When did you start giving your baby Orange Juice?

cleopatra4485

Hi all.

My DD is 7 months old now. Getting her to drink anything else apart from milk is becoming a bit of a nightmare. She hates water and I have tried to pursue it, I have tried cold water, warm water, room temperature and over and over again, but she just pulls a face and spits it out and then clamps her mouth shut. She is the same with watered down baby juice and the flavoured baby water. I tried her with a sip of orange juice and she loved it, opening her mouth for more, is she allowed to drink Orange juice now, when did people start to give their babies orange juice?

Thanks
Cleo

jackieglasgow

Cleo, if I were you I wouldn't give her anything but milk and water just now, she'll learn that if she's thirsty she'll need to take what she gets. You'll be setting her up for a sweet tooth(which they have naturally at that age, hence the reason it's the only thing she wants to drink from you!). My younger DS also refused water for a while, even though he'd been taking it from birth, aroung seven or eight months, but with persistence, he did eventually take it. She doesn't need the orange juice, the water will be fine. If she's thirsty, she'll drink whatever you give her.

Plans_all_plans

My daughter was 3 before she had anything other than milk or water, but I've got friends who gave them juice and chocolate from the word go. It depends on how you want to bring them up, if you're happy with her drinking juice at her age, then ok, but if not, she wont dehydrate herself and will drink something other than juice soon enough.

jackieglasgow

I'm sorry that sounded like a lecture, to answer your OP, about three I think. I'm not one of those no juice mums, I just wanted them not to think that was all they could have, and appreciate drinking water was perfectly acceptable, I let them have squash, and fizzy drinks are allowed when out for dinner, weekends, etc.

Buttonmoons

Do you mean pure OJ or diluting squash? DD got weak weak diluting squash at your LO's age as she wouldn't take water either, or the baby juice, and hated cow's milk as well (though that wasn't until age 1 we found that out)

xmaslolly76

Personally i would offer water but if she likes juice then a little watered down shouldnt hurt her every now and again i wouldnt be giving it neat though it very bad for their teeth. My boy is 8months old and if he is thirsty he will drink water otherwise he turns his nose up at it i do very occasionally give him a drop of water thats been frightened with some squash if you see what i mean and he loves that but it is a treat and a very rare one :-)

alleycat`

DS is 19 months old and drinks in this order:-

Milk.

That is all

He won't drink anything else - by choice.
He used to drink water and a bit of diluted juice but a few months ago milk became the only drink in town.
Frankly i'm not too upset about it (apart from the not drinking water).

cleopatra4485

Thanks I was just worried as she is on formula now, I have stopped bf and the box says she should be having 500-600ml a day which is about 4 bottles a day, I don't want her to get fat, by having fatty milk overdose so trying to get her to drink water for when she is thirsty. I am thinking whether to dilute the orange juice more and more each time I give it to her until it is just water. I just wanted to double check that it wasn't a serious health risk to be giving her OJ. I know it wont be best, but I think it might trick her into having water, which will be good in the long run.

brians_daughter

my youngest lo has diluted pure oj/apple from 7 months old - but on doctors advice, he had probs doing a poop and doc said to give him diluted apple or orange juice to 'get things moving' oh and it did...the most nasty things i have ever witnessed! lol.

Dentist told me usually you shouldnt give fruit juices until at least 2 and a half as their teeth enamel hasnt hardened properly (this is the same dentist who didnt realise i had an absess tho so i dont tend to pay much attention tbh, but he said it all the same)

Other posters are correct when they say that by offering juice now they could develop a sweet tooth early on.

A well baby will never willingly starve its self of food or water, so maybe lo isnt actually thirsty and cause water tastes so bland they would rather not bother... when it is hot and they need a drink they will gladly drink it.

If you do give oj (my doc said to me to dilute it 1oz juice to 8oz water for constipation) be aware you may get some very expolosive poos and baby may get a few stomach cramps - mine did when i gave him oj but dunno if that was due to constipation?

Apricot

If you are going to give watered down OJ to your LO try to make sure it is a proper 100% fruit juice and not "from concentrate" as these usually have a lot of added sugar.

Gingham_Ribbon

I gave mine watered down juice (not squash or 'juice drinks') from about a year I think, but they both took water fine, so it wasn't an issue for us.

Your dentist will be able to advise as obviously the sugar and acid content of orange juice on a regular basis isn't good for teeth.