Need to start feeding formula by a cup to 9 mo DD, EBF until now - just chewing the teat...

[eskimomama]

Hi all,

I've been exclusively BF my 9 mo old DD, now along with solids which she takes quite happily.

However within 2 months I'll need to go back to work for 3 days a week and as she's NOT taking the bottle at all anymore I thought I would just introduce a cup directly at this stage.

But she's just chewing the top of the cup like it's a big funny dummy... I've bought 5 different cups to see if she would prefer one or the other, softer teat, harder teats, handles, no handles.... she's still just chewing, and 80% of the content (water so far) comes outside her mouth.

Oh, and she's allergic to dairy so we've been trying with soy formula only, just a few times.

My idea was to introduce soy formula during the day, and BF in the mornings and evenings (and nights huhuh!), so not totally giving up on BF for soy formula.

I really really need suggestions, I've been trying everyday for 1 month now, and she's still just chewing the teat of the cup!!

THANKS

How many feeds does she have in a day? Could it be that actually given the solids are going well and she sounds as though she's feeding quite a lot at other times, that she just doesn't need milk then - it's different when it comes from you because there's all the snuggly comfort. And certainly if you are going back when she's 11 months or so then her needs will have dropped more.

Also what are you doing when she doesn't take the cup - have you been giving her boob instead or just nothing?

Have you tried a doidy cup?

Have you tried a Doidy Cup? they are completely open at the top like a normal cup and have handles. I know it sounds like a complete messy nightmare, but these have been suggested to me as a first cup rather than using a spouted cup...it moves them on from the bottle sooner and is better for their mouths and learning how to use a proper cup at an earlier stage.

Our breast feeding consultant and health visitor both suggested them to me as we had such a nightmare getting him to take a bottle!

I have just started our little one on it (he is only 4.5 months old) but I thought it was good to start early - you can use them from 3 months.

This may get round the problem of chewing on the spout as it is simply not there!

I think it will be messy for a while ( I am only using water in it at the mo while he is learning, as most of it ends up down his chin!) but hopefully worth it in the end!

LOL, jemjabella, we must have been writing this at the same time!

Oh I've just seen after rereading as well that you are just offering her water in it so far - can you try with a bit of formula? I am sure you're thinking oooh, waste, but at least it's more of a taste than water and she might be more interested.

Thanks all for the quick replies, I'll give the doidy cups a try.

How did you all start with them?

Pumperspumpkin - I sort of think she's using my boobs for any liquid intake, as she's not taking much water in. DH is saying I should put some juice in the water so "it doesn't taste like her own saliva"...

I went back to work when my DS1 was 9 month old. He didn't have any other milk. He refused the expressed milk in bottles, cups and spoons.

If your DD is going to be 11 months when you go back she's not going to need that much milk during the day.

I would just leave her with water.

ThingOne did you stop BF at 9 mo too? or did you introduce dairy then? DD is allergic to dairy so she will need some calcium intake although I wish I could do without the soy fomula...

As ThingOne says, I would just bf morning and eve at that age - if she's eating well, including some dairy (or soy replacement) in her food, she shouldn't need that much milk. Neither of my DDs were drinking that much milk at 11 months.

I went straight to a Doidy with my DD at about 4 months, in prep for my return to work when she was 8months. I tried with a bottle, but it just didn't work and we both got upset and I didn't want to waste my maternity leave having battles with her IYSWIM.
So I gave her bits of expressed milk in the doidy - never replaced a feed, just offered as well. Then when she went on to solids she had water from it. Now she happily has full milk feeds from it at the childminders and also drinks very well from adult cups and glasses (eg - she has some of my water if she wants).
I think they've been brilliant and have avoided the need to have bottles. They're cheap too!!!

Just saw it's BPA free as well, just ordered the red one. Thanks all for the suggestion!

I bfed my DS1 until he was two. I don't think he had any other dairy apart from (lashings of) butter on his toast and grated parmesan on his pasta.

There is quite a wide variety of calcium-rich foods - dark green leafy veg (not a great one for babies!), wholemeal bread, tofu, tahini (in humous), parsley (you can add bits to lots of things), watercress, broccoli, swede, almonds (almond butter is lovely), brazil nuts, fish with tiny bones in (like sardines but obv not for a baby).

I know but she might be allergic to gluten as well as some nuts (tests tbc next month), so I'm a bit concerned about calcium tbh. I can't just feed her dark green veggies, she will go on a food strike hehe... I'll prob BF as long as I can as well once I go back to work too.