast fed babies water until 6 months as they simply don't need it. Lastly, your LO will eventually learn to use a sippy. I promise he won't go to Kindergarden with a bottle. So if I were you I would just hold off until 6 month.

Oh and my LO HATED water at first. So for a couple days I mixed a little apple juice in to encourage her to drink it. It worked and we quickly cut the juice out. It doesn't seem to have ruined her!

We started water in a straw cup around 7-8 mo and she finally got the hang of it around 9 mo. Now at almost 12 mo, we'll be transitioning to milk in a straw cup as well. But I see no reason to introduce juice to her.

I am so interested in knowing why they would recommend juice also. I have a friend with a 3 y/o who has cavities because she gave him juice, not realizing it was so sugary. Definitely would stick to water or bm/formula only.