Dehydration????

[mcmahan3]

So I already had a thread on here about my 1 year old daughter not wanting to take a sippy cup or straw cup, but I have another question. If I stop breastfeeding her completely and she doesn't take any cow's milk or water that day, or a little longer,should I be concerned with dehydration? I asked my pediatrician this and he said I should not be concerned at all about this...but I am..thoughts??

[Peeka2]

I'm sure if she is thirsty she will drink eventually. imho though I wouldn't stop bf so suddenly. I would cut out one nursing session at a time. But that is just me. :)

[Jacksmommy]

No breastmilk, no cow's milk, AND no water? Yes, I would worry about dehydration. You want her to drink something besides breastmilk before you wean her completely.

[mcmahan3]

I am cutting one breastfeeding session out at a time..I'm down to about 2 a day..I have been doing this for about 1 month or so..

See I thought about the dehydration too..that's why I thought it was a little weird when the doctor told not be be concerned at all. He said the only time to be concerned about the dehyrdration is when they are sick, like vomitting and have diarreha....He said like Peeka2 said, when she is thirsty, she will drink..

[Jacksmommy]

Doctors are just not experts on all things about childcare. They're really not. I've heard the argument that a breastfed baby will drink a bottle when Mom leaves for the day if he/she gets hungry enough, too. I've also seen that it's just not true.
If she doesn't get how to use a cup, making her be thirsty isn't going to facilitate the learning process. I strongly advise you hold off on cutting out any more nursing sessions until your baby will drink something from some source other than by nursing.

[whitnessforhim]

IA with Jacksmom...I would definitely wait to wean completely until she's comfortable with water and/or milk in a sippy or cup.

[mcmahan3]

Thanks guys! I am actually getting her to drink the drinkable yogurts and I am adding milk to them :)