Question

Question: how do you get your 17 month old to drink. ANYTHING? He’s getting so constipated because he doesn’t drink enough. Poor kid. He eats so many fruits and vegetables, we’ve adjusted his diet accordingly. He takes probiotics. He just rarely drinks. I’ve tried new cups, my cups, silly straws, milk, water, ice water, flavored water, diluted juice, straight juice and nada. We’ve even tried to make a game out of it (as much as we can to get him to understand). Any tips?  

Answer 1

Popsicles. Or even frozen juice. This must be so frustrating for you.  

Comments

@mears I’ll try popsicles! Thanks! I just need him to take in more liquid. ‍♀️

Answer 2

If he's eating a lot of fruit and veggies, he should be getting the fiber he needs to not be constipated. Have you talked to your doctor? Also, popsicles?  

Comments

@forgetmenot he’s pooping. it’s just so hard and dry because of the lack of liquid he’s intaking. I’ve given him some stool softeners but I don’t want to keep giving it to him.  

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Id try popsicles. Does he like slushies? You can probably make slushies out of juice and water. Applesauce.  

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@forgetmenot he eats applesauce. He just needs to take in more liquid. I'll try the slushies! Thanks!  

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Be careful with bananas and apples. They bind and exacerbate constipation.  

Answer 3

Try a syringe by putting it to their side cheek and expel the fluid into their mouth. Watermelon and celery also carry a lot of water. Then there is sugar free freeze-pops.  

Comments

@facetious but how often would I need to do the syringe/day? How many ounces does he need to not be constipated. Ya know?  

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Joanna, you ideally would do it as often as you can get your child to receive it. You may have to integrate the syringe delivery during the 3 meals and in between. Go slow and see how much they can receive as you do it and you feel comfortable with. If they spit it out you can add a thickener called “Thickit” to it and then add it to their foods and in their mouth and they’d swallow with less fluid resistance. As long as your child is getting fluids in them that is what matters the most.  

Answer 4

Would he be excited to make something? Like mixing something together or juicing something? My kids love smoothies too. maybe have him help make a smoothie where he sees all the fruit he likes going in a smoothie

Comments

@bionomics87 I've made him smoothies to make things fun. The sound of the blender scares the crap out of him lol even when I show him what it makes. It only works for a short period. Then he's over it.  

Answer 5

Would the drinkable yogurt help?  

Comments

@dyane26975 maybe. We already give him yogurt daily. I can try giving him more. Thanks!  

Answer 6

Probably don’t want to go back to bottles but maybe that would work.  

Comments

@candis ughhhhhhh I'm afraid of that. I have a one month old so he sees him taking bottles. ‍♀️ He hasn't had a bottle in so long I'd hate to go backwards.  

Answer 7

Smoothies made with water, ice and fruit?  

Comments

@ecker tried the smoothies. He only drinks a little and then he's over it. Thanks tho!  

Answer 8

Crushed ice in a blender that he can eat with a spoon

Answer 9

We had the same problem with my granddaughter until we tried lemon flavored mineral water. So far the organic Whole Foods brand and the Trader Joe's Sparkling Lemon Water have been a big success.  

Comments

@rumery THANKS! I'll try that!  

Answer 10

Smoothie keeps all the fiber of fruit/veggie.  

Comments

@lousy2870 he's getting enough fiber. He's pooping q few times a day. His poops are just so dry that it is uncomfortable/sometimes painful for him to poop.  

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My daughter had this too. She would cry. So hard to watch. Do they like popsicle? I would also take propel & make popsicle. Helps with teething too. We had to see a GI dr for her bc she always said her belly hurt. Good luck!  

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Ugh! It sucks! I feel so bad for him. Thanks for the advice! I'll try the popsicles.  

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@mckale77096 id rub her belly clockwise to help move it along too.  

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@lousy2870 yes! Ive been doing that too! My chiropractor taught me that.  

Answer 11

Did you change his bottle or breast feeding recently? If so, perhaps bring it back. Maybe he’s not ready yet. That’s all I can think of. Best to you.  

Comments

@jennet72107 Thanks! He's been off the bottle for about 4 months now.  

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@mckale77096 is that when it started?  

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@jennet72107 no it started a few weeks ago.  

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@mckale77096 I know for my son, he likes warm milk. but, babies go thru eating phases like crazy. Hoping it’s just a phase. How’s his diapers? Filling them up ok? What’s his pediatrician say? If diapers are going dry, that’s a dehydration issue. Does he eat ok?  

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@jennet72107 if this is a phase, I hope it ends soon! Diapers are good! He eats really well. He's not one of those kids that only eat chicken nuggets and Mac and cheese. He eats whatever my husband and I eat. His pediatrician told me that it's ok for glycerine suppositories, adding probiotics, and then mixing a gentle laxative in his drink daily- but I need him to drink that and he won't drink anything sooooo ‍♀️

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@mckale77096 so, my sons super picky. If he’s not drinking the fluids with probiotics in them, that’s understandable. For my son to take any medicine ever. it takes bribery. I can suggest bribery. It does work. It’s just expensive. On the other side, does he drink anything without the probiotics etc?  

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I don't think my son understands bribery yet. He's barely 17 months old. He used to drink his milk and water just fine. Never noticed a problem before.  

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@mckale77096 well, nite to self. bribery will work in future. I don’t know what more to suggest. I hope you figure it out. Anything regards our precious children is nerve wrecking. Might try trial and error. give him what you know he will for sure drink. The pouches of food have water in them, if he eats, get as much of those in him. Can add juice or water to it then feed it to him. Just a thought.  

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@jennet72107 ya I just started buying the pouches again to get that in him. Hopefully this phase is over soon! Thanks again! And noted on the bribery!  

Answer 12

Drink from a similar water bottle in front of him, he will want to model you

Comments

@gilolo good idea! I'll keep doing that. I offer him my water and sometimes he'll drink it. I'll keep pushing that.  

Answer 13

My daughter is also this way. We do a lot of water-based fruits and veggies like watermelon and tomatoes. We also do popsicles. And (no judgment) we, as a family, have orange juice in stemless wine glasses at breakfast and “cheers” so we all drink at the same time.  

Comments

@chirography popsicle is a great idea to

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Oh I also bought juice boxes that have Anna and Elsa on them. It’s so stupid but she drinks them just because there are characters on the box ‍♀️

Answer 14

Maybe take him to the store and let him pick out a cup he likes? He may be a little young for that but worth a try! Praying he takes something soon. I can't imagine how frustrating that is!  

Comments

@ulna9103 good idea! I'll try that! Thanks!  

Answer 15

I get an iced coffee from Starbucks pretty much every day and my two year old gets a small iced water from there in a small cup (it’s free and he calls it his coffee) I also have reusable Starbucks cups we use, too. It’s silly, but he loves drinking from it  

Comments

I also refill it throughout the day. He also likes 360 cups, but 100% prefers the Starbucks cup  

Answer 16

We make homemade popsicles. The kids decide what goes into the blender. Sometimes we freeze just water

Answer 17

We had the same extreme issue! I stopped breastfeeding my son at 17mo and that made it even worst. It took few weeks to find a bottle he would accept. We had to mix milk with water in order to get him more liquids. On hot summery days was easier but on colder days he would refuse to drink at all. Constipation was an absolute nightmare. Fruits, soups, milk with water was not doing the trick. - we tried everything but refused Miralax - We started him on Raw Probiotic that we would mix with his morning milk. He also slowly started accepting blended juices I make. I would blend mango, kiwi, watermelon, plum, oranges, some pineapple - always avoided berries - added water or coconut water and if he had it daily he would poop - hard but it would happen. I absolutely excluded rice and bananas from his diet in any form. Happily he started outgrowing the issue. He is 2, 5 yo now and just this winter we started slowly introducing bananas and rice, very little and not too often. His liquid intakes are much better than months ago but could still be better, he loves milk and we still mix it with water. With the morning dose of the Raw Probiotic things are happening but we still hrld our breaths until the poop comes!  

Answer 18

I would suggest popsicles.  

Answer 19

This instagram has a variety of ways to get water from foods etc in case it helps:  
https://instagram.com/heyyoudrinkwa...w71as

Answer 20

Do you by any chance have a Yeti? My 18 month old LOVES drinking water out of our yetis. He does love to drink out of straws, but I think a lot of it has to do with him watching us and thinking it’s cool to do it too. Just a thought. Good luck!  

Answer 21

My kids love the Good 2 Grow juice cups. I let them choose their own characters and we reuse them. My two youngest have tried many types of cups. They do like straws but these are their favorite so I just use these for water. They come in so many characters too.  

Answer 22

Popsicles or jello ! Anything that could melt in room temp Is a liquid so maybe something like that