Can you really move straight to a cup?

[katemeister]

DD is 7.5 months old and BF. Up until 4 months she took the odd bottle but then refused so has been EBF from then, not a problem. I am now finding fitting in BF, introducing solids, naps, being the only one who can put her to bed etc a bit overwhelming. All the advice I've had is to skip the bottle and go straight to a cup (sippy, doidy etc) but as it's quite early days with solids and cups (manages a few sips of water) and she BF 7-8 times a day still (sleeps 8pm - 5.30am) is it realistic to think a full milk feed could be given by cup? Has anyone bothered introducing a bottle at this age with any success? I'd really like to get a feel for other people's experience. Thanks so much.

Yup - DS2 had no interest in bottles after about 4 months and went straight onto a Doidy cup for EBM, then a Nuk soft spout sippy. Worked fine.

Do whatever is easier for you. Going straight to a cup is fine. We went on to bottles, just because we found it time consuming and messy using a cup, bottles were easier. We used the closer to nature ones (slightly boob shaped) with no problem and gave them up, again with no problem, when they turned one.

I would go straight to a beaker or cup if you can. I stopped bf DD at 7 months and gave her milk in a bottle, and now at 23m she won't give the bloody things up! She was a bit different though as she didn't really want anything but milk until 14 months. She did eat a bit but mostly still milk.

The amount your baby eats versus milk, will change over text few months, gradually having less milk.

If it's any help none of my 3 children ever had a bottle - they were ebf and moved straight onto to a cup with a spout.

With baby number 1 the Health Visitor instructed me to buy a bottle in case I ever needed one so I did as I was told but never had cause to use it. I assumed that because none of them would suck on a dummy the same would apply to a bottle so as soon as I was able to offer liquids other than milk it was given in a cup.

Both DC were EBFed until 6mo. Around that time, DD1 had her water in a sippy cup, DD1 went straight to normal cup (refused sippy cup). As pp's DC, they were also dummy and bottle refusers.

Thanks everyone, some useful and reassuring advice, I guess I had hoped for progress with solids and feeds spacing out to happen a little quicker! I totally agree breastfeeding is way easier but I will need to be away from DD soon for KIT days and am in need of a bit of me time too. DH working out he needs to cook dinner while I feed and put DD to bed each night would also help