How did you get rid of the bottle?

[Kitten-B]

Thinking it's about time I started weaning off the bottle with a view to stopping bottles entirely by about 12 months. But no idea what's the best way?

LO happily drinks water from a sippy cup at mealtimes but average intake is probably only 1-2 ozs (occasionally up to 5ozs) and although he tries to handle the cup itself he mostly ends up throwing it as he can't quite grasp tipping it up so mostly I hold it for him.

In contrast he can happily and easily drink from his bottle all by himself, in his highchair or in his pushchair or in my arms (I won't lie - I LOVE this new skill, amazingly handy especially as we're often out walking or shopping when he has his afternoon bottle).

Bought a sippy cup without handles but he just wouldn't drink his milk from it at all. Plenty hungry and downed it when alternatively offered from the bottle.

Not sure which feed to try first (he has morning, afternoon and bedtime) and how to do it.

I mean he won't suck constantly from a sippy cup like his bottle so do I just keep offering sips. Really can't see him keeping up his milk intake if I do this.

If a baby can drink from a bottle unassisted from 8/9 months, I wonder when they can do the same from a sippy cup? As he mostly pours the water out if left with it in his hand too long can't see this working....

 

[shambaby]

perhaps you need to wait a little longer? for a long time we held the cup for hayden, then suddenly one day he got the hang of it. he can sometimes drink almost a whole cup full if he's particularly thirsty. he is now 11.5 months and we're only just starting to try him with milk in the cup. it has taken him a while to get used to the idea - i think the problem was he is so used to milk coming from a bottle and water coming from a cup, he just wasn't expecting it, so spat it out! this morning he did drink some, though, so hopefully that is progress. we have been giving hayden his usual bottles, then giving him extra as drinks with one of his meals / snacks, just to get him used to drinking milk from the cup. i think you are right and if you tried to replace a bottle feed with the cup straight away he wouldn't keep up his milk intake.

hayden's milk intake has dropped right down now anyway, so i think it won't be long before it's just a drink, rather than food. my understanding is that's what's supposed to happen by about a year anyway.

 

[CymruEv]

I got a Tommy Tippee active straw cup because Evie wouldn't drink as much from a sippy cup. She finds the active straw easy to use and drinks a lot more

 

[origin]

How old was Evie when you tried the straw? I would like to give a go but my Lo is 7months?

 

[CymruEv]

Sorry I've taken so long to reply. Evie was about 7 months when she first used a straw. She found it a lot easier to use and because it's non-spill we leave it out so she can take sips when she feels like it - we found she took a LOT more fluid with the active straw