6 m/o not taking sippy cup

[Jellybeam]

Getting really frustrated trying to wean DD. I've been expressing milk and putting it in to a cup for her for a week now. She spits it out and screams. Same with food. I don't want her stuck on boob forever.

What am I suppose to do? How do other babies do it? Feel like giving up when she screams. Am I doing it wrong?

[Iguessyourestuckwithme]

What cup? I find different children need different cups/spouts. Have you tried milk in a bottle with a teat as a first step?

[eyebrowsonfleek]

Have you tried different cups? Some are much harder to drink out of than others. What temperature is the milk? Ds had more success with a straw based cup than sippy cup at first. They aren't non-leak but for drinking at home, they were fine.
Has she still got her tongue thrust reflex? That's when babies naturally spit out anything on their tongue.

[MiddleClassProblem]

My DD only takes milk from a bottle at 18 months (cows). In any kind of cup she sips it then leaves it. In a bottle she necks it. She drinks water from a sippy cup no probs and with more gusto that if milk were in there. She will now drink from a plastic glass (with spillage) or through a straw. We will just keep with it until she's 2 when it's less important getting all those full fat milk calories. Then it will be in a cup. We will try every now and again but not counting our chickens.

[Jellybeam]

I have 3 cups. 2 plastic free flowing "teats" and 1 with a silicone teat like one. Yes still has thrust reflex.

Guess I have to keep trying

[Jellybeam]

Trying to avoid bottle in case she doesn't learn how to swallow

[Jellybeam]

She never took to the bottle in the first place

[MiddleClassProblem]

Learns how to swallow? Not sure what you mean there.

You could also try an open cup. One of my friend's kids just went straight on to that. How is she drinking water?

[Jellybeam]

I mean she may not learn to swallow solids. No she's not on water

[BertieBotts]

DS didn't really understand sippy cups for ages. I got this to work in the end (I suggest practising with water so you don't waste the milk)

Use free flow sippy cup with two handles and lid, e.g. Tommee Tippee. Not one with a valve.

1. Provide water in cup with lid off. hold it for them but let them look, explore, etc, tip it slightly, let them lick it/poke it/generally work out what's happening. For a couple of days.
   

1. Gently encourage drinking like this.
   

1. Once drinking is second nature from open cup quickly put lid on just before offering when they are not paying attention. Guide spout into mouth and tip up as normal.
   

1. Baby should be surprised that this spouty thing now dispenses water just like a cup but take to it.
   

1. Ta dah, baby now drinks from sippy cup when spout is pushed up for them. You can replace the water with milk if you like.
   

It might also be worth leaving it a month or two and trying again or just trying bottles, she may be OK after having had a gap especially if you just let her explore it in her own time and work out what happens, most things go in the mouth at this age, and the more you try and force it the less she's going to want to try. Most people who stop breastfeeding before a year use bottles. It's not dangerous with regard to weaning.

And don't panic! She definitely won't breastfeed for ever.

[MumOnACornishFarm]

OP my 1 yo DS didn't take to the sippy cup at all until he was about 9 months. Even then he wouldn't hold it himself. Now he is using the cup happily, holding it himself (most of the time) and drinking water or cows milk from his cup. He still has his 3 bottles a day before naps and bedtime though, as he would have a fraction of this milk if I gave it in a cup.

[idontlikealdi]

Mine didn't drink from a soppy zippy until they were about 11 months ish I think. Before that they just poured the free flow ones everywhere and couldn't figure out the valved ones at all.

[Ilovewillow]

My son never used a sippy cup and found most other toddler cups difficult too as he has a partial tongue tie. He coped well with a doidy cup (two handled open cup) from about 6 months and then straight to an ordinary cup thereafter. Might be worth a try.