Encouraging nearly 10 month old to drink from a sippy cup

[sheeplikessleep]

I'm due back at work in February and stressing a teeny weeny bit now about DS2, who is still BF'ing a lot (about 6 times in 24 hours), feeds to sleep (we are trying to tackle this) and who won't take milk from a sippy cup. He takes sips of water with his solids. He's BLW, and on 3 good meals a day, a healthy appetite and growing out of his clothes (not sure what he weighs at the moment, but no concerns there).

Any advice or suggestions? I'm due back 2 days a week + 2-3 evenings a month, so it might be up to 16 hours away from him. I'd love to continue to breastfeed when at home, but obviously need him to drink milk, particularly for those 2-3 evenings when DH will be settling him and during the day when he is at his CMs.

Help!

Have you asked someone else to offer milk in a cup when you're not there? When you're with his, he may understandably prefer to have milk direct from you, but might tolerate a cup when you're not available.

DH tried (although I've been elsewhere in house, not in the same room). Tried ebm and formula (after being very disheartened from seeing ebm being tipped down the sink undrunk).

We haven't tried a bottle though, as I think he is too old now, but wondering if sucking might be more familiar for him than a free flowing sippy cup?

sorry, I have no other ideas, but I have heard friends say that their baby drank water from a cup when they were away, but stoked up on the milk when they were back. Is he having much solids? 16 hours does seem a long time, but if he's getting water and food, and the 16 hours is only 2-3 times/month, maybe that will be enough?

hi mamachris - yes, he is on 3 good sized meals a day + snacks now, so he is definitely taking in enough calories. i work from home for the first half of the day, so i could go and feed him in the middle of the day. will add on an extra hour to get there and back, but i'm thinking it might be an idea.

thanks for posting.

We had this problem - DS would sip water from the sippy but not milk; so I did the UNIMAGINABLE and used a bottle (he was bf 'til 1 year and then went onto cow's milk) - no dramas, he drinks up to 9oz at a go, twice a day now (he's 14mo)

We didn't have any problems with bfing and bottles during the transition phase. Good luck!

hi, ive had the exact same problem with my DS, he refused a bottle of ebm at a young age, but as i work evenings he happily took ebm at 8 months every night. dh fed him his bedtime bottle for a week then i took over on the nights im home. he happily takes the bottle from me and although he nuzzles into my boobs he knows no booby after 6pm. (well no booby in evenings lol/)

good luck xx

mistress - really? that's quite reassuring! i haven't gone down the bottle route yet, mostly because of the cost if he isn't going to take to it, but i think we'll try them to see, as we've tried a few times with a cup. i don't care how he takes it
to be honest, but it would be nice to know he will drink some milk without me! i'll get some this weekend.

hurrydown - thank you also for posting, that too is reassuring!

Sheep we only have 1 bottle and a handpump. Its not costly as he only has the 1 bottle a day currently, so I express first thing in morning (best time when hes on other boob!) then when im home from work at night my hubby has already run the bottle, teat and pump through the steriliser ready for me in the morning.....

Good luck it really does work, first few nights you may have some nuzzling but resist it they soon get the idea and your LO is older than mine was.

to be honest, i'd like to continue feeding him for a while yet, but i need to know that those times when i am working, that he will be having milk and not just screaming for me! i want to get to the position where he'll take a bottle 2 days a week (if he still needs during the day) and the 2-3 evenings a month. so it isn't much. he is also fed to sleep, so i worry that not only will he be wanting milk, but he'll also be shattered from lack of sleep!

dh did try giving him ebm in sippy cup the other day (we've tried daytime and evening) and he took one little sip and then refused any more. i was hiding in another room, but maybe i need to be gone for a while before and actually out of the house.

sheep, you will find a way that suits you all i'm sure.

We initially heated ebm in bottle and gave to ds in a doidy cup. but ds would see the milk in the bottle cooling down and he had never taken a teat before. one evening hubby offered him the teat and before we knew it the milk was gone.

I have continued feeding DS and he is almost 1, but his bed feed is bottle. I would just say perhaps try him with cup/bottle for a week (his night feed) or so at least till you feed him again as he may get very upset at having no booby when he wants it and then resist cup.....

or failing that perhaps just let him have water from the cup and allow him to hold/play with it....

The above confuddled message is why I hardly post at all and just view from sidelines!

thanks hurry! my plan is to try this month and next to get him drinking from something. hopefully he'll get there!