I really haven't grasped the teat/spout thing, can you help?

[RacersTheRedNosedReindeer]

DD is 6m, she has one bottle a day and the rest bf and is being weaned but eating very little, only tastes. I also let her have a play with a non-spill spouted cup with water in it, to get her used to the idea.
I am a bit confused as to where to go next with the drinking. I went to a weaning talk with a HV and BFC who said that the non-spill spouts shouldn't be used as they have to suck so hard on them. I didn't really get a chance to ask them to explain further.
Have people found that the non-spill spouts have led to bf problems? Or is it a more general issue? And can milk still be given in a bottle or should I try to encourage cup use?
Thanks!

I agree with the non-spill beaker things. Have a go yourself, it is very hard to get anything from it.
I can't comment about the BF issue as I bottle fed my dd so I don't know if it causes any problems.

Have you heard of the Doidy cup? You could maybe try to introduce something like that. The cup is slanted so it makes it easier for baby to see the drink coming towards them.

If you don't want to use one of them just go for a normal spout cup without the fancy valves in or like I did, cut the valve out!

I think the general advice at this age is to start and encourage the use of cups but only do it at meal times IYKWIM to get them used to it. Bottles are still fine to use for milk.
My dd was still having one before her 2nd birthday and the HV said it was fine as long as she was just using it for milk at the beggining or end of the day.

Thanks Sparkes , I've heard of the Doidy cup but haven't seen it anywhere - will google it. DD seems to be able to get water from the cup ok but obviously it isn't as easy as when I take the non-spill filter thing out. It's then water everywhere but that's not too much of a problem as it is only water, not juice.

I was planning on trying to get her used to the handles, and the fact you need to raise the beaker to get the water out, before progressing to a cup, though I'll bear it in mind to try it maybe once a day. Mealtimes are very brief and new to her as it is so I don't know whether that would be expecting too much?!!

Going back to the non-spill spout - the thing is, it's hard to get breastmilk but she is used to that - so is it such a bad thing that it doesn't just flow easily into her mouth? Maybe it's that she needs more liquid intake as she has more food and so there's the worry that she wouldn't be getting enough? She's having so little food, I think that bm is all she needs really, I just want her to taste water to get her used to it for the future. I just wasn't sure if the sucking motion interferes with bf - hopefully a bfer will come along to help on that one. Oh I'm feeling quite confused! Sorry for waffle and jumping from one thought to another

Racers, DS uses the soft-spouted Tommee Tippee cups - he drinks loads out of them, it didn't interfere with bfeeding and they're the only cup I've found that's big enough for him - he's a thirsty chap! They're not hard to drink from, not like the Anyway-up-type cups.

The first beaker he used was a Boots own one - it has one hole and is free-flowing - he grabbed it off me and swigged away when he was 6mo - made me wonder if he'd been thirsty for months! I've been through most of them and definitely my favourite is the Tommee Tippee, first the one with handles, then the taller straight cups.

Agree with hunkermunker, ds liked the tommee tippee ones too and I bfed and never had any probs. I never bothered about the bottle issue either, he had a bottle up until about 18 months (at bedtime). He always used cups for water in the day and because I bfed he never had any other milk in a bottle in the day.

DS (and me when I tried!!) found the avent Spouts nigh on impossible to get anything out. DS had his first cup success with the cheap Ikea white and yellow beakers, and the Tommee-Tippee hard spout non-spill beaker.

Thanks HM, I have been using the avent 3m+ (quite soft I think) since about 4.5m and have some 6m+ ones in stock, also various other wedgeshaped teats which were recommended at this talk but I haven't tried as they don't look much better than using a bottle anyway. I was given a tommee tippee one - have just tried it and you have to bite the spout then suck - this must be a different one to the one you mean I think!?

It's good to hear that none of them have interfered with bf. I think based on what you've both said I'll try to use them without filters as much as possible. At the moment, I've been chopping and changing too much, which is probably very confusing for her!

Lots of votes for TT then, and for ditching the non-spill vents on the Avent.

Thanks

I actually meant the "bite then suck" ones! I know some people have trouble with them but ds got to grips with them straight away.

I meant the bite and suck one too - the spout's either purple or green dimpled rubber with a clear flip-top and it twists onto a blunt spike thing in the lid underneath?

I was worried about the bite and suck cups and bfeeding, but I guess my boob doesn't look like a yellow cup with handles so DS differentiated from the start

Ah right, it matches that description, yes! I thought that might be too hard, if the avent ones are (hard to suck, not hard plastic).

Sorry, you've all been so helpful but I'm still confused. I think I need a choccie biccie to clear my head LOL!

Maybe what I'll do is stick with Avent day to day (without filter thingie), as I've so much of their gear, and use TT for when I want no spills.

Sorry for being a PITA!