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Infant feeding

Anyone tried doing a "cold turkey" switch from bottle to cup?

26 replies

rouge · 09/01/2005 09:41

DD not very happy about taking milk from a cup but will take water from it fine (although never very much). Putting cow's milk in a bottle feels weird for some reason, so I was thinking that when she hits 12 months I might dispense with bottles altogether and see if eventually she'll come round to the idea of the cup if that's all she's offered. I'd up the calcium content of her diet in the meantime, obviously - and I think I'd still offer the bottle at bedtime, otherwise I might be asking for trouble - although that might weaken my plan of course!

Anyone tried this?

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charlie01 · 09/01/2005 10:32

DS is 12 months and I thought exactly the same as you but he wont take any milk at all from a cup, even when thats all on offer. Have bought the bottles with trainer teats (tomee tipee I think?)which he is fine with (even at bedtime) and am going to try again with a cup in a couple of days I think.

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rouge · 09/01/2005 10:45

oh charlie01, please let me know how you get on.

Is it the Easiflow Bottle to Cup Trainer you're using? Or the Easiflow Cup ? I have an Easiflow Beaker , which DD didn't like much last time I tried it, but I'll give it another go.

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rouge · 09/01/2005 10:53

Or maybe you're using the Avent Magicup spouts on your Avent bottles? I tried the green toddler spouts with DD and this is what she's been refusing - although I haven't tried her with the soft white ones. I'd be very interested to know exactly what it is that's been working for your DS!

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charlie01 · 09/01/2005 10:56

DS uses the easiflow cups for water in the day but wont have his milk out of them so we completely back tracked and are now using this (hope that works - first ever link!) but am planning on trying the bottle to cup trainer next! Got a feeling it's going to cost me a small fortune!

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charlie01 · 09/01/2005 10:59

Have tried the avent magicup spouts (white and green!) on his bottles as well, doesn't work either! Having said that he's not too keen on his water out of a magicup either!

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mishi1977 · 09/01/2005 11:07

hi all be interested to know if u have any luck my ds is 15mths and just wont use anything other than a bottle for milk...takes water fine from a couple of cups but i have tried every type of bottle/cup/spout i can find to no avail....he wont even drink milk out of a cup so am wondering if he uses it partially to soothe himself too

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rouge · 10/01/2005 11:32

mishi, I think you're right, they get a lot of comfort from sucking. charlie, the Tommee Tippee trainer spout that you're using looks similar to the Avent soft training spout (scroll down to the bottom of the 'Accessories' section), so I might try that next. Tried her with the Easiflow spout (on the beaker) last night and, like you, had no luck.

Keep me updated!

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charlie01 · 10/01/2005 11:58

After using the spouts with no probs for a few weeks now I thought I'd give the cup another go again this morning (knew trying it at bed time was a recipe for disaster!) but despite spending another £3 on a trainer bottle (so it didn't look like a cup) he wouldn't even try it! He is far too clever for his own good, just looked at me in disgust and crawled off! I gave in and put it in a bottle in the end. So if anyone's got any ideas I'd love to hear them!

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rouge · 10/01/2005 12:02

Hmm, good luck charlie! I first tried all this a couple of months ago and it looked much more hopeful - but then DD's sleep went weird, she was teething and I gave up b/f so persevering was just too much effort on my part and I also felt bad about depriving her of the comfort of the bottle at such a difficult time. I do feel it would have worked then if I'd seen it through though - you're right about them being just too clever now!

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mishi1977 · 10/01/2005 12:17

hi all
well i am trying the avent magic spout again today but have taken vent thing out....so far he has put it in his mouth then put it down...but its the only way hes gonna get milk thru thew day today..i will let him have bottle at bed if still no luck...

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franch · 10/01/2005 12:19

Hi, I'm at the same stage as you lot so am watching this with interest. I think I might do the same thing as you mishi once my DD is 12 months - as long as she gets enough calcium from other sources I don't suppose it'll matter if she goes on strike temporarily - hopefully she'll come round to the idea eventually?

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charlie01 · 10/01/2005 12:23

I tried the "thats it no more bottles" approach and he still didn't give in all day, just screamed and screamed at bedtime until eventually I gave in! My mums attitude (as usual) is he'll do it when he's ready and what's the big problem, sadly I'm starting to agree (never thought id see the day!)

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starlover · 10/01/2005 12:36

I used to be a mother's help and when the little girl I was looking after was switched from breastfeeding we had to use a cup because she wouldn't take a bottle!
Like your dd, she would not take milk from ANYTHING, cows milk or expressed breast milk. She did however drink juice or water from a cup. We upped the calcium intake elsewhere (although she still won't drink any form of milk or eat cheese)
I would recommend sticking with the cup now, because later on it might be harder getting her to give up the bottle

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Embee · 10/01/2005 12:41

I agree with your mum. I don't see the big deal with using a bottle. As long as you limit it to milk and not juices and brush teeth - all should be ok.

What are the disadvantages? I want to savour this baby/toddler time - in a few years time when they are asking for mobile phones and cab fairs and drinking from other types of bottles we'll be saying they grow up so fast - I just about remember when you were drinking your milk from a bottle!

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fee77 · 10/01/2005 12:41

DD is 14mths and still has milk from the bottle - i tried cups but she would refuse and then get upset. I do think it is a comfort thing so am willing to leave her on the bottle, trying the cups every so often. I see so many older children having bottles through out the day, that i think it can't be that bad for her. She drinks water and juice from a cup no probs. I just don't think it is worth stressing about. A friend changed her DD over, and now she hardly has any milk.

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LipstickMum · 10/01/2005 12:46

My dd drinks water from a cup/beaker and milk from a bottle. When she was 12 months she had 2 bottles a day, 1 on waking, 1 before bed, but only water to drink during the day. Now she's 19 months she only has milk from a bottle at night.

I was absolutely not concerned about whethwer she would drink milk from a cup because I know she will take fluids from a cup during the day. I have left the comfort, bedtime milk in a bottle and will leave it like that until it's time for her to drink from a cup without a lid I should think!

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franch · 10/01/2005 12:50

Use of bottles beyond 1 year is associated with dental and speech problems. This thread mentions this, but there's loads more info on the web. Spouted cups aren't ideal either - best of all is an open cup, but I'm taking things one step at a time!

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charlie01 · 10/01/2005 12:52

I'm just lazy and want to stop washing/sterilising bottles! The cups go in the dishwasher cos they dont turn that funny orange colour! But I know exactly what you mean, I think it was snuggling up together under a blanket on the sofa this morning that made me change my mind, very temping to keep the cuddles! And you're right when he drinks everything else out of a cup it's not a problem.

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charlie01 · 10/01/2005 12:54

Franch I know what you're saying but doesn't it mean when they drink everything from a bottle? Surely the prolonged contact thing doesn't matter with a bedtime bottle of milk when they brush their teeth straight after anyway?

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mishi1977 · 10/01/2005 12:58

hi the only reason i want to stop ds wiht bottleds is because we want abother baby and i want to stop thw confusion between the two bottles so if he is on cups will be easier

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franch · 10/01/2005 13:01

Yes charlie I think you're absolutely right, I'm not going to lose any sleep if I can get DD onto bedtime-only bottles. I guess the main thing is deciding what I'm more afraid of: DD developing dental/speech problems or a calcium deficiency!!!

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franch · 10/01/2005 13:02

I relate mishi - we've got number 2 due in Sept!

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Embee · 10/01/2005 13:11

Thanks for this... I am due in June/July and didn't think about bottle confusion.

I'll have to rethink now. I do hope to breast feed exclusively for at least 1st 6months - so i 'll have some time. Eeek

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mishi1977 · 10/01/2005 13:11

congrates franch...tbh i did start cos i was pg and due in june but recently lost pip but we know we will try again when we are able to so might aswell continue with trying to change ds over

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franch · 10/01/2005 14:54

So sorry to hear that mishi. Hugs and good luck next time round.

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