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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Help re weaning.... I could Scream!!!!

7 replies

Kentmummy · 13/03/2011 14:42

My 4 month old has been exclusively breast fed until now. I've started weaning DD and she loves it... Can't eat enough. The problem is, she has never taken a bottle. Tried everything. I've decided to go straight to a cup as Im utterly fed up with breast feeding. I've tried different cups with free flow and ones with valves... All designed for her age range. She will not suck on it. I can pour it in her mouth but half of it comes back out and is pouring it is ok at home but wouldn't be out and about as too messy.
I'm at my wits end... I gave breastfeeding 4.5 months exclusively and would now like a very, tiny, small amount of time where I can have some independance away from DD... I can only do this if I'm not getting my boobs out every bloody 5 mins.
Anyone got any advice on how to get DD to take a cup when she is clearly very persistant in not taking one!
Please please help.

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blondiep14 · 13/03/2011 17:34

I had the same problem with both of mine but they do eventually take a cup, it feels like forever and is quite worrying but they're fine and it happens quicker than you feel it does IYSWIM.
Good luck, keep the faith and don't panic.

Galena · 13/03/2011 19:02

I agree - she will take it eventually. Just keep going with the free-flow ones and she'll soon get the hang of it so more stays in than comes out.

Just admit that for the next few weeks you won't be able to cup-feed when out and about and it'll seem less stressful than trying to and ending up soaked and frustrated!

We're in a similar situation in a way. We're now moving DD (23 mo) onto an open cup and that's just as bad - we do it at home at tea-time because, having taken a few drinks beautifully and put the cup back down, she'll then look at us, grin and empty the rest of the cupful over the highchair. Grrr! When out and about she doesn't get an open cup (or if she does for some reason, she has a tiny amount in it!)

Original poster

Kentmummy · 13/03/2011 20:18

Thanks for the replies.... Would you suggest i try and when she gets upset and cries, give her boob instead? I'm worried this will reinforce that if she kicks off, she will get boob but I don't want to keep persisting and making her associate the cup with her distress! I really don't know how to go forward with this.... Arrgghhh

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Tigresswoods · 13/03/2011 20:22

Maybe keep the BF for first and last thing in the day- just so you know she will get some milk- and then keep offering cup/bottle through the day. Its only 6 weeks until she is 6 months and you'll probably then feel she needs a little less milk anyway.

I remember thinking my son would never get it but he did eventually.

Give her plenty of stuff with milk in it, cheese, yogurt etc and things will work themselves out in time.

Good luck and remember, "this too will pass"

Original poster

Kentmummy · 13/03/2011 20:40

Thanks Tigress... I will definately try and remember that as it feels like i'm going to be BF'ing til she's 21!!!

OP posts:

blondiep14 · 14/03/2011 09:20

Does your DD take water from a cup? Both my DS's (begrudgungly!) took water from their cups before they would milk.
I think it just takes them a while to get used to it.
I used the cups with valves as both were big 'suckers' and seemed to get on much better with these than the free-flow ones. I think advice is the free-flow ones are better though.
She will get there!
Looking back I don't think we tried cups until 6months when I weaned my two so I wasn't quite so concerned about how much milk they were getting.
She will get there thought. It just feels like it takes forever!

Sarahlou8 · 14/03/2011 20:57

Hi, my DD is 5 months, also a bottle refuser.

I've been giving small drinks of water from a tommee tippee freeflow cup at every meal time, more like tipping it in - she doesn't suck. She's been quite happy and will open her mouth, but drinks very little. To start with I just wanted her to associate a cup with mealtimes, and I breastfeed in between.
This morning we had a bit of a breakthrough, I wondered if just maybe she would take expressed breastmilk in the cup (has been tried before but refused, several weeks ago) being as she seems to be getting used to it - and she did! The look on her face when she realised what it was was priceless and she drank half a cupful!

So keep going, one day she might just surprise you. I'd given up hope of ever having an hour to myself again, I know how you feel!

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