When to introduce a cup.

[BoeBarlow]

DD is 3mo & EBF. Been trying every day for weeks to try to get her to take a bottle of expressed milk with no luck so far. Tried loads of different bottle/teats, temperature, time of day etc. I remember reading somewhere that you can try them with a cup.
Forgive my ignorance but what kind of cup are we talking about? A sippy cup? Normal cup? And is 3mo too young to try this?
I get the impression she wants to take the milk but just doesn't know what to go with the teat to get it out IYSWIM.
Any suggestions? I've got a work do next weekend I'd like to be able to go to for more than an hour TIA

Bump.

Anyone...?

Sorry can't help but am bumping the thread as id like to know too!

My ds is 5.5 months tho, he doesn't seem able to hold anything to drink himself but I was wondering if it would be too fast flowing for them?

Last ditch hopeful bump...

You can cup feed with an open cup that you hold, I think, but I've never tried it. I think doidy cups can work for this.

A free flow sippy cup, held by you, might also work.

Has your DP/DH tried to do a bottle feed when you're not there? Sometimes they won't take a bottle from you as they would rather breastfeed, whereas if you're not there they'll accept the bottle.

I have same problem. DS is 6mo. We've had some success with a free flow beaker but he's more interested in gumming the spout and only gets anything out by accident - he's getting there slowly though. It also involves water / milk going everywhere as he inevitably turns it upside down so I don't put much in!

My EBF daughter was a bottle refuser and also rejected any kind of spout or straw. We decided to ride out the breastfeeding on demand (and so I couldn't be apart from her for long). At six months we gave her water in a doidy cup alongside her meals. At first we would hold it to her mouth for her but, with a bit of messy practice, she very quickly learnt to DD it herself and soon became proficient. Incidentally now, at two, she's fascinated by any kind of "novelty" drinking vessel (drinks bottles, sippy cups, straws etc)!

A good tip is to offer free flow beakers of water while they're in the bath. No worries about dropping, spills, lids coming off etc.

My Dd is/was a bottle refuser. She is ebf and now 8 months. We introduced a tomee tippee first cup at around 3-4 months, offering small amounts of milk or water.
At first she would just chew the spout and we just practiced a bit each day, with no pressure. Now she will drink a full cup of milk 5-6oz and has been doing for the last 6 weeks (big relief as I am returning to work soon) We find sitting her on our knee facing outward the best position and we do have to control the cup to some extent.
The bath idea is a good tip for practice. DD always tries to drink the bath water so that may be a good distraction!

I did cup feeding initially....it's like a miniature plastic measuring jug. I'll take a photo later and post it. Cup feeding worked very well in first 2 weeks whilst I was trying to establish bf. You hold at baby's mouth and they sip/suck whilst you tilt the rim to their mouth (don't pour).

Btw cup feeding is very messy compared to bf / bottle feeding so you may get wastage.

We had huge bfing issues when dd1 was born and a mw showed me how to feed dd from a cup (a medicine cup!) when she was 2 days old. Dd lapped at the milk like a kitten, so adorable .... she's 10 now!

Thanks everyone, some good tips to try there

From birth

Can try with a normal open plastic cup, or a closed cup with a spout. Just no filter at that age, probably need to be free flow.

We have been doing this for dd since she was 4mo, she is now 8mo and drinks from a sippy cup with a filter in, I.e. It's not free flow

Useful to read this as was about to post for advice ! My 5 1/2 mth old has been refusing bottles, her older sister got it eventually but no luck with DD2. Have been trying with a tommee tippee cup so think just need to keep practising as I'm back to work in 4 weeks, so glad to hear that someone's dc does take 5-6 oz !