Don't Know What to Do...

Have you tried the pedialyte. My son was and is very picky but he seemed to love the stuff. Just a thought.
Good luck.

Does she like popsicles and jello? You can get them sugar free if you are worried about sugar and they are good for hydrating. I know that's what works when my kids have a fever and milk is not an option. As far as the rash, I used to just keep desitin with some cornstarch on them - preventative instead of playing catch up after the rash developed. We went through a lot of cream that way but it worked. My pediatrition also recommended "bag balm" which is thicker than regular desitin. Hope this helps.

Give her the formula. She isn't even a year yet, it's better for her than juice, and she likes it.

Good luck.

at 9 months old she should be drinking more than 12 oz of formula a day. she should still be getting most of her nutrition from formula... up to 24 oz a day.

i'm a navy wife, too. are you stationed at bethesda?

You are doing a great job! Does she also have any redness on her cheeks? The butt redness could difinetely be from allergies. My son ended up being protein allergy. You don't have that problem thank God. You are lucky it sounds like she might not like sweet things. (juices) If you give her fruit out of the cups you might try putting the juice from it in a cup and letting her drink it. She might get the connection and have fun drinking the juice. How about some vegetable juice (like V8). If it is ok with the doctor you might try alittle organic milk. They usually say not to give the babies milk until after the 1st birthday but organic milk doesn't have the same antibiotics/hormones in it. I used to play tea party alot to get my daughters good eating habits started. You might try having a tea party with the favorite stuffed animals and give them all water with a small amount of juice in it. Then pass the cup to her (while you are holding her and it of course) and let her take a sip. She might not think about the taste and just have fun. Sometimes it is visual with kids. I don't know if you live on base but we have alot of young moms that come to our casual bible studie on Wed. and the advice flies in that room. We have childcare. It is at Beach Fellowship. God bless you. Hope these suggestions help. Remember . . and this to shall pass!!

Hi, instead of focusing on drinks, have you tried solid foods? I'd add a little water to applesauce or water down her cereal/oatmeal a little more. Perhaps you can keep her hydrated with fruit such as cut up grapes, canned peaches or oranges. Low sodium soups are a good choice too. Best wishes.

he said she didnt NEED more than 12oz a day of milk no that she couldnt have any more. i'd give her food (the amount she should have) and if she still wants a drink of milk i'd let her have some. you have to do whatsright for you and your daughter not what most kids want or need. as long as she is healthy what else matters.

just a suggestion, instead of creams applied to her rear for the breakout problem, these sometimes do more damage than good, try this homemade remedy that my nieces great grandmother told my sister to use on her rear. She too would break out, but to the point of bleeding all the time. Drs told my sister to use creams over the counter to watch what she eats and drinks,so forth and so on. She still would break out until great grandmother told her of this concoction to use, after this she never broke out again as long as her rear was smothered in great grandmas home remedy for diaper rash. follow this concoction if you would like.

mix together cornstarch (regular) and mylanta together in a bowl until a paste is formed. Rub this on childs rear with every changing. Apply it thin or thick its mothers choice.

It worked wonders on my niece. If you decide to use it I wish you luck and hope it helps your little one also.

Good Luck

I have 3 children. Ages 7, 5, and 21 months. I would keep giving the formula. If you were breastfeeding the Dr would not tell you to limit the amount you breastfeed. At 9 months your daughter should get about 4-5 bottles a day with 6-8 oz. in each bottle. Sometimes you just have to do what works for you. Kids will start drinking other things when they are ready. My 5 year old and 21 month old LOVE milk and would rather drink that than anything else. Hope this helps.

Have you tried water in a cup? If the water is not in the bottle, sometimes they will drink it better. My children loved their water in the cup - because it was "the cup". My children also loved drinking through a straw... Go figure!

As for the diaper rash - I don't think it has anything to do with the lack of drinking. Try vaseline for that. It's unscented, it forms a barrier between her sweet skin and the not so sweet pee, and its will keep her skin soft.

You are doing the right thing by staying away from sweet beverages. If you can get her to drink the water, you'll be ahead. When the weather gets warm, and you offer water, she will drink it if she is thirsty!

Good Luck!
LBC

I just read your "a little about me" section and it says your daughter is 9 months old...is she still 9 months old, or is she older now? If she is still 9 months old I am incredibly surprised that your doctor told you she only needed 12 oz. of formula. My son is almost 11 months old and the doctor said he should be getting between 16-24 oz. a day.... and then after he's one, he should be getting around 16 oz. of milk a day. I feel like this might be a case of you know your daugther best, and maybe she is just a kid that needs that extra formula during the day instead of water or juice... she just might not be ready for other liquids right now and that's ok. Do what works best for your daughter!

Your daughter is only 9 months old! Breastmilk or formula is suppoosed to be baby's primary source of nutrition until 1 year.

Is the juice you are offering 100% juice? Does she have the same reaction when she eats fruit? Is there a history of food allergies in the family? Is she generally prone to diaper rash? If you use a barrier cream (vaseline, desitin, desitin clear,A&D ointment) after all diaper changes does she still get the rash?

Honestly I think you might want to try seeing another doctor- if my son's pediatrician gave me the kind of "answers" and "help" that you are getting I would be looking for a new one before I left the exam room.

I would certainly confirm with the doctor that he/she meant no more than 12 oz. That seems like such a small amount. My one year old still took three 8 oz bottles of formula until he turned one, and now still wants those three bottles, but I put whole milk in them. My doctor said he shouldn't have more milk than that, but that's 24 oz. Check to make sure your doctor meant no more than 12 oz. per day... maybe it was a misunderstanding... if not, get a second opinion, or a new doctor. Meanwhile, give your baby some formula in between.

sounds like she is dealing with yeast. I'd for sure give her probitoics from the health food stoe in her bottles. I have recommended mant times becuase it works and it's onlt good for our bodies. You can buy it for babies or adults and pour it in her bottle. I don't think its the milk but a candida (sp?) problem. I can sent you more info if you need!
Blessed you,
~P.

My son had this same problem. A couple things I tried that seemed to work. First, I gave him water first thing when he woke up - not a lot, but a couple ounces. He was usually pretty thirsty when he woke up, so he would drink anything I gave him. The second thing I did was fix his regular amount of drink, and then put several ice cubes in the bottle. This worked wonders. The ice melted gradually enough that it didn't water it down befoe he drank it, but it gave him the additional hydration. Now he drinks water like crazy, and his bottom can now tolerate the diluted juice much better.

Hope that helps!
L.

Does your daughter seem dehydrated? If she likes the formula, maybe you could give her some, in a sippy cup, with meals. Even though your doctor says she doesn't NEED more than 12 oz a day, she might benefit from the extra liquid if she won't drink anything else?? My kids range in age from 18 years to 16 months old, and I have learned (through experience) that doing your own research can give you a lot more info. than the pediatrician! I always ask the doctor about important issues or ask their opinion on the info. I find...maybe you could ask your pediatrician if more formula will help.

A.,

Double check with your doctor on the amount - at this point your daughter should be drinking 3 bottles of 6-8 ounces of formula a day. My daughter just turned 1 and for the past 4 months that is the amount of formula I have been giving her with 2-3 ounces of juice watered down (to make a total of 4-6 ounces). Is she having enough wet diapers? That is a big indication of whether she is getting enough to drink. My husband is in the Army - so I deal with military docs, too. I've never had one tell me no more than 12 ounces of formula a day...so please double check! Good luck!

I think the minimum amount of formula she should be getting daily is 12-16 oz. That is the minimum! Two of my children struggled with bottles/formula after I weaned them and my pediatrician told me they needed at least 12 oz. If she will drink it, up to 24-28 oz. is acceptable and probably needed! Her reaction to the juice is telling you that her body is not quite ready for it. If you use any of the cereals, mix water or formula in them to give her a little extra fluid. Honestly, I'm not sure if your pediatrician gave you the best advice. Good luck!

Hi! My daughter who is 5 now was on three to 4 bottles of up to about 28 ozs at 9 months and did not go down to milk three times a day with meals till she was 1 year old. Then I gave her milk in a cup and only whole milk. Her doctor would not allow fruit juice till age 3 (we started at 2) b/c it steals their appetite and increases sugar cravings and the risk for type 2 Diabeties and obesity later on. They prefered fruit instead, water and milk. I definitly would get a second opinion. I think the primary source of nutrition for under age 1 is breast milk or formula. My 7 month old has 2 meals a day and 32 ozs of formula in four bottles.
Maybe you could try three 6-8 oz bottles after meals, so she eats but still gets the important nutrition from formula.

Please give her the formula. 12 oz is not a lot to drink at nine months, they still really need the nutrition that comes from formula and breast milk. Seriously think consulting another pediatrician on this...

I would ask dr. how much other liquid she needs in a day. If she is reacting with diaper rash to even very mild, no acidic juice watered down you might ask about allergy testing. I would also avoid the flavored water especially the sugar free. artificial sweetners are not good for growing bodies. There is sugar in formula. If you offer her plain water she should drink if she is thirsty. If she has good urine output I would not worry about dehydration. During warm weather homemade fruit juice popsicles are a nice treat.

I'd give her whatever amount of formula you think she'll consume. You don't say whether you also nurse her or if her formula is special to compensate for some sort of food allergy. If it isn't, I'd demand a referral for a pediatric allergist and get her tested. Nine months seems early to specifically cut back on formula if she's doing well with it. As for not drinking water, keep offering it. She'll take it eventually.

R. M, Army Wife

I can't believe that a doctor is telling you a nine month old baby only needs 12 oz of formula a day. Is she eating solids that well? I was giving my babies at least 32 ounces of formula a day until they transistioned to whole milk at 12 months and my 14 month old daughter now drinks mostly 2% milk and some water, but she doesn't like juice as of now. If you are worried about hydration I had also read that Jell-o can be used for hydration. If worse comes down to worse, you can always try bird feeding her with a medicine dropper. I have two medicine droppers(1 tsp) that have come in handy when my daughter wouldn't drink what I was giving her. That way you can give her a little at a time until she gets used to it.

I went through the same thing with my little one....where the doctor told me he only needed to nurse once or twice a day. I was concerned too, that he wasn't getting enough to drink. The doctor told me that they will drink when they are thirsty and not to worry. He also told me that there is a lot of water in baby food which might explain why my son didn't feel the need to drink as much. It wasn't until he started eating more table food, that he started drinking more. Now he is 18 months old and always has his sippy cup handy. :-)

I my opinion, if she is thirsty/hungry just keep giving her what works. No one knows your baby better than you. There are some additional great resources on mothering and Holistic moms network to help you. To clear up the rash - stop giving her things that are causing it. Do you cloth diaper at all? You can try burt bees diaper cream and put some probiotics in her formula. Do you Breastfeed, too? This helps too, If not, no worries. I hope this helps.

I'm not sure what you have tried but give gatorade a shot or even watered down coolaid the are both good forms of hydration for kids. Good luck

Any person of any age WILL drink plain water if they get thirsty enough. It's the best thing for them, no kidney filtration required, no sugar on the budding teeth, no allergic reactions! No one will get dehydrated on purpose (ie. if there's no vomiting or diarrhea). But kids WILL manipulate their parents to get the KIND of drink they want, and moms (we are all prone to feeling guilty over the littlest thing) will be the first to cave in. Don't do it. Some poeple just do not thirst as much as others. Let your daughter's body be the one to request water, and forget about when was the last time she drank, forget about the whining (if she whines, which most will if they don't get their way) etc. Guarantee she'll drink water if it's her only choice.

Most pediatricians I have spoken with, and a lot of things I have read do NOT recommend juice at all. It takes so much juice to equal a fruit serving, that it isn't worth the calories and sugar - and it creates a sweet tooth. I would try that as a last resort, and if you do give it, do 1/4 juice and 3/4 water - after all, they dont' know the difference for a LONG time! My daughter is almost 4 and has never had straight juice and doesn't know what she is missing.

I did 16-24 oz of formula until 1, and then 16-24oz of milk after that.

Here is a random thought - have you tried giving her more watery formula? Like just increasing the water ratio, and giving it to her more often? I assume this doesn't impact the formula at all, as long as she is drinking it all! Other than that, sometime aroun 10 Months, my daughter learned how to suck out of a straw - which she thought was the coolest thing ever. We put water in the straw cup and LOVED it. Perhaps making it special?

have you tried gator aide or pedialite gatoraide water it down a bit

I'm surprised that she's only getting 2 bottles a day at that age. My son didn't go down to 2 bottles until he was 1.
Have you tried white grape juice or pear juice added to water? Those were the least troublesome for my son. You may just have to keep giving her water or "juicy water" for a while until she gets used to it and starts drinking more. That's what my son did. He didn't like it at first, but when he was thirsty and that was all there was he would drink it. Pretty soon it wasn't a problem.
As for the rash, the juice may make her pee more acidic or there may just be more of it when she drinks which can cause a rash. You could change her more often and use lots of a zinc oxide cream for a while and see if that helps.

12oz per day...I would check on that. My son was just a year old and he still drinks about 15 - 18 oz of whole milk. Prior to us switching to whole milk - he was drinking formula.

He too is also eating more meals....but they still get a LOT of what they need from the formula.

Unless there are other health issues that you didn't mention, I think you should change doctors. I have a 16 year old son and a 15 month old daughter (same pediatrician for both) and NEVER have I heard such nonsense. I did start both on cereal and fruits/vegetables before the recommended times but both continued to take the suggested amounts of formula (for my son that was because he couldn't get full by age 2 weeks while my daughter seemed ready early).

Each child is different depending on their size and appetites but they need at least twice that (24- 32 oz)but mine each took even more (closer to 35)! You can go to various websites or your local WIC office for a feeding guide. The more water and/or juice that any baby drinks will reduce the amount of formula and other foods they are hungry for so at age 9 months, they should be kept to a minimum. Obviously, in the heat or when sick they should drink a bit more liquids.

As for the rash with the fruit juice, it could be that she is allergic to them or it could be she's not ready for them yet. If you haven't tried White Grape and/or Pear yet, those may be a good option. I would not continue to give her juice if the rash continues and I can not believe that any doctor would suggest otherwise (not doubting you but rather questioning their judgment!). Does she eat fruits and vegetables without a problem? If so and she is ok with Carrots, Gerber makes a nice juice Apple Carrot and Carrot w/ Mixed Fruit that may work.

Here is a link (paste it in your web browser)for a feeding guide.

http://www.verybestbaby.com/MyBaby/FormulaFeeding.aspx?Ar...

Now that the U.S. seems to be having a weight epidemic, many doctors are concerned about "fat" consumption but until age two, don't worry about too much milk. There is so much brain and other physical developments (teeth and bones) in the first two years of life that children need all the milk they can drink. Please do not let your doctor tell you otherwise.

I don't know where you are located but according to the email I get, you should be in the same general area as me. If you are in the Dover, DE vacinity I would suggest Dr. Bacchus ###-###-####).

At 9 months she still needs either formula or milk. My daugther is 16 months. She is not longer on formula (stopped about 14 months) but she still needs milk. She seems to enjoy soy milk best and it doesn't give her any problems like milk sometimes does. For a doctor to say only water ot juice at that age doesn't seem right. They need milk and not juices, too much sugar and nothing else. GO with your gut and what the baby feels.