Weaning straight from BF to cup

[LittleMissMac]

For reasons of sheer laziness on my part, DS never took to a bottle and at 20 weeks we are still exclusively BF on demand.

I'm planning to skip bottles and wean him straight onto a cup, and over the past couple of days he's had a few sips of EBM from his doidy cup (though I'm not sure how much went in, as opposed to down his front).

It suddenly struck me though: is it normal to take a full milk feed from a doidy cup? Isn't the need to suck quite strong, and would he be better on a sippy cup? And how much is a "full" feed? (I'm clueless on this as he's never had a bottle. 4oz? 8oz?? He's a speed-feed snacker, too...)

I'm not planning on cutting out BF for a while yet, but it would be a bit of a relationship-saver if DH and i could go out of an evening occasionally, without me panicking to get back to the house. (DS still wakes regularly through the night, and in the evenings often wakes around 9ish for his dream feed which is meant to be more like 10.30 or 11).

I'd be really grateful for any pointers or experiences others might have had doing this.

[whomovedmychocolate]

I went straight to sippies at six months. DD had water till a year and then cows milk now and then now. She's still bf at 15 months though. The doidy cups are rubbish, they just spill them or drop them and they burst open. Sippy cups with vacuum tops so they have to suck to get something out just seem to make more sense to me with bf babies

[tassisssss]

i skipped bottles with my 2, just gradually reduced breast feeds until at a 10 months - a year they were just BFing morning and night.

I offered sippy cups of water (and sometimes EBM/formula or cows milk) from 6ish months but TBH both (esp ds) were pretty useless at using cups until nearer a year.

[NeverEndingPileOfLaundry]

I started using a Doidy cup with my DD from 6 months. A sippy cup would have been preferable, but for whatever reason she wasn't having any of it until she was about 11 months old, and would just chew the lid / throw the cup across the room. I found that I had to keep a hold of the doidy cup whilst DD drank, and would also advise putting a limited amount of fluid in the cup at any one time (to minimise spills)and top up as necessary. It is a pain, but can be done. I still BF, but it has meant that I have been able to have the odd evening out, and more boringly work a few eveings which is an occasional requirement for my job.

[Washersaurus]

I never used bottles with DS1 and plan on going straight to cup with DS2 soon too. I gradually introduced a sippy cup - the basic tommee tippee ones are the best. He soon got the hang of it.

[LittleMissMac]

Right, I'm going to try a sippy cup tomorrow. I think I have the Tommee Tippee one (or similar) somewhere, having seen some recommendations here before.

[JendleWendleBells]

Tommee Tippee first cup worked for my DS1 who just would not take a bottle. I tried the Doidy but the baby needs to be quite old to put it down safely or else you will need to very carefully supervise the drinking / hold the cup. I did try to get DS1 used to the idea of drinking initially by just using a really small plastic beaker and giving him sips. He took his first full cup of formula by himself at the age of about 9 months.

[Holymoly321]

This is interesting thread as DS2 is now 11 weeks and won't take a bottle. Was thinking of trying him on basic Tommee Tippee cup - the really basic ones with flip top and no valve when he was a bit older as I don't want to be breastfeeding much past seven months. Are these the cups you mean? Also, would I have to sterilise them?

[Washersaurus]

Yes the ones I used were those basic cups without the valve. As JWB says, it takes a while to get them used to the cup before they'll take a whole cup of milk from it - I think DS1 started having a cup of milk in place of bf once a day at around 7 months old. He was 1 year old before he decided he no longer wanted bf in the morning and at bedtime.

I did sterilise the cups for DS1 until he was about 8 months old because I wasn't really confident about what I was doing, but I am not bothering sterilising anything this time around

[LittleMissMac]

DS was most unimpressed with the sippy cup today. He just sat there with a mouthful of milk and a look of puzzlement on his face, swiftly followed by "what in god's name are you doing to me, woman" type crying.

Try, try and try again - and remember to split up EBM into one ounce portions for less wastage! I think I'll try it when he's hungrier, too.

[grimbergen]

My little girl is almost 7 months & has been eating for about 2 weeks now. She totally refuses the bottle from me as I BF her only.

I put a cup in her hand with formula and she drinks it all ...as much as she can at the moment but i was surprised at her ablity to hold the cup and try to drink it.I will most likely skip the bottle bc she turns her head everytime and is eager to drink from a cup.

My son will be 2 in june and drinks from a cup. I think that is why she wants to drink but not sure that influences anything. Ah and she always tried to grab my glass when i drink even before i started her drinking from a cup.

But to each their own... depends on the child i think.

[witchandchips]

doidy cups are great for bf babies but you do have to hold the cup for them at first and put a little in at a time. It is a pain at first but they soon get the hang of it and then can drink from any open cup with help (which is great when you are out and about)