It’s one of those issues that make me feel like a failure as a mother. Baby Champuru is 13 months old and she still refuses to drink more than an ounce of liquid from a cup of any kind. We have six different kinds of cups: Nuby 2-handle cup with silicone spout
It reminds me of the travails that we endured when trying to find a bottle that she would accept. We went through a few different types of bottles including Born Free, the Adiri Natural Nurser
On Monday, when Baby Champuru went in for her 12 month check-up, the doctor told us that she needed to stop using the bottle. He was so matter-of-fact about it, like it was a such a simple thing to do. Didn’t he realize that I started the process five months ago and still have not been successful at getting my obstinate determined child to drink from anything that did not come equipped with a nipple?
Then, there’s the matter of switching her from formula to whole milk. When I asked him about whether I should gradually wean her from the formula by adding some milk to the formula at first, he said to switch her cold turkey.
So, that’s two major changes that I need to implement. All of this in the midst of me starting my part-time job. Not good timing. Not at all. So, now I’m wondering how I should go about this? Get her off the bottle, then switch her to whole milk once she’s firmly established with the cup? Or give her whole milk in the cup and stop using formula in the bottle in one fell swoop? I’m just worried that since she is already opposed to using the cup that if I try to give her whole milk in the cup that it will cause even greater resistance to the cup. On the other hand, the novelty of drinking something different might make using the cup more attractive?
Moms, I need your practical advice. What did you do? And how long did it take to implement? She’s already 1 month behind the curve, as I should have switched her to whole milk and the cup by 12 months old. Help!
Oh she’s not behind the curve. She’s fine. I would suggest offering her milk in the cup, and always using that first. And if you feel up to it one day, you could have a battle of will and only give the cup. Nothing else. I still give EE the bottle, just in the morning and at night. Now it’s filled with milk though. And actually these past few days she’s been just wanting a cup. Whatever keeps her happy I say. Good Luck!
I wouldn’t worry too much or feel pressured into transitioning her to a cup. Our problem was a little different as TLE wouldn’t take a bottle at all. But because it was time to have her drink whole milk, we had to introduce her to a cup. For a booby baby, she was TOTALLY against this and we had a heck of a time getting her to drink from a sippy cup.
From 12m to 15m, I must have tried every single sippy under the sun with very little success; she liked to teeth on the sippies but not actually drink from them. Finally, we discovered that she was really interested in watching the adults drink from straws. It took her awhile to figure out but somewhere around 13m, she figured out how to drink from a straw. So now, she drinks exclusively from straw cups. They’re not spill proof which is a downer BUT she does drink a lot more milk from them than she would otherwise.
Don’t worry about baby being behind! She is fine working on her own schedule!
I would give her all liquids in sippy cups from now on, no more bottles. Not even as a back up. Like, dump the nipples and sell the bottles on craigslist. I say this because when she goes on liquid strike, you (mama) will want to give her the bottle for fear of her getting dehydrated! She may use her strongest will to avoid the cups, but eventually she will need to drink. And she will.
That said, we went through a million (felt like it!) sippy cups with our 16 mo old. He learned to drink with a straw around 13 mos like the poster above, but I just did not like cleaning the stinky milk from the straw and all its parts. We have settled on 2 sippers with valve: Playtex (6oz) and Munchkin (the skinnier 9 oz with Go,Diego,Go image). The cups are skinny enough to palm and not too heavy when filled to the max. Due to the low volume, we do refills once or twice.
Our oldest took 10 days of milk introduction before she would take more than a sip. The 16 mos old took about a week to acquire the taste, and then a month or so to really get into chugging the milk down. He drinks 18-30 oz a day. He also eats 6-8 oz of yogurt daily, so we are not concerned with the calcium intake.
Just wanted to say you are NOT a failure! Slowly but surely they learn to use sippy cups/cups… with my now-almost-3-year-old, I gave him a sippy cup at snacktime (milk) and between meals (with water) and gave him the bottle for nap and bedtime until he adjusted to the sippy cup…
Hope that helps!
Don’t be hard on yourself, it sounds like your doctor is a tough guy. Chloe is only 7 months. We recently started handing her a sippy cup with water in it. She mostly just puts it up to her mouth and sucks in the water then lets it drool out of her mouth. I think she just likes that it is something new. I would try giving her the milk in the cup, maybe with the newness of it she will be interested.
I need to tell you – don’t sweat the small things. You are definitely NOT a failure. We didn’t force Ben (15 months) to switch off the bottle completely. We just started giving him water/juice in a sippy cup. It took a really long time, but he eventually started getting used to it and now we’ll put milk in his sippy cup. It was just last month that he learned to use a straw. Babies will let you know when they’re ready.
Dr. Chang told us not to worry about taking Taylor off the bottle when I asked at her one year well baby visit, and I didn’t. One day, at 17 months I just said no bottles and she was fine. Of course, we were letting her use cups by then too. Krislyn will be ready when she’s ready, don’t force it.
As for the milk. I had to mix the formula with milk for about a week and a half and then she ws fine on whole milk. I started with 2 ounces milk and 3 ounces formula and then increased milk while decreasung formula. If you feel that’s what needs to be done then do it. Only you truly know your daughter!
I think you are being way too hard on yourself. What you are calling failure will be hard to remember when she is 6 years old. Doesn’t matter which you do first. Whatever you do to start with – if it doesn’t work too well, you have to decide whether to persist with the first try or backtrack. You are an adult. You can handle that decision.
Now go buy a book to help her earn a good score on the SAT.
we are transitioning here too. we are on whole milk, but our pedi had us do it gradually by substituting an ounce of milk for formula in each bottle over the course of a couple weeks until it was all milk, which will be tomorrow. They have had no problems with transitioning to the milk, and this has also transitioned us to the cold temperature as well. as far as the cups go, they have been using the “Take and Toss” little plastic cups. we re-use them, and they don’t do well with other kinds. i think that they do well with them because it drips slowly out, but they still have to suck, just not as hard as the other kinds. they still get a bottle first thing in the morning and before bed, but we are getting rid of the morning bottle within the next week, and our pedi said that at 14 months get rid of the bedtime. for us, doing things gradually has been the key. Hope this helps!
I say go with what you feel. If you want to mix formula with whole milk, I don’t see anything wrong with that and then gradually increase the whole milk if she ends up liking that. Also, with the bottle it’s good that you’re making the effort of weaning her off it. You’re not behind at all.
With kids, any type of change is not welcome but if you keep at it, they will eventually adapt. Connor had a hard time adjusting to the different sippy cups we had cause they all work a little differently but he learned soon enough. I’m sure your little baby will too.
Hang in there!
Just a thought – when you approach her with a cup, what is your attitude? Are you anxious? fearful? doubtful? Babies are smarter than we are at reading body language and emotion. She may be picking up on your anxiety and feeling anxious herself.
Here is my suggestion; back off from the cup for about a week. Then choose one or two times a day to keep the bottle for now, and then matter-of-factly give her a sippy cup at the other times. Don’t be concerned if she throws it or doesn’t drink, just put the cup away and stay calm. If she seems thirsty, give her the cup again, and stay calm about it. If you remain calm she will eventually calm down about it as well. If she is strong-willed it may take a while, but you will only win this battle if you stay calm.
Once she surrenders to the cup then you can work on eliminating the bottle completely.
Happy to see everything is progressing normally. Really, as both Jocelyns said, it’s a battle of wills. Think your Dr is strict? Mine said 12 months… time to wean off the bottle and NO sippy cups.
We started with water and, after a couple of spills and soggy tshirts, she adapted to a regular cup. No weaning, just GO! hahaha I guess she felt like a “big girl” so I had it easy. It took only a week or so.
You are NOT failing. You’re just being tested.
BTW, she’s gets more adorable as time goes on! Congratulations!