Question
My daughter has a bowel movement every few days, and the doctor said she needs to drink more boiled water. However, she seems to reject everything except milk, and every time I try to give her water, she cries after drinking just a couple of sips. What should I do if she won’t suck on a bottle?
Answer
It’s quite normal for babies to behave this way. You can try adding a drop of orange juice or grape juice to the water, but make sure to add very little, just a few drops, so that the baby doesn’t notice a sweet or sour taste. Just a faint flavor is enough. Gradually, you can dilute the juice and slowly get the child accustomed to the taste of water, as plain water has no taste and children generally don’t like it.