How can I get breastfed DS (14 months) to drink out of a cup???

[zen1]

It is doing my head in that DS3 just won't take a cup and depends solely on me for his fluid intake. I wouldn't mind so much if he didn't still wake up twice a night for a feed (plus I feed him about 3-4 times in the day). He is not hungry as he has a good appetite and eats a wide variety of foods.

When I try and give him a cup, he clamps his mouth shut and pushes it away. DH and my mum have tried too, but to no avail. I just don't know what to do next because I want some freedom from b'feeding now (and I want him to sleep through). A few people have suggested trying a bottle, but I don't really want to as that will just be yet another thing to try and wean him off in a few months.

Any suggestions would be most welcome!

I was in the same situation until DS was 13.5mo (ebf - had never had a bottle or sippy). I had been trying since he was about 9m to get him to try a sippy to no avail - pushed away like your DS does.

A couple of things worked great:

1. Tried a shot glass. That sounds terrible I'm sure but the small glass was so easy for him to manage and when it did spill he didn't get totally drenched. Spilling always upset him.

1. Tried shot glass first thing in the morning, before bf, when he was very thirsty.

Over only a few days, he started wanting more when his little shot glass was done, and each time I'd re-fill it. Then went to a juice glass, then normal sized. Took about 2 weeks in total.

HTH

Fantastic idea from WBM. I don't have anything particularly helpful to add, except I know how you feel, as the same happened to me with both my ds's!!! We did get there in the end, although much attempting to get them to drink from Tommee Tippee cups and little glasses was involved in the process. As for the still waking in the night, my ds2 was also stubborn about this and was also still waking twice in the night to breastfeed at 14 months. By then it was blatantly obvious that he no longer needed it, he just enjoyed it and I'd been putting up with it through general fatigue (it seemed the easier option than having a little tussle about it in the middle of the night). I finally decided I had to deal with it and cut out one of the night feeds (I'd already almost stopped daytime breastfeeding) - literally by going to him, comforting him without picking him up then going away for a few minutes before repeating the same, as per the general advice. To my surprise, he only cried for about 15 minutes the first night, less than 10 minutes the 2nd night and gave up by the third night. I then did the same for the 2nd night-time feed and he gave that up after a couple of nights. If only I'd known quite how quickly he'd actually give up that fight, I would have picked it a bit sooner!!!!!

Thank you both. I will try the shot glass WBM - great idea. Like you, I have been trying since 9 months to try to get him to take a cup. What did you put in it to tempt your DS?

Rabbitstew, yes I'm only doing it to pacify him so he doesn't wake the whole house (and neighbours!) up. I have tried leaving him to cry, but after 2 hours, I couldn't leave it any longer as I just needed him to be quiet so I could get some sleep. DH has tried taking him downstairs in the middle of the night when he cries, but each time we try he goes on and on and on ( in the last 2 weeks we've tried 4 times and each time he's cried for 2-3 hours with no let up. He is so stubborn!) He is in with us at the moment as we only have 2 bedrooms and can't put him in with the other boys because he'll wake them.

I used expressed breast milk in the shot glass for the first few days, then (I think day 3?) mixed it with a little cow's milk, then full cow's milk each day. Not sure if it made any difference but thought familiarity would be good, and he had never had any other type of fluid before.

Good luck! It is a relief once you know they could take fluid some other way if they had to.

Maybe try drinking through a straw? Cut a straw to half its length and sip up some fluid through it so the straw is full. Then pass the drink to your lo.

Straws always seem to add something fun to a drink, I don't know why but they do!

If it works you can then get a cup that has a pop up integral straw - which I think are fab.

Looks like I'll have to dust off the breast pump!

Iliketomoveit, I will try the straw idea too. Think he would be less intimidated by a straw than by a sippycup (he was spoon-phobic till 10 months and would not eat any food at all until then, so I know I've got my work cut out!)

My DD is roughly the same age and I have been trying a diody cup. Like you I dont want to necessarily wean her from BM but I feel that she needs more fluids ( am worried Im not enough for her now! ) She will only have small sips of water from a cup but always wants my cup of tea !

I still feed her BF her in the day but stopped night except if she wakes up from 5am but will go back to sleep, this seems to be working, as she was waking up to six times a night...

Her routine is DH takes older DC to bed, she's not fully dressed for bed but I can see the tiredness of her wanting to settle down. We microvave some cows milk 'together' , wrap a tea towel round her chin, and talk soothingly, having a cuddle while she takes a few sips ( even from me! )then we do pjs, sleeping bag and BF.

I might try the shot glass, never heard of that before, it sounds like a good idea. I hope it works for you. I'm at the stage where I just want her to have more fluids and if its the end of BF I really dont mind, Im very laid back about that, will probably carry on as she obviously likes it

I did something similar to Rabbitstew regarding sleep, that seems sorted now fingers crossed...

Sorry just read the bit about your breast pump,if its EBM maybe your little one will take it better from your DH in a doidy if you try it? I am not an expert btw just read a few items on mn and other sources about this!

I went out for the first time in over a year recently confident that DD would take some sort of fluid from DH in a doidy and that she would be ok - she was I just hate expressing so it was cows milk for her but she will still only take about 4oz, but at least she is getting used to drinking from something else if I need the odd break.

6 times a night Beanie - what a nightmare! Glad you seem to be well on the way to sorting that one. DS3 is crying to be fed as I type (I only fed him at 7.15) and will wake again at 2am and again at 5am. He thinks he is a newborn . Maybe I will try warming some cows milk and try to give a few sips before BF. Souds like that is working for you...

Had a bit of a breakthrough today and managed to get him to drink a few tiny sips of fresh orange out of a beaker (none of my other DS's had anything other than milk or water till they were over 2, but I am desperate!) He responded very well to my overboard clapping and cheering every time he put the cup to his mouth.

I BF DS2 for 17 months and he gave it up of his own accord, by having fewer and shorter feeds each day, but he did drink cows milk / water too. I also worry about DS3 getting enough fluids.