to think DD will never learn to drink?

[megandraper]

She is 14 months old and still BF - largely because she won't accept a drink in any other form. Not a bottle, not a beaker, not a cup, nada.

She eats all kinds of solids heartily, no problems there. Just won't let a drop of liquid pass her lips other than by BF. Today she spent from 7.30 am to 4.30 pm away from me, and still wouldn't give in - batted away the beaker crossly whenever offered, apparently.

I know AIBU isn't the forum for advice, but if anyone has any, it will be gratefully received...

Straw. It was what broke my DS!

No advice sadly, but a little something that was said to me by a good friend. My DS was very prem, had lots of feeding issues, and was on a bottle way, way longer than he should have been. He just could/would not take liquid any other way. At my wits end one day, offloading to a friend, she said to me: How many adults do you see walking round feeding from bottles? Exactly. He'll get there, just let him do it in his own time.

A tad different to your situation I know, but try not to stress, she'll get there.

Just keep trying... TT free flow are good to get started.

Leaving her to go thirsty. I can't advocate it, but when my best friend's 10mo DS bit her nipple so severely it was torn and bleeding and she couldn't physically feed him from it she simply didn't offer him anything but a bottle or sippy cup.

He held out for a day and a half but then began drinking from a cup. I do think you would need nerves of steel to do this, but apparently it works.

Also DM sprayed her nipples with perfume out of desperation when DB wouldn't stop BFing at nearly three and she was days away from giving birth to DB2. Again, some may say this is harsh, but DM insisted it worked first time and regrets nothing 20 years on...

Bless her, of course she'll learn to drink

What have you offered in cups? Try some cows milk maybe or perhaps you could make her a very milky hot chocolate to see if that might tempt a bit of cup use? I give my dd juice, which she enjoys & milky tea which she adores.

Not an issue I had as dd just had water in a cup from 6 months then milk when I stopped bf at a year, ds is now 10 months & again more than happy to have his water in a cup (neither of the little sods darlings would have anything but breast until 6 months though)

No advice but DC will drink like a big girl

You must be at your wits end..... Agree with welsh about a straw. I have seen lots of ebf babies really take to straws. DD has a cup that has a straw fixed in it with a valve. Much more like the breastfeeding action than a normal sippy cup.

I was told by paediatrician (son has SN and refused to drink anything other than milk) to just offer water in a cup and eventually he got so thirsty he gave in. It was awful but it worked!

It sounds cruel, I know!

I've got a Tommee Tippee one, though it's a slow-flow one.

I think part of the problem is that she is watching her older brothers (3 & 4) and they drink out of 'proper' cups. Perhaps I should get them to drink out of beakers for a few weeks...

Have you tried a straw? I know that works for quite a few dc

Ohh oh oh, just remembered, I gave dd2 curry and suddenly water was her best friend!

It's worth a try.

Or does she have a character she really likes, as in Minnie/Mickey Mouse etc? If so get off to the Disney store, we have a very worn out Mickey cup as it absolutely has to be used if not in the wash........

Have you tried her with a 'proper' cup?

DS will drink when he's thirsty, but not a lot. I find offering him a drink when he's in the bath is a trick that usually works. For some reason he prefers to drink water when he's sitting in it.

Or let her share with her brothers?

could you try her with her own cup, with just a cm of water (just like her big brothers :) )

x post with lots of people - oops!

Just try her with a proper cup like her brothers

I've x post too

Doidy cup? You can get them in John Lewis I think.

www.bickiepegs.co.uk/acatalog/Doidy_Cup.html

My bf dd wouldnt take anything milky (apart from breastmilk, straight from source!), or water, for a long time, but was eventually tempted by juice (diluted squash). She still bf as well though for quite a while after that.

Another recommendation for trying a proper cup. I nannied a toddler who wouldn't use sippy cups (was on bottles) until it dawned on us that he was watching his 3yo brother drink normally. One cup of juice all over baby & kitchen, then he got the hang of it :) After that, we could persuade him to use baby cups when on the move.

Straws sound like a good idea! They didn't have those cups with built-in straws in my day - they look brilliant.