Am I doing the right thing with the cup?

[SamJohnsMum]

My 5mo DS is exclusively breastfed (although we've had our problems, we've mostly come through the other side now, although he's still rather random, likes to BF to sleep and has a tendency to snack) and won't take a bottle at all.

We've tried every kind of teat and bottle and I've tried formula and EBM. We're having some limited success with a tommee tippee first cup and DS will take about 10ml of EBM first thing in the morning before deciding he wants the real deal.

I don't know how long I want to continue BFing for but I am 100% certain I want him to be able to take a feed from someone else so that I can occasionally leave him with someone else. All I want to know is, are we doing the right things to encourage him to take more from the cup? Will he eventually work it out?

I really, really need him to do this!!

just keep going sweetheart, i am sure he will get used to it eventually xxxx

what is yout time horizon? By 9 months or so most babies are happy to do without any milk (breast or forumula) for long stretches during the day, some (inc mine) only fed night and morning at this stage + would take a feed from me if i was around otherwise he would be happy with a snack and some water. By 7 months many babies are down to one or two day time feeds, Do you need to be able to leave him sooner than this?

Hi there. I'm in a similar situation. DS2 is now 8 months and won't take a bottle at all either. I'm currently trying a free flow beaker with meals with some success, but not trying too hard I suppose. I can put him to bed at 7 and go out for a meal as he never wakes before midnight, but I'd also love to be able to leave him for half a day (my xmas shopping beckons!) and now he's on solids that will come fairly soon I suppose.

I think the main thing is probably consistency. Make sure you offer the cup every single day (we flirted with bottle v early on but didn't keep trying for long enough I suspect) and possibly at the same time. If he can hold it by himself let him play with it at other times too so he gets a feel for it with his hands and mouth. On the upside when you start solids soon he will quickly get used to the idea of other shapes and textures in his mouth and you might see an improvement at that point.

And it's far easier said than done but do try and keep the process fun. I try and make ds2 laugh and giggle and then put the beaker to his lips and take it away, a bit like a game. He'll often reach to bring it back and have a slurp, then off we go again. I must look like a loon from the outside!

Have you tried an open cup? Or a doidy cup?

Thanks for the comments so far!

Witchandchips, that's really interesting - I guess I don't have a particular time frame in mind - I'm just feeling a bit selfish generally!! So, to think that I may be able to cut down feeds and not worry so much is quite encouraging.

Sparkle - best of luck!! I will persevere and try to get him used to holding the cup too.

Mawbroon - I have tried a doidy cup but not recently. At the time, it was too free-flowing and messy but maybe this is something I can return to.

Any other comments and ideas very much welcome - even if people just want to say that it will happen in the end, believe me, I want to hear that!!

Try a doidy cup. DS used one with help from about 3 months.